Hi Suseonline,

You say << I believe Australia does have a AAA rating and is known to be one of the most economically sound countries in the world at present >>

If you know something we don’t about the value of the AAA rating to Australians we would love to hear it, (I’ll give you a clue, “borrowings”), otherwise you too have the opportunity to answer the question I put to Belly.

“Would this be the same AAA rating that Lehmann Bros, Italy, Spain, France and Ireland had just before the GFC?”

In response to your comment that Australia is “known to be one of the most economically sound countries in the world at present”.

Really? Would these “other countries” to which you refer be previous owners of the much vaunted AAA rating and are now broke?

Here’s a little story for you.

Once upon a time Suseonline 1, had $94 on her credit card, she not only paid off her credit card debts but she also spent less than she earned for 10 of the 11 years (surpluses). She was so good at managing her finances she managed to save $70 for her future and saved $22 in her deposit account.

Suseonline 2 however, has spent the $22 she had in her deposit account and in just six years, dipped into her saving for her future and has put $350 on her credit card. She has never spent less than she earned and will continue this tradition for at least another four years and is forecast to run her credit card debit to at least $400. Her domestic income is shrinking, the house if full of useless “investments” that generate no income, these are a now a financial liability and now she wants to blame Suseonline 1 for her problems.

Which Suseonline would you prefer to be?

Thanks Poirot.
Not going to hang around this thread much, not much logic to be seen here.
Yet no post amused me more this year than my mate spindoc,s.
Now I am no angle, that will supprise SD he thought I was.
NOTHING made me both smile and understand the bloke more than his informing us he uses drugs.
Yes him being given his true name here and place of work Menzies house, even his some times post style is clearly answered.
Please spindoc do not get the lantana mixed up with the other stuff.

Well, Belly....I'm not going to judge spindoc too harshly, having been known to have the odd puff (cigarette) myself in my time. Don't drink much, except maybe a wine or two on the weekend when the family gets together. I've never smoked "recreational drugs" except for twice in the seventies.

Actually, I find it fairly amusing that we have whole societies undertaking sedentary lifestyles, sitting for the most part, eating junk food (maybe they should invent a special tax for cream buns and hamburgers), and a bottleshop on every second corner (strange how we don't have pictures of liver cirrhosis and alcohol-related violence on every bottle) - and so many pontificate and look down their noses at smokers.

The strange thing is that I now a lot of people, and many of them are continually at the doctors for this or that, some are chronically afflicted with various ailments....and none of them smoke.

Weird times.

If this Government had only the slightest clue how to manage than there wouldn't be a need to rip people off would there ?
Listening to this Cameron fellow last night rambling on about the GFC & the AAA ratings etc. & how the Rudd Government lead us through all that. He totally failed to mention that it was the Coalition-filled coffers that made it possible for his Government to get some of these questionable figures & now instead of full coffers we now have a huge empty hole, courtesy ALP government. The Tobacco tax is yet another immoral tactic to dig that hole deeper. The way they're going they'll need to use explosives soon to get deeper.

Hi Belly,

You’re getting to be more and more like the “fun police”. Cheer up old mate, when you can’t handle a bit of fun it’s not a good look.

Attribute Number 23. Members exhibit a dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor. :)

The federal government is the major beneficiary from drug dealing in tobacco (alcohol too). One can take its mealy-mouthed concern for health as just a blind for a tax increase.

I am not suggesting that taxes should not be applied, but there should be limits to taxation and the hypocrisy of Australia's greatest drug dealer, the federal government, is contemptible.

The hypocrisy is also evident in its drug war against marijuana. One could easily imagine that its motivation is more to protect its other drug businesses, alcohol and tobacco, and to support 'Big Pharma'.

Most mornings I do home visits from a list supplied by local churches, to elderly singles in my neighborhood to give them some company over a shared cup of tea and help them get a little sunlight while watching me knock over any garden maintenance. Many suffer the most wretched pain and immobility from rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, and loss of sleep.

While there are prescription drugs available, there are costs both financial and health, eg damage to the kidneys from the prescription drugs. I would like to see them have the option of growing and using their own marijuana. It makes so much sense, except to a government that profits from other drugs and the drug companies of course.

Government should be serving the people, not the reverse.