Luck started running out for the ‘The Lucky Country’ when our gormless politicians took up “many of the pathologies of crowded,socially divided societies like the United Kingdom or the United States”, according to U.S academic, Joel Kotkin (city-journal.org). We have also embraced politics more associated with “Manhattan liberals” or “Silicon Valley oligarchs”, whereas we used to be “unpretentious” and dependent on resourced-based industries.

OECD statistics show that incomes of the Australian middle class have been dropping by over 1%, every decade, since the 1980s. The middle class, in size, ranks below the OECD average, and millennials are more likely to “sink into poverty” than they are in all other advanced nations except Greece and Latvia.

The ALP, once the party of the working class which helped people to attain ‘middle class’ status, is now the party of the professional class - “media, finance, public service”: all concentrated in the largely “family-free” inner cities.

The economic elites benefit from the “flow of natural resources” to Asia or by pushing climate-change ‘mitigation’ programs, but they have “little stake in domestic production that makes use of Australia’s mineral wealth.

There is a “gradual deindustrialization” of Australia.

Australia’s commitment to renewable energy “dwarfs” that of even the most committed green-leaning countries. We have, per capita, about 5 times as many renewable energy installations as the EU, the US and China; and ‘even’ 2.5 times more than “climate obsessed” Germany. Not to mention some of the highest energy costs in the world, up 130% between 2015 and 2017.

The author sees Morrison as having an opportunity to grab working class votes from Labor. Can’t agree with that one, Joel; the Coalition is only a little different from Labor, and their main claim to government is that they are not Labor.

There is much in this article that I cannot review in 350 words. It needs to be read in full. I’ll just end with a sentence from the final paragraph: “Today, many Australians face an uncharacteristically bleak future”. (‘The Once-Lucky Country’, Joel Kotkin)

the professional class - “media, finance, public service”: all concentrated in the largely “family-free” inner cities.
ttbn,
Yes, these "experts" have relentlessly undermined the Nation of the "fair go" & turned it into a gimme, gimme, gimme crowd. Now that the tide is turning against them they're panicking & resort to fake news tactics in the hope that the working class will be hood-winked again.
Something though tells me that their tricks are no longer working. They've hurt too many for too long !

Yeah. I don't think that the election result is as cut and dried as we might have thought any more. Politics is at an all time low.

If Labor gets knocked back we might be in with a chance to recover in every way.

I suppose those to whom a wharped mentality dictates to bring this Nation to its knees will vote Labor, the rest will vote conservative to prevent the change to worse ?

Most of the 16,424,248 people registered to vote will vote the same way that have every election. Only 5% of voters - the swingers - will change the government - or not. 3% of those eligible to have not bothered to register. I believe (there are no stats that I an aware of) the most voters will vote according to 'how to cards' of whoever they put first. Although I am a Conservative, I don't think the AC will get many votes at all. One Nation seems to be doing everything it can to lose support, and the Greens are similar. So, as always, it's Liberal or Labor. Given the information I posted elsewhere: that it is not politicians who are calling the tune anymore, the election cannot save Australia. Unlike the U.S, we can't even elect a decent leader who has the power to override the crap from his own party. Why do we bother! The 3% of Australians who don't register to vote might be on to something.

Australia is just another Western country moving towards "feudalism and social division. (David Uren, The Australian).

I said above that I don't expect the Australian Conservatives to get many votes; nor, it seems, does the Leader,Cory Bernardi, who has taken to rubbishing Pauline Hanson on the AC website. I would have thought that, despite the differences, the only party close to the AC would be One Nation. It seems that breakaway and splinter parties fail because of poor leadership and poor judgement.

Just received an email advising that any penises drawn on ballot papers will count as a vote for the Greens.

I'm sure that the Coalition et al, would be grateful to get
votes which ever way they can - and apparently they have
nothing better to do than draw on ballot papers. That explains
why they need so many staff working for them.

http://www.switzer.com.au/the-experts/peter-switzer-expert/accountants-are-saying-not-happy-bill-not-happy-/?utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=switzer-daily

FYI,

Yes great post by Switzer, I wish all of Australia would read this article

Switzer and CIS are usually on the ball when it comes to economics. The people who should be reading the article would sneer about 'right wing thinktanks'. And, I'm not sure that accountants these days are what they used to be when it comes to giving advice. Bank managers used to be pillars of society, too; but now ....? It's hard to know who to trust these days. What some of us do know, however, is that things are not as rosy in Australia as is generally thought. Gawd help us all if Shorten becomes our next Prime Minister.

Dear individual,

That Switzer article is just terrible. A complete and utter beat up.

"So people going through a divorce will now not only be screwed over by the Family Court and lawyers, now they will also be screwed over by the government."

The vast bulk of the costs of divorce are with solicitor fees of which none is tax deductible as it stands now. Accountancy fees are normally assigned to the vehicle holding property or investments such as companies or trusts. The accountancy done on these remain tax deductible. It is just the personal tax costs over $3000 which are rightly pegged.

Have you got anything else mate?

Divorce has nothing to do with the state of the country, and individual would not have referred to the article because it was mentioned.

So bitter and twisted; so desperate for attention is this 'SteeleRdux' character that he has to comb through everything to get something out of it to spew his bile over. All he needs to do is announce that he hates everything and everyone he disagrees with, and leave it at that. Other posters could help put him out of his misery by not arguing with him. It's time to take away his dummy.

ttbn,
With SteeleRedux it's all about SteeleRedux et al whereas with others it about Australia !

individual,

Probably a lack of self-esteem. The fact that he hunts people down in one of my threads (he despises me and has no interest in my opinions) says a lot. People like SR, with a massive chip on their shoulders and a lot of aggression, are better suited to bogan-type social media like like Facebook. Perhaps he is a failed bully escaped from that venue:).

I'm not at all keen on people who abuse the opportunity to express their opinions by merely picking arguments with people whose opinions they don't like. That is not what it's supposed to be about.

ttbn,

Being one of the most toxic, nasty, posters on this forum
who slings faeces at anyone whose views don't agree with
yours - you are in no position to criticise the behaviour
of any one else. You are a small man, with small - "ideas."

https://www.rumrebellion.club/the-political-and-market-parallels-with-2007-are-eerie/

If that doesn't work try http (no s)

Dear individual,

Not defending the article then? Probably for the best.

Now I have never been divorced so I'm not sure you can say I'm looking after myself on that front. However we do have rental properties so that would mean I am going to be at a disadvantage with the changes to negative gearing. How is that looking after myself?

Or perhaps you had something else in mind?

"You are a small man, with small - "ideas."

This woman is a notorious for plagiarism and pinching other people's comments. She can't even use original abuse. The pathetic words above were used on TV recently by another idiot, Penny Wong, who also mistakenly thought the objects of the abuse would give her childishness a single thought.

She would be better off spending time improving her punctuation skills than taking it on herself to defend another poster against me; not to mention her arrogance in thinking that she has to do so. Irrespective of what anyone thinks of SteeleRedux, he probably doesn't need a clingy woman fighting his battles for him - with absolutely no success.

Oh Dear, he just can't help himself -
the toxicity continues - from the small man
with small "ideas."

Here's a proper take on Penny Wong:

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/wong-has-something-you-cannot-manufacture-20190506-p51kf1.html

cont'd ...

BTW: Dont'd flatter yourself ttbn, -

I wasn't defending Steele R. against you ... -
He doesn't need my help. You're
not his equal - you arrogant small man.

I was
merely pointing out your obvious flaws -of
toxicity , nastiness, smallness.

Steele needs no defense
against someone of your calibre. Merely pointing out
to you that you are in no position to comment on the
flaws of others.

You really are a nasty piece of work, Foxy. So full of bile you must feel ill all the time. Seriously, try Facebook, where you belong.

The best way to fight ignorance is to ignore it !

ttbn,

I didn't know any - toxic, nasty, small men, until
you came along on this forum.

Were you to go - it just may raise the bar for
others. Frankly I am surprised that you're still
allowed to post - your effluence can be smelt
everywhere.

When kettles are calling the pots black, hypocrisy & lack of integrity have reached saturation !

https://www.theaustraliantribune.com.au

Foxy,

You once announced that, among all the other conditions that you often regale us with, that you suffered from depression. You certainly have the right personality for a depressive, and you are not helping yourself. You are becoming more manic and out of control with every post. OLO is not the right therapy for you, and projecting your own faults and problems onto me and others will do more damage than good, to you. Your obsessive behaviour and intolerance; your mania for being 'right' and putting other people down won't change anything. Get help.

"The best way to fight ignorance is to ignore it !"

Quite right, individual. Particularly with fragile people who are obviously struggling. I spent my working life dealing with difficult people; but that was 20 years ago, and the memories have dulled a bit.

People's volatility has increased over the past few years as life gets tougher: more nastiness, more violence, weirder behaviour, blazing hatred over mere differences of opinion.

In the media yesterday, a hulking young male was reported as having said, "I'm not frightened to hit a girl", after he bashed a 23 year old woman in a road rage incident. Politicians being physically attacked (only the non-left so far). Society is going downhill fast. Shop assistants, police, ambos attacked because someone is on drugs, drink, or just having a bad day. Not forgetting the mania of some posters to win arguments that don't really matter.

Thanks for reminding me.

Ps : I take it that you were referring to the Tribune article that points out that health, not climate change, is the big issue for the election?

Dear individual,

"The best way to fight ignorance is to ignore it !"

Indeed. It really isn't that hard to skip over posts from certain posters. I enjoy being challenged because it forces me to substantiate my arguments but there are people who are so utterly toxic that all that comes back is bile.

It is quite automatic for me now, quick look at the user name and move on.

Tony Abbott has had dog poop left on his doorstep by a thoughtful opposition supporter. Crap and eggs seem to be the weapons of choice for the Left.

ttbn,

A bit of clarification for you -

I have been a member of this forum for
over 10 years. There was a time when I went through
the wars so to speak.

I was diagnosed with cancer
(my mum with Alzheimers). I found things difficult
and so I turned to my friends here on the forum which
helped me a great deal. I felt I wasn't alone and that
people understood. Most people did.

I certainly was not aware that I was "regaling" anyone.
As far as I'm aware - you are the only one who appears
to have been "regaled" and continually takes the opportunity
to rub it in. Again, showing your toxicity , nastiness,
and small mindedness. Other people understood the
blackness, lethargy, hoplessness and loneliness,
that I went through at that time. My mum has since
passed away - and I miss her greatly.

I have since recovered and appreciate the kindness that
I was shown by all of my friends here.

Depression is one of the side affects of cancer.
But I have fully recovered.

BTW: I'm not from always being right - but from not
fearing to be wrong. There's a difference.

As for your comment about Tony Abbott having dog pooh
left at his front door by someone from the Opposition?
Well - Tony Abbott did say:

"Sometimes shyte happens," when discussing the events
surrounding the death of a digger in Afghanistan.

As the old adage tells us - "There's just not enough toilet
paper in the world to clean up all this crap some
people create."

No comment. I'm taking individual's advice to ignore ignorance.

"There's just not enough toilet
paper in the world to clean up all this crap some
people create."

That's awesome, I'm definitely going to use it in future.

C'mon people, we're all Aussies, aren't we all supposed to be on the same team here?

Dear Armchair Critic,

Ignorance is always afraid of change.
I'm learning that you can't reason with
an ignorant person. And as Steele
pointed out - best to ignore.
Although it's hard to do at times
when being challenged. But I shall
continue to try to be nice. (smile).

Crap and eggs seem to be the weapons of choice for the Left.
ttbn,
One could be forgiven to think you described their brains also !

Individual,

Have courage.

If someone treats others like crap just remember
that there's something wrong with them, not you.
Normal people don't go around attacking other
human beings.

So true Foxy.

I guess that's why the lefties do it so often with Crap and eggs.

Dear Hassie,

Old divisions of "Left" and "Right" are only
adhered to by a tiny minority of our population.

Does that half-wit who sent his own crap to Abbott realise that his DNA can be identified ? I hope his primary school principal gives him a good talking to.

Then there's that Green slime who attacked Jacinta Price in the usual Aboriginal gutless way.

I'll be so glad when this election circus is over. Shorten might win by six to ten seats, and the Greens might drop their piddly vote from 9 % to 8 % or less, but all of the parties have lowered the tide-mark on sleaze.

Joe

Dear Hassie,

Every day in some people's lives is like
tossing an egg - at any moment they may
find themselves saying - "OH CRAP!"

"OH CRAP!"
If Labor gets in, everyone with an ounce of integrity will say that next week !

The wisdom of words lies in mot merely being
repetitive in slogans and words - but in achievements
and actions. People do not
support those whose actions don't match
their words and all these weaklings can do is attack
their opposition. Being aggressive has negative
reactions and consequences as the upcoming election
will show.

We don't need more drones in our Parliament.