Are we in fact a society or just a collection of moneyed individuals looking out for ourselves?
Wobbles,
Yes!

Yuyutsu, there is little doubt some of what you suggest will go on with regards to cheating the system.

However, if we just managed to feed one hungry kid, from money that would normally be flushed down the pokie toilet, it would be worth a shot, domt you think?

As for work for the dole, this MUST HAPPEN.

They simply need to work the appropriate hours, at minimal rates, to the value of their hand out.

That's step one, step two is no cash.

It is coming to an end. It is now staring us in the face !
The upcoming budget as has been signaled by Gillard and Swan has
shown what is in the wind for our journey down the same track as Greece,
Spain etc etc. China is winding back, it had to, It could not double
the size of its economy in 7 years.
There were just no resources to do that.

The whole world is in the same bind, it is just that some are further
down the gurgler than we are. The undeveloped countries use less
energy & resources per head than the rest of us so they have not had
the impact we have. However later they will, and it will show in food shortages.

It is the end of growth. This is not a temporary state, it is permanent
and for once it is not the fault of any particular party, it is just
that to manage decent is much too hard for the present government.

I am certain the Lib/Nats do not understand what is happening to them either.
We can but hope that both parties wake up and at least find that they
have some common policies to get us out of the coming mess.

Yuyutsu - No problem, give them food stamps.

Dear Philip,

<<Yuyutsu - No problem, give them food stamps.>>

So they will exchange the stamps for food, then sell that food to working people.

then sell that food to working people.
Yuyutsu,
Well, that'll make them salespeople then won't it ? For that they'll need to pay tax.