Yabby much of it is twaddle.

You appear to think any criticism of capitalism (or modern economic thinking) must be by nature pro-socialism/communism. A system is what we make of it, it should work for us and to the greater benefit, not become a life force in itself. ie. some amorphous and politicised economics formula to suit one particular view that may not always serve the common good.

Do you think the system is perfect? Do you think the system is as fair as is possible, particularly in relation to inequitable partnerships in the developing world.

Thinking differently to you does not make the argument emotional. IMO you should just argue your position without personal assumptions. We all know the realities of dealing with other economies but many of the 'realities' you refer are modern conventions once thought radical. Human beings are adaptable and can make better decisions or improve on old ones, just because something is so now does not mean it has to be thus for ever forward.

The system can be tweaked to ensure greater fairness and, dare I say it, serve the national interest (accepting of course that there will be disagreement on how that might be achieved).

Custard- The Blue Cross regards indeed thanks.
I feed on the pain of the loony left, the sight of 4 VW combi vans heading for conference from the north shore thrills me.
Cuddling up to that union Secretary with the Che shirt, funny it shows him dead on the table?
We evil center unity types always win the voting, dreadful stuff, stopped a VW Armada setting of to rebuild the Berlin wall.
Stopped the importation of Stalins statue, it would have looked ugly out side the Sydney town hall.
Unity is strength but holding your meetings in that phone box is a bit different.
Am I about right? are you still fighting to keep numbers above ten in your groups.
Lash out at me, after all its the only joy you will get from politics unless you like being beaten.
True, not stirring, the true left within the ALP is as much my enemy as any conservative that ever lived.
They kept my party in opposition for too long my party did not move to the right.
IT FOLLOWED ITS VOTERS THERE.

Custard, are you actually a member of the ALP? I ask because you don't seem to know how the party actually works.

I was a member for many years, until I left in disgust at the internal corruption at the branch and local level, together with the lurch to the Right.

Belly - the ALP did more than shift to the Right to chase its traditional voters. It abandoned its heart and soul in its quest for power for its own sake, and many long term members like me found somewhere better to go.

Anybody who thinks Julia Gillard is of the Left these days is dreaming.

Pelican, much of OLO is twaddle. But at its core, its still
a good thing. Its much the same with our economic system.

Sure it can be tweaked and changed, but the old leftie-greenie
arguments of business is evil, big business is even more evil,
money is evil, we want a revolution etc, gets rather boring.

Some people do in fact think beyond just wearing their hearts
on their sleeves and they are ones that I'm interested in
listening to. To see if there is anything in there that
is different for a change.

Just this weekend I saw an interesting interview on Bloomberg.
It was with an idealist called Jacqueline Novogratz. She went
to Africa etc, wanted to help the poor and saw exactly what
I saw there. Waste everywhere. All these people with good
intentions, sending all sorts of stuff, equipment etc to Africa,
most of it was wasted. So good intentions are not going to
do it and cries of fairness are not going to do it either.

http://www.acumenfund.org/

So she founded this fund, with a very different approach. Sounds
like its working! This all sounds alot more effective to me,
then all the smashing of shops, burning of cars and other
demonstrators tools, that the anarchists, trotzkyites and other
left wing loonies have been undertaking in Toronto

Ah to stir is to live:D NOICE

I come from a strong Union family, in a strong Union area and my first job(s) were in closed-shop workplaces... Makes my view somewhat 'odd' for someone in my position. I realise that, but when it is bought up, I fall back on my bogan upbringing and really and DILIGAF says it all. As for being a true believer, YES and PROUD of it. I'm the person on the picket line who will start it, the one who knows the point at which violence is indicated (its just good ol' fun, a steelcap to the skull never hurt anyone) how to get away with it:D

Are the Unions making a resurgence, I suspect they are - it doesn't show yet, but yes, given the extent of personal indebtedness and the state of our national finances, I suspect they will be. I strongly suspect we have only dodged 'part' of the economic crisis, and we've beggared ourselves doing so. The current crisis is getting money back into the coffers, because if there is a second wave of the GEC, we are for it. That equals retrenchments, sackings (actually, for the clever clogs on contracts, that means they'll almost certainly regret signing on any line) and a resurgence of Unions.

Did anyone else here notice how little interest there was in boat people during the "recession we had to have"? Average Aussies had bigger problems and even the boat people didn't want to be here. I'm amazed nobody has wondered "WHY?" we need the Super Profits Tax so badly? I have no comment on the Ruddy-Money, or its effects, but we managed to weather the first wave (one way or t'other)

PS Am I a Monarchist? I wasn't for a long time, but as I see the two Princes actually doing what the Royal family should have been doing for a LONG time, I'm beginning to be swayed back... Their joining the services... The way they can talk TO instead of DOWN TO the wounded troops? Yeah, that is a mark in their favor.

You are an ol' stirrer from wayback Custard. :)

Yabby there is a lot of waste in the Aid business not to mention a bit of corruption as well.

But there is a lot being done where communities are supported in helping themselves - that is the only way real change can occur not through some misplaced sense of Western patriarchial do-good fuzziness.

Good intentions don't necessarily solve anything but they are the potential or the hope for doing things better. Doing nothing will guarantee nothing changes.

You are still bleating on about Trostsky and Anarchists and Left wing paranoia which has nothing to do with any of this - and completely missed my point. But it is what it is - not much more I can add.