Col,why don't you argue about the topic at hand, ie the market manipulation of fuel prices.I have very little faith in Govt like yourself,but the capitalist's system is far from perfect.Wild speculation that manipulates the prices of basic survival commodities like fuel and food need regulating.

I see the modern societies being no different from feudal systems of the past.Multi-nationals have replaced the Kings and the share market feeds the new aristicrocy.The poor cannot save,thus cannot buy the very shares which they have helped to create.People should paid enough to consume the goods which they produce and there in lies the rub.Corporates want the lowest costs to shore up their bottom lines.Govts are inefficient and wasteful.Ordinary folk get screwed by both.

While I agree with a market based economy,it needs to be regulated by rules like we have in sport.The rules we have for labour in Aust do apply in China or India.Where is the level playing field?

You cannot have simplistic visions of laisse-faire free market dominance without incurring serious economic/social inequity.

*I opt for self-reliance, I can rely on that.
Certainly a better option than putting faith in any support from government.*

Col, I completely agree with you on that one. In my experience
its actually real adversity in life, which teaches you how to
cope with and deal with it. Blaming the world won't change anything.
At some point you realise that its up to yourself to make things
happen for you, nobody else.

Some years ago, we had a large traumatic fire in this area, which
burned 60'000 acres. Those who had had relatively tough lives, knew
how to deal with it and get over it. Those who had relatively cushy
lives, howled the loudest and had the biggest difficulties. They
had never known hard times.

*“I find it incredible that both of you are so detached from the realities beneath your noses.”*

The realities beneath my nose are that most get it far easier then
I had it. They will have to learn what I had to learn, ie. that
it was up to me to pick myself up from the chaos and find solutions,
as nobody would do it for me. I did and despite it not being
easy, it sure was character building and worth the effort.

Arjay “Col,why don't you argue about the topic at hand,”

Because I challenged the off-topic assertion which you addressed to Yabby and myself.

If you want me to stay on topic, I suggest you stay on topic and do not side track it with extraneous references.

“capitalist's system is far from perfect”

Just a lot less imperfect than all the other alternatives, including the charade of mediocrity known as socialism.

“Wild speculation that manipulates the prices of basic survival commodities like fuel and food need regulating.”

Describe “regulating” what exactly you think you mean.

“Multi-nationals have replaced the Kings and the share market feeds the new aristicrocy.”

And I understood that the shares in multinationals can all be tracked back to many different people or to superfunds representing the invested resources of millions of people.

Somehow that makes a king, sharing his throne with millions of other sound ridiculous and the aristocracy as common as muck.

“it needs to be regulated by rules like we have in sport.”

Corporate law goes back for well over a century and a half (Joint Stock Companies Act 1844), it is regularly updated and apparently the UK 2006 Companies act is reckoned as the biggest lump of legislation ever undertaken.

To say nothing of trades practices legislation and anti-trust legislation.

Lots and lots of ongoing regulation.

“The rules we have for labour in Aust do apply in China or India.Where is the level playing field?”

Wrong, the rules do not apply in India or China. It is an uneven playing field. Complain to the Indian or Chinese governments, they will laugh in your face. They are not accountable to Australian legislature any more than we are subject to theirs.

“You cannot have simplistic visions of laisse-faire free market dominance without incurring serious economic/social inequity.”

It is the simplistic lassie-faire economics which evens out the inequity. The poor find markets and productive employment, wage rates improve and the overpaid suffer from loss demand.

You can have either equitability or equality but you will never achieve both.

Ask Glenn Stevens. He's the man.

I'm sure he'd know if our interst rate policy is being driven by a Wall St hoax.

Frank Blunt

PS If Stevens doesn't reply, call Wayne Swan on (02) 6277 7340.

Col

I finally see the light.

It is acceptable for the high-income aspirational to suck off the public teat, vis-a-vis your statement: "I recently bought another car and had it immediately converted to LPG, all on the government."

But, Arjay, if you're low-income aspirational - stop yer whining, peasant.

Fractelle “finally see the light.”

An a Damascan moment, how wonderful

And I facilitated such illumination, it makes me feel almost saintly, maybe you will suggest I be beatified.

“It is acceptable for the high-income aspirational to suck off the public teat, vis-a-vis your statement: "I recently bought another car and had it immediately converted to LPG, all on the government."”

Well you see, how I spend my discretionary income is entirely at my own discretion and since the government, in its wisdom allowed me to qualify for a $2,000 rebate on having the car fitted for LPG, it would be anti-environmental of me not to exercise my rights and support the community goal of reducing our dependency on oil.

So lets put it this way Fractelle, I am doing my bit for the country and your enlightenment is merely a fringe benefit.

But the best thing is, it now costs me only $40 week to go from home to clients, instead of $100+, of course that is the pre-tax values, not quite so good when I convert the saving into a post tax benefit.

Like to hear about my recent Pacific Island Cruise?

Had a wonderful dinner this evening, old friend I had not seen in about 8 months, he has been traveling some, of course, he needs to find some work but he has skills, as he said, he could live off his share portfolio but he just likes to keep busy too, he is another ex-UK conservative voter, like me.

It seems the happy people I know are the ones who make their own way in the world, instead of just envying the well earned reward generated by others.

As for Arjay, I have always presumed Arjay to be someone similar to myself, happier making his own way rather than watching others, mind you the incompetence and crass performance of these labor state governments is enough to destroy any ones faith in our economic processes.

Have you noticed how the socialists are always first to get their post-parliamentary snouts in the public trough