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Posts Tagged ‘economy’

Back to Methuselah

Posted in Economics, politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2012 | 8 Comments »

Bit of serendipity other day. As I was planning this post I was taken to task by a right wing tweeter unhappy, for some reason, that I had repeated the obvious truism that conservatives are much dumber than progressives. Progressivism, in fact, has an intelligence bias. Anyway, left him to his own world after a [...]

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La même chose

Posted in Economics, politics, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2012 | 9 Comments »

It’s one of those historic events that still, 630 years on, resonate with modern times and make your blood run cold. In 1381 the so-called “Peasant’s Revolt” led by Wat Tyler massed tens of thousands of poor people protesting the new “Poll Tax” which, like our GST, made poor people pay as much tax as [...]

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Counting out his money

Posted in Economics, Media, politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 7, 2012 | 9 Comments »

What slogan is above the door of the free marketeer’s think tanks? No, it’s not “Abandon hope all ye who enter here”, you naughty people. It’s “Government small enough to drown in a bathtub”. These people believe that “government” should leave banks and financial institutions alone, get rid of regulation, has no business in business, [...]

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School of the Air

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , on November 29, 2011 | 7 Comments »

Had a book as a child called something like “The School of the Air” in which the classroom was an aeroplane which flew all over the world so the children could experience directly what life was like in each of the countries, instead of just reading about it in books. Sounded great to me. The [...]

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Depends on the unreasonable

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 3, 2011 | 19 Comments »

It is becoming increasingly clear, as time goes by, that, just as is the case for Obama in America, Julia Gillard is facing a media determined to force Labor out of office, backed by a ruthless Opposition, supported by an army of Tea Party-style astro-turf groups backed by billionaires. These groups are determined that no [...]

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To tax and to please

Posted in Economics, politics, tagged , , , , , , on October 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Another NSW state budget, they seem to roll around quicker than ever these days. All follow the same pattern – all budgets that is, not just NSW. The Leader/Treasurer, after massive pressure from International Monetary Fund, big business, some economists, radio shock jocks, choose a permitted figure for total budget expenditure in a year. Divide [...]

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You may say I’m a dreamer

Posted in Climate Change, Media, politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2011 | 10 Comments »

Imagine how different the last four years would have been if the mainstream media had enthusiastically supported the idea of providing a massive increase in school infrastructure, and a big boost to insulating homes to reduce energy costs? If they had got behind the programs, explained their purposes, published anecdotes about happy customers. Imagine if [...]

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Cum grano salis

Posted in Economics, politics, tagged , , , , , on September 30, 2011 | 3 Comments »

When you hear outrage over restriction to free speech don’t think that the outraged are concerned to maintain open and civilised discussion in which Renaissance values inform our politicks. And don’t think that they are lovingly concerned with the voiceless and little-voiced. Don’t think that they are happy to encourage and support the rights to [...]

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Odds on

Posted in Media, politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 25, 2011 | 7 Comments »

There is a curious political narrative (I could write a book on curious political narratives) beloved not just of journalists but of political commentators, supposedly a much more serious breed of political observer. A discussion will be under way about, say, leadership questions, or the date of next election, or the winner of a bye-election, [...]

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Toot Toot

Posted in Economics, Environment, tagged , , , , , on September 23, 2011 | 10 Comments »

Well the Very Fast Train stirred on its tracks the other day and blew its whistle. Toot Toot, remember me? Well yes, and a jolly good idea you are too, but are we there yet? Not quite. There is no doubt that running a very fast train to link Brisbane-Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne makes a lot of sense [...]

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