The past ten odd years have seen us go from a prosperous go forward nation, to one that is on its knees and the blame lays fair and square on our governments.

From insulation, to school halls and all the other train wrecks of the Rud/Gillard/Rud debacle, to the current useless mob that has delivered us a third world communications network in the NBN, likened to a six lane highway turning into a gravel road, to an apparent second in charge, till he fell on his sword, that cant keep his D... in his pants.

My question is, who the hell is running this place and how long do we, the 'financiers' for these clowns have to put up with what can only be described as third class politicians.

About all they have managed is to house immigrants in favour of residents, with many of them not even being invited here.

Is it just me, or is this just a complete joke. A joke with no answers as the alternative are just as useless.

You are certainly not the only one who feels that way. I have to hark back to my pet hate - mass immigration - to say what I think should happen. Our useless politicians are often said to be 'electing' themselves a new bunch of voters with immigration. We need to elect ourselves a new bunch of politicians, and the only way that this will happen is for candidates for office to presents themselves to the electorate - and be chosen by the electorate to stand - and do away with this corrupt business of parties and power brokers handing out safe seats to party hacks and political staffers.

Here's a somewhat different perspective.

Seven reasons to smile about Australia's future.

It's worth a read - and hopefully will cheer you up a bit.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/seven-reasons-to-smile-about-australias-future-20161216-gtd23w.html

Foxy, do you actually believe that? We avoided recession only because of injecting hundreds of billions into stimulus, money we did not have. Let's face it, we could all live like kings if we borrowed from our neighbours and never paid it back. He also mentioned 'controlled immigration', who on earth is he trying to kid. You obviously as I also recall you fell for both the NBN plan and Swans famous 'we will deliver surplus at any cost' crap. I have nothing against you Foxy and in fact see your inner beauty at times, but seriously, you need to get out and about because what you are being fed, and what is actually happening are world apart. Small retail in on its knees, yet to government a small business is one that turns over less than ten million. Pretty much says it all. Our modern day pollies are completely out of touch with reality.

Dear rehctub,

I'll try to do better and find you some other links
that you might find more acceptable.

Hi Foxy.

You might have to hold your nose, & go to JoNova & Watts Up With That, if you want to get to the truth, & some reasonably accurate information.

Hi Foxy, the crusty old conservatives we have on the forum thrive on doom and gloom. They will never accept that there are positives in Australia, they are totally negative people.

Butch most likely lives a comfortable middle class lifestyle, thanks to his chop shop business, but like a true conservative thinks others less entitled than himself are out to rip him off, and make his life a misery. The woe is me mentality has consumed such people as long as I've been around.

Rectub,ttb,hasbeen, you are all right on the money. I recall things were going rather swimmingly until the end of 89' when I went abroad to establish a new business. When I came back eventually, I found a totally different environment/landscape. Things have not been the same since. What confounds me is that we make money from nature whether it's mining or agriculture. A major fault lies with the pollies in that they give away our natural resources. Last I heard we were selling our gas for 5c a litre. Yet we pay more like 85 to over a dollar a litre. We have too many groups pulling politics one way then another. There is no doubt that the system of 'the club' as we have now is not acceptable. I would like to try non-politicians for a change. How much worse could they be than what we have had so far. Irrelevant parties like the Greens must go. Their agenda is too anti everything, and besides they must not be considered as a serious political contender. The main problem with us is we are not serious enough about getting involved with the running of this country. Whenever I try to persuade anyone about the problem I get, 'that's what we pay them for'. I'll bet nobody knows about the 'Bail-in' legislation just slipped through into law. What is it you say? Well when the 'to big to fail banks' get into trouble, as they will when the property bubble bursts, this law will allow the banks to take money out of OUR savings accounts to prop themselves up so they don't go broke. Don't believe me? Look up Glass-Steagall, the separation of traditional savings and loans banks from the speculative investment banks. This is where our money is going. The illuminati have designed the banking and taxation system like a Ponzi. So every 10 years or so we have a recession and they clean up at our expense.

Dear Paul,

Australia's prosperity is not assured. Economists,
including reports from the Lowy Institute (think tank
which presents distinctive perspectives on the
international trends shaping Australia and the world)
tell us that Australia has considerable strengths even
in a slowing global economy.

But many of Australia's strengths are fragile, under strain,
and contested. And the policy requirements they impose are
very far from the centre of Australia's political debate.

We're told that much of these strengths are in Australia's
human capital, its people.

But getting the most from these strengths depends on
recognising what they are, valuing them, and sustaining and
improving them.

For example, to offset the declining share of the workforce -
the aged members of the population we're told that Australia
will need to:

1) Continue to do more to make it more attractive for women
to work.
2) For older people to keep working.
3) And for workers displaced in one job to be retrained for
another.

More will need to be spent on child care. Advance the pension
entitlement age again, and align it with the age for
accessing superannuation.

All these changes however at this point look politically
difficult, if not impossible.

To support a rising level of education and training Australia
will need to carry through the Gonski Schools program, rethink
and properly resource vocational education and training, and at
least maintain the commitment to university education.

Compared with other advanced economies Australia's workforce
growth can be its greatest strength. The realisation of that
advantage depends completely on sustaining a skills-based
migration program of at least the same size as recent years.
As global competition for skilled migrants increases
Australia's migration program will have to move from passive
acceptance of applications to active recruitment.

Of course none of this we are warned will be easy but if
Australia recognises and cultivates its advantages and
distributes its gains fairly, it can over the next quarter
century increase the size of its economy and also its
living standards faster than in other advanced economies.
That surely is a prize worth seeking.

Hi Foxy,

On balance the majority of Australians live, at least in a material sense, a privileged life. Free from starvation and poverty, natural disasters and the depredation of war, away from the general human misery which besets many in the world. Yet so many, instead of counting their blessings, want to whinge and whine about how badly off they are.

I don't say Australia is perfect but its a lot better than the rest of the world. Wingers, get you head out of your arse and start counting your blessings.

Just to put things into prospective I posted this on another thread;

"A bit like village life among my friends in Fiji. Where those who work and have a small cash income provide staples, rice, dried peas etc, for those that do not undertake paid work. Those that are not in paid employment contribute through work in the vegetable gardens, animal husbandry, roadside stalls, or child minding, housekeeping, cooking, washing etc. If you don't require much more than electricity and a mobile phone its a pretty good life.

These people know nothing of GDP, economics etc, have little money, no real government support, but live a very contented life.

Dear Paul,

I count my blessings every single day.

We are living in the best country in the world.
That's why so many people want to come here.

Hi Foxy,

Yet we have the doom and gloom merchants, the whingers and the whiners who can't see anything but misery.

I think just for them it time for a song. One off the top of my head, an all time favorite of mine;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzGV9Bl6CGg

Go Jimmy!

Paul, I am amazed at your ability to see what you want to see and nothing else. I don't doubt that you may be in a lower socioeconomic level than most Australians. For that I sympathise.
But what those of us who know the difference are saying is, that with all the riches and resources of this country, we should ALL be better off. We are not.
People like me have witnessed the corruption in govt. The dirty deals they do. Selling off utilities to their mates and then the bastards tell us we have some of the cheapest power in the world as if we should be greatful, and at the same time expecting us to take it and leave them alone without question.
You want proof of how slimy these pricks are? Last week they rushed a bill through while there was barely five or six senators sitting. This 'bill' gives the banks power to remove funds from depositors accounts. Yours and mine, should they choose. Why? Because the pigs I have been warning everyone about, the elite, run by the banks,and who owns the banks? Believe that the big four here in Australia, AKA, too big to fail banks, must not be allowed to fail.
The bill is one which the USA had installed back in the thirties and a later President reversed it, letting the banks speculate with our money.
The bill was known as 'Glass-Steagall'. Look it up. This concerns every Australian.
My words may sound like whinging and whining to you. If you knew better you would agree rather than mock.

"I don't doubt that you may be in a lower socioeconomic level than most Australians. For that I sympathise."

Yes I'm doing it tough my friend. Own a house in the inner burbs of Sydney, own a car, debt free, pay tax, tripping around Oz or O/S at least twice a year, work a little part time and have since the age of 55, my partner also works, money in the "bank". Never touched my supa, finance my kids. To give you an idea how tough I have done it, worked in the 90's as an engineer on a salary of around $50k pa. ran my own successful business for several years as well.
Yes I have to admit I'm a long way behind Happy Harry T, and Gina Rhinoceros. I'm sorry for you if you now find yourself in the gutter after tasting the fruits of the dizzy heights.

My problem is I've always had a social conscience, more concerned about those that have nothing, than those who have something and want more. What you say about banks and government and sleaze is true, but since I'm in the back end of my life, and doing what I want, I'm not loosing any sleep over it.

ALTRAV,

You can't have it both ways. If you're going to live and operate in a Capitalists society which is subjected to the economic volatility of the markets, then you have to be prepared to service that system when the demands are made. In our economy if the big four banks were failing then the Australian economy, and probably the world economy, would be so stuffed that even if you had all your dosh in your mattress it wouldn't be of much use.
When Capitalism fails, you don't think you are going to get off Scott free do you? Maybe you do think so.

I don't believe any of you good people here would deny we badly lack decent leadership. What do we have - A Prime Minster who claims he's a Liberal but in reality is a Labourite. And an Opposition Leader who dances exclusively to the tune of Union 'Pipers'.

For months we've allowed ourselves to be bogged down in matters of little consequence, to the effective running of our country. Whether it's dual citizenship, or a bit of 'hanky panky' whatever? Our politicians' sworn duty is to govern this country, to the best of their ability.

Many of you as do I, lament the days of old. Well they're gone, and never likely to return. We still undeniably live in the best Country on earth, devoid and (generally) insulated from wars, complete economic insolvency, widespread famine, and pandemic disease - how long this will last, who knows?

Everyone on this Site has stated the unequivocal truth of what ails this nation. Are we declining, indeed we are in many areas - is this decline stoppable - yes, but only at the ballot box, where we the electorate for once, possess all the power to encourage no, 'direct' our politicians to change the direction of this country altogether, or else!

Provided of course we have the will and gumption to do so. Somehow, I don't think so. As a consequence of the absolute adulteration of our culture, I suspect it won't happen, as many of our traditional core values have diametrically shifted from that, which we've always held dear. Of course again orchestrated by our political leaders.

Sure, we live in the best country on earth, but we won't for much longer if we don't get better politicians, and fewer people coming here to muck it up. Mass immigration was appropriate in the 20th. Century, just after WW2. It is totally inappropriate now.

And you're spot on TTBN when you complain of mass immigration; essentially from the wrong areas. It's been many of these refugees/immigrants that's dislocated our culture. By importing and introducing, customs and ways that hitherto would be considered an anathema in our times, and in this country. Just seek out any copper of my era, and ask?

Dear O Sung Wu,

I'm more optimistic about our country's future.
The voters usually get it right in the end.

In Australia the writers of contemporary politics come
overwhelmingly from a left or "progressive" perspective.
In their accounts Labor usually emerges as the hero and
the Liberal Party as the villain. However, what we need
to do is look at the achievements of both sides as well
as to acknowledge the failures.

The Australian people are immensely likeable - cheerful,
extraverted, quick-witted and unfailingly obliging. Their
cities are clean and nearly always built on water. we have
a society that is prosperous, well ordered and instinctively
egalitarian.

You read that word a lot, that word "egalitarian", when you read
about Australians and Australian values.

I believe that because we are a young country our greatest glories
are still in front of us. Although we have had failures and
although we have not on every occasion lived up to the best
practice, the Australian achievement - political, economic, and
in lifestyle is one of the great successes of the world. And there
is still plenty more to be achieved in every sphere of life.
We need to solve our water
problem. We are the driest continent on earth. Water storage has
not been the subject of proper investment. We have wasted
water and we have not properly priced it. Scientific, economic
and engineering reform will be essential to fix this problem.

We have many other problems that need fixing. I won't go into
them here. However, I do believe that as we have done in the
past - so we shall continue to do in the future. We shall
thrive. As Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy wrote:

"We are the music-makers
And we are the dreamers of dreams
Wandering by lone sea-breakers
And sitting by desolate streams
World-losers and world-forsakers
On whom the pale moon gleams
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems."

Yep!....it's always someone else's fault......never ours....atts 'cos wer' 'stralian
It can't be that we're stupid and the flim flam men are smarter, because they take advantage of the collective stupidity and mental laziness of Australian society.
Senators that get in because of?.....could it be phlegmatic voters?
You can count the number of political representatives one may have a mind to listen to, much less follow, on one hand, and still have a couple of digits to spare.
Australian society has never been more fractured that it is today....so suck it up 'cos it's gonna be here for some time to come.
Australia, the country that never was.....

SD, now that's more like it. Foxy, you've written a very good attempt at a fiction novel. If we are going to compare or use a third world country to judge ourselves on, then yes, we are well above that level. But if we are to compare ourselves to other first world countries then we have to cherry pick to get the true picture. For example, unlike Aus, the US is forty odd different countries. You cannot see the US as one country. Every state is different, with different laws and lifestyles. That's one of the reasons I have always promoted the US. Don't like California? Fine try Texas and so on. For example Massachussets or San Fransisco are the places to be if you're a queer. By comparison we try to move states to get away from the baddies, guess what they're everywhere. The fools in govt led by the greens, the queers and the neuters have pushed so hard to get their ways as opposed to the lazy, weak, nancies which seems to make up the most of Aus, who have just sat back and relied on the pigs doing the right thing. Well it ain't gonna happen. So unless you all change your goody-two-shoes attitudes and put on a flack jacket and pick up your weapon of choice, get out there and start instilling some order and social values, we are not going to get better just because you girls say so. Forget this nice people crap. Aussies are no different from the rest of the world, when backed into a corner you come out fighting
The problem with that idea is that if you wait till your backed into a corner your dead.

Hi there FOXY...

You're always a ray of sunshine, while some of us have our respective jaws dragging along the ground. And it's true what you say, we're the lucky country no doubt about it. In passing you mentioned water. And reminding us that we're one of the the driest continents on the planet - which brings me back to 'Leadership' or the complete lack of it!

Neither the present PM or the Opposition Leader, have mentioned building more dams. Nor have they mentioned the construction of cleaner Power Stations. Hell no, they squabble like immature children, over sustainable energy processes. What we, the poor disregarded electorate want, is decent leadership, therefore for the sake of the country - 'DO SOMETHING' for hell's sake! That's all we ask of you at the moment, in return for your incredibly prodigious salaries, plus the enormous benefits package you receive. Show some real Leadership and do something.

Dear O Sung Wu,

You're spot on with leadership.

And Thanks for recognising what I was trying to say.

As Campbell Soup's Chief Executive Denise
Morrison puts it:

"You can either lead change or be a victim of it.
Now is the time for leaders."

The following link explains further:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/gloom-doom-and-optimism-20171221-h08ota.html

So Paul, looks like you have been brain washed as well mate. As for me picking on people, I have no problem with any able bodied person who has a go. What I object to are cue jumpers and bludgers. Foxy, economist at large, like governments, generally Annalise data then predict/react to same. Business on the other hand look into the future, then act accordingly. This is why despite what may be record profits, they shed staff, simply because they are looking at what's ahead, not what's happened. That is the biggest difference and, when hair brained governments make stupid 'on the run' calls, the future is effected not the present which is why many people say, well, the wheels didn't fall off after all. Big business damage make take years to take effect, but once they change direction internally, the damage is done. And why the hell do we introduce refugees, cue jumpers, into Sydney. Why not the bush where their welfare hand outs can at least stimulate the economy, not compete with over heated rents. Cast your minds back to where we were in 2006, then tell me we are not in trouble. By avoiding recession in 2008, we have simply delayed the inevitable made it ten times bigger. ( a figure of speech) Now to those on the paid pension. Ever wondered where that comes from, not the government but the tax payer. Your new best friend.

Paul1405, I can assure you I would welcome the banks to fail, collapse and die. Unlike most people I am resourceful and a survivor. You choose to believe that everything is ok. I choose the truth. You choose to ignore the rot and stealing because you 'have a social conscience'. I applaud you for that, but don't lose sight of reality. The reality is we cannot and should not do anything about poverty and so on, because we are not helping those you believe are in need of help. (While I think of it, you have given me an insight into your life and financial status, it seems only fair to respond in kind. I too have several industrial rental properties, do not claim any assistance from the govt. I am cashed up and self funded, I do not wish to discuss amounts, suffice to say I am more than secure in the event of a major financial melt-down, which is coming. I have several classic cars and some, I am currently building group housing for the lower socioeconomic first time renters so they can get a rental reference when they move on to other premises.) Back to point. I am reminded of the saying, 'give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him how to fish and he will never go hungry again'. My methods are more of the 'tough love' category than the charity category. I don't get that we have to send food to these people when all this time no one has bothered to hand out some basic gardening tools, the cost of which would have been a fraction of the cost of the food. They would have been feeding themselves a long time ago. There must be water where they are all camped so the basic ingredients are there for them to become self sufficient. Everything starts at the beginning so why hasn't someone started this program? Unlike yourself Paul, you may not be losing sleep over it, but I am.