I think that Kevin being the astute,polished bureaucrat,has summed up the situation very quickly.In his mind,there is really nothing he can really do to avert an economic catastrophy,so if Kevin isn't be revered in the minds of ordinary Australians,then why not use the UN and it's arm the IPCC to gain international prominence.Kevin will simply launch a crusade,along with Al Gore/Ross Garnaut on climate change,under the guise of saving the planet.Kevin will be an international hero at our expense!

This is why the present Labor Govt are so dangerous to our well being.There are many things that need to be done to build a fire wall around our economy.Just today I've heard from an ANZ executive that things in the US will get much worse.Kevin Rudd needs to get out there and act like a leader thus instilling some confidence in our economy.They have a huge surplus left to them by the Libs and thus should embark on badly needed infrastructure building.They need to bypass the incompetent,wasteful state Govts and just do it.

Bazz I hope that answers part of your question.Col,mostly we are in agreement.Pelican and Ludwig,I agree with part of your philosophy but we need a more substancial pop to keep this country ecomically viable.mjpb I found the notion of the Kondratieu Cycle a bit disturbing.Prof Wolfgang Kasper does paint a very familiar picture to the previous depressions.

Let's hope that the wisdom that flows across the internet averts another Great Depression.Kevin Rudd unfortunately for us,won't be part of that wisdom,since his ego is greater than any notion of building a better Australia.

http://www.ozpolitic.com/green-tax-shift/green-tax-shift.html

Carbon taxes are the way to go. They are only socialism by stealth if you are a socialist. If you are a capitalist, they are a rational way to internalise externalities.

freediver "They are only socialism by stealth if you are a socialist. If you are a capitalist, they are a rational way to internalise externalities."

I am not a socialist.

As the originator of the term "socialism by stealth",

I do recognise that interference of government in diverting the discretionary income of individuals into taxes surplus to that needed for the legitimate work of government,

as achieving a typical socialist objective of levelling everyones outcome results, regardless of their individual effort.

AGW/ETS is the excuse,
carbon taxes the tool
but socialist levelling is the goal.

One thing is for sure and certain.

Whatever the reality of AGW, whatever measures are "put in place", however much the ice caps melt or expand, whether or not the country is bankrupted by the short-sighted, mealy-mouthed, pontificating, prating administration we call our government, whether we sell, or refuse to sell, coal or uranium or ethanol, how slowly or quickly we slide into a third-world economy, I can provide you with just one absolutely, 100%, gold-plated, copper-bottomed lifetime guarantee.

No politician will go hungry.

Pericles “No politician will go hungry.”

LOL you sound as cynical as I feel LOL

As Ernest Benn said

‘Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.’

Which sums up the whole ‘carbon tax’ fiasco-in-the-making to a Tee

So everything is part of a communist conspiracy? We can't let the government change anything?