//But the deep state//

Ye gods, the deep state? Really, mhaze? I expected better of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWd6XgBVIcg

I'm OK with Jews and I deeply regret the Holocaust, David. It's your Left that I don't like. It is a bigger threat to the West than Islam, and it is increasingly anti-Semitic.

Unfortunately, there is the revival of the idea of socialism throughout the developed world, largely championed by people who have no idea what socialism actually entails, but who are disappointed with the current system not delivering all the outcomes they want and/or not to the extent they want, and socialism sounds like something cool that’s not the current system.

At 93, you should know better. You have lived through it. As an academic, you were, perhaps, part of it?

mhaze,

Re: Kavanaugh

Come on. You can't be that gullible?

Of course the US Senate which has a Republican Majority
is going to support their President and his choice of
a Supreme Court Judge. And of course they won't "find"
anything in the FBI Report. Here you had a conservative
President who had his conservative nominee and the
conservative majority in the Senate of course would be
predisposed to put that nominee on the Supreme Court
for life. They could do not less.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-05/senate-panel-gets-fbi-report-on-kavanaugh-misconduct-accusations/10340030

Dear ttbn,

You are also human.

Foxy, so now that someone has given the source of their reasoning, and because you don't agree with it, or it doesn't confirm your version of the 'truth', it's suddenly not true or not acceptable.
When you do this you are showing your hypocrisy, and your true state of mind.
When others suggest that there are opposing views to yours, they are immediately challenged as being stupid and un-informed or dispatched, aggressively dismissing anyone who dared to question anything you say.
Well guess what, there are always more than one version of events, and unless you or the author were present when said incidents took place, I will steadfastly demand you not make comments as if you are the only one who knows the truth or the facts on everything posted on OLO.
Become the 'bigger man' and accept that there is always another view, and that people are corrupt, dishonest, greedy, selfish, lazy, and many more bad things.
I feel sick when you go on and on with the veiled attempt at promoting the 'everything and everyone is rosey', line.
The truth is not what you describe.
What you describe is your version of the truth.
Unfortunately, because your version is only something you desire, it has no bearing on the 'real' world, and so it is that your comments, even though very sweet, are just not relevant to any 'real' discussion.
They would be perfect for a forum discussing the way things should/could be, but just not here where it is expected to discuss what IS!

individual,
Regarding your question on Thursday, IIRC large trade surpluses occurred under the Rudd and Hawke governments.

Our balance of trade has more to do with the strength of our dollar than who's in power. It's quite easy to run a big trade surplus when our dollar is weak as it currently is.