You know it's interesting that my memories of Aussies in growing up, and till today, are simply described by few words, such as; fun, beer, good times, dole, surfing, bludging, whinging, fighting, bullying, entitled, selfish, and more of the same.
Not one thought or memory of words like; work, focused, inclusive, fairness, hard working, maturity and leadership.
Instead I have heard stupid mantra's like, "I work to live, not live to work".
They want extra money for working weekends and outside normal hours such as night shift, WHY?
So whilst the country has treated the job as a disease, to be avoided at all cost, we find the same morons bitching about their pension and how it is not enough to live on.
Well the moral of the story is literally, 'you reap what you sow'!
Had fun and enjoyed yourself when you were young and healthy and strong, able to do the hard yards? Well to f@(#ing bad, now suffer, you lazy, entitled, smarmy, arrogant fools.
Does anyone wonder why we're in the sh!t today?
If you don't know the answer then you were part of the problem.
These same arse wipes, whinge and bitch and belly ache about bosses today, but don't want to realise that it was the bosses who they should be praising and cultivating, not denigrating.
In Japan the staff don't leave work, (knock off) until the boss does.
Now that's respect and displaying gratitude for him giving them the job in the first place, and obviously if the staff knock off before him, if he needs answers to something he is doing they need to be there, to do THEIR JOB.
Unlike here, ah tomorrows another day I'll worry about it tomorrow.
In the meantime the contract was lost to someone who followed through that day.
No Aussies do not deserve ANYTHING but a good horsewhipping, and a good dose of National service, and just maybe we will begin to see some mature, responsible men come out of it, making us proud and focused on success and prosperity, and not laziness and dependency.

Some great prices on existing Holden stock, starting 1st March.
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2019 Holden Trax $13,000 drive away
http://youtu.be/lMo36E9T0hs

2019 Holden Astra $12,000 drive away
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Includes 7 years warranty and logbook servicing.
Almost too cheap to say no;
You can buy it, drive it for 2 years or 50,000ks and then still sell it for more than you paid.

Here’s Why GM is Shutting Down Car Production Around the World
http://youtu.be/MMF5FVZmGaE

ALTRAV,

"... I have heard stupid mantra's like, "I work to live, not live to work"."

Well, I always worked to live and did not live to work and only an utter fool would live to work.

On the bosses in Japan and workers' loyalty, you forgot to mention that the ethics of the bosses and owners of firms is the opposite of your own, they never put workers off, they reduce profits and keep their staff when there is a downturn.

Revolutionary.

ttbn

What is the difference between Australian garment sellers exploiting young girls and boys who labour in factories in impoverished countries and dirty old men (and younger ones) exploiting young girls and boys for sex?

Issy, good for you.
I imagine you had a lot of fun, spent a lot of money, and enjoyed yourself.
I can't comment on that kind of lifestyle, even as a younger man, I enjoyed work, and what I did, even did it for pleasure when I was not working.
Tried all the things that were considered fun in my day, rejected them all.
Even today, can't explain it.
Still today, hate sports, all forms and the whole concept or idea.
I never understood how a grown man, and these days, definitely not women, would engage in a practice specifically the purview of children.
Then I was vindicated when I found out how many of these idiots were carrying injuries, some were that bad it handicapped them for the rest of their lives, incredibly stupid and completely inexplicable.
Anyway, I never wanted for anything, fast cars, slow planes, I've had it all, simply because, as I tell me kids, work hard, focus when your young and healthy and fit enough to surmount all obstacles, mostly the physical ones, because as you age and become old you won'be able to do much at all, physically, but at least you'll have the money to mitigate any short comings you may have by then.
Issy, I speak from experience, I don't like the idea of living off the govt, or as I see it bludging off the govt.
People say get stuffed I paid my taxes, so I am owed the pension or dole.
What I explain to one and all is, that the taxes go towards current expenses, they were not intended as if to be set aside in a bank for when they got old, like superannuation, which is another waste of time.
I made sure I was self supporting and the govt can get stuffed, I don't leach off them and they don't break my stones.
In fact I'm still paying tax each year, so I'm one of the good guys.
Issy my point is focus on work when you're young, it'll pay off when your older and can relax.

ALTRAV,

"Issy, good for you.
I imagine you had a lot of fun, spent a lot of money, and enjoyed yourself"

Quite right, and I also worked and the only times that I was out of work for long were when I decided to take time off, to travel mostly.
I will admit to aspiring to be a dole bludger but I kept getting jobs. Even when I wasn't looking for work, work would find me, one example I finished with a company on the Friday at 4.00 PM and was called to the phone at 7.00 PM and offered the job of setting up a new production line for a company for which I'd previously worked.
I had a reputation!!

I also enjoyed fast cars, sailing although it was some years before I owned the first of three yachts that I enjoyed mightily I also did a lot of flying though never aspired to a pilot's licence.
Mainly flew in the front cockpit of Tiger Moths and would take over when airborne.
Up in India, my Muslim mate lends me a plane and pilot for the wife and me to go shopping, I enjoy handling the plane (a Piper PA-32R) the professional pilot does the official takeoffs and landings.
The mate also has a Yakovlev Yak-18T in his fleet but he doesn't lend this one,

So, work to live not live to work.

Issy, so what do you do these days?
Do you still have any planes or as I call them "TOYS"?
Are you still working?
What was the company you set up the production line making, as I too have also done the same thing in establishing a limousine production factory or facility in Malaysia as the Malaysian Govt as Joint Venture partners.
Two and a half years later sold out to the PM's son, and returned home to continue my auto design/engineering business back here.
I'm curious what your production was.
Sorry, I'm doing it again.
I do have a problem, in that I like talking about productive things that are ultimately beneficial to mankind and their betterment, and making life easier.
It's OK, you don't have to answer, if it's too personal, it's just my way, I'm an open book and am accommodating wherever I can be.
Never-the-less you sound very interesting.