Australian politics thread

[The Boss]

I am honestly embarrassed and afraid of the world my children are inheriting.

And I feel it is no longer a kindness for people like me to try to do the best we can for kids like yours and the future, but a duty and responsibility.

It always kind of was, if I'm honest - but shit was (for the most part) pretty OK.

I'm still in the arena of a pregnancy scare at the moment, so I'm starting to think long, cold and hard about these kinds of things. Given the choice, I'd fucking abort, cut my gene-line off, and leave the world to its own devices when I die.

And because of such a selfish inclination, I'm starting to think pursuing teaching seriously is my best chance of trying to give the next generation a slight advantage over the huge challenges they're going to face. Again, a selfish idea, but I don't completely suck, and I'm good at teaching.

Just not huge about doing it in Australia.

[The Boss]

I don't plan on replying to anyone who bothers to reply to what I've just said. I will finally say, though, that most of the best people I've come to know and love are Australian.

And, funnily, they're the most un-Australian in thought, behaviour, and theory that I have ever come across. That says a lot.

Or maybe I should just meet more Aussies.

[not tyson]

This bullshit with Cambodia has turned my stomach in new ways.

I completely disagree with this, those refugees that decided to get on the boats, who paid $10k+ mind, to escape apparent 'religious persecution' (why didn't they just flee to a refugee camp or another bordering country, that's a fuck ton of money). They will be settled in a country free from persecution, what's the fucking problem?

That said the hypocrisy of the Liberal party that fucking lambasted the Malaysia solution only to send them to an even more impoverished country without the caveats the Labor party bargained with Malaysia is fucking horrendous. At least the Labor party made sure these people would get their children educated and medical care. Giving 40 mil in extra aid to Cambodia isn't securing the rights of these refugees, it's lining the pockets of government officials.

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[Calfium Jay]

Most of the world went into recession during the GFC, Australia didn't.

Hmmmm, damning.

Thank you Mr Costello and Mr Howard for the $80bn you left in the kitty before leaving.

And thank you China for buying our coal and our iron ore.

Any idiot can spend and spend and spend.....

[The Boss]

Most of the world went into recession during the GFC, Australia didn't.

Hmmmm, damning.

Thank you Mr Costello and Mr Howard for the $80bn you left in the kitty before leaving.

And thank you China for buying our coal and our iron ore.

Any idiot can spend and spend and spend.....

Buying things means that you have things. Things which you can enjoy and use. Use things for happiness and productivity. Even, if you're really smart, for the progress and betterment of yourself.

IN this metaphor, think like buying a new pair of extremely expensive shoes that will seriously last you; and everyone will want to do the No Pants Dance with you because you look so good in them.

I'm sorry, maybe I should dumb it down further. I forget what it's like to teach 10-year-olds who struggle with English as their second language. Not to mention the cultural thought-shock they undoubtedly experience when they are exposed to bold, new, controversial ideas.

GODDAMN IT BOSS, FOLLOW THROUGH -FOR ONCE- WITH WHAT YOU SAY.

[not tyson]

There was not 80bn in the fucking kitty

[The Boss]

There was not 80bn in the fucking kitty

I would totally buy a boat if I had $80billion.

Then I'd always have a home.

[Calfium Jay]

By 2007, the $96 billion in debt the Howard government had inherited in 1996 was entirely paid down and the budget was in surplus to the tune of $40 billion. Mr Costello managed this impressive turn around despite a cash splash on families, pensioners, new babies and first-home buyers as well as income tax cuts over eight successive years. In all the noise about who can claim the record as the most generous treasurer, the IMF shows the prize must indeed go to Peter Costello.

In a recent study of 55 leading economies around the world, The International Monetary Fund identified four periods in Australian history when governments were engaged in "fiscal profligacy": they were in 1940, 1960 and between 2003 and 2007.

No, you're right. My apologies...it was $40bn.

Also...

The final federal budget deficit for the 2013-14 year came in at $48.5bn, $30bn more than initially forecast.

The treasurer, Joe Hockey, pointed the finger at his Labor predecessor Wayne Swan, saying Swan had predicted an $18bn deficit when he delivered his last budget in May 2013.

“Two years ago he promised a $5.4bn surplus,” Hockey added.

Hockey said successive Labor governments had delivered six successive deficits, totalling $240bn, with many more forecast.

“The Coalition inherited a shambles of a budget, a weakening economy and rising unemployment,” he said

The biggest mining boom and the most prosperous era in Australian economic history and Labor leave office with nearly $250bn in national debt.

Not ONCE having delivered a surplus or coming in under budget - despite promising to from around mid 2011 up until March 2013.

[not tyson]

Yet we never had a recession during that time.

[The Boss]

I've never understood such a Jew (IN THE SLANG TERM OF CHEAPNESS, FUCK, CHILL OUT) outlook on life.

If Australia has such guarantees of knowledge and skill capital, natural and other resources, and not to mention tourism potential (don't laugh, that industry could become even bigger than what it is, easily, were we to play our cards right) - then what the actual fuck is wrong with spending literally billions of dollars and bringing the country to the point where it is the social welfare, education, health and infrastructure envy of most of the world? It's already got the leg-up based on the fact that it's a righteous remarkably-so lucky country.

I just don't understand why people like you, Cal, are so hesitant to spend money? What are you saving for? A rainy day?

From my travels around the world, I'd say it's fucking pouring in a lot of areas. With absolutely no reason whatsoever to warrant the constant, unholy, almighty "surplus" that you fucking idiots keep craving.

[not tyson]

tinychat.com/fourtheye faggots

Lets go

[The Boss]

Yet we never had a recession during that time.

A good indicator of the beginnings of a downturn in national performance is unemployment.

I'm pretty far from being an economist, but I'd like to hazard a fucking guess and say that Australia is not looking fantastic right now. Youth unemployment, for example, should NEVER exist in a country of Australia's ilk. And yet what's happening now?

The upward credentialing of the labour market is actually a good thing, if you consider the idea that the education sector can keep up. But I can't see that being particularly robust right now, either. So, now you have a bunch of kids running around, in theory well-educated, with no career prospects. Short-term work, sure; but nothing concrete that would lead to healthy spending in a market that relies on young people making big purchases to start a life.

Again, this was always going to happen. There's a variety of reasons why unemployment is doing what it is right now, but Abbott is totally not helping. On that, anyone can agree, surely.

[hellboy]

I've never understood such a Jew (IN THE SLANG TERM OF CHEAPNESS, FUCK, CHILL OUT) outlook on life.

Man what the fuck? Why use the term then? Just say cheap rather than dragging ethnic slurs into this. I hope for your sake you've been drinking...

For the most part I agree with the rest of your statement though.

[The Boss]

I've never understood such a Jew (IN THE SLANG TERM OF CHEAPNESS, FUCK, CHILL OUT) outlook on life.

Man what the fuck? Why use the term then? Just say cheap rather than dragging ethnic slurs into this. I hope for your sake you've been drinking...

For the most part I agree with the rest of your statement though.

Force of habit, if I'm honest. It was slang among my American friends for years.

Kind of hoped this place had loosened up to the point where we realised when something was blatantly racist or offensive, and not. Now I know that will never happen.

Little sterile, but that's fine. I literally use THAT TERM daily among Islanders, Brits, Aussies, etc with no problem.

No worries. This is your thing. I'm cool.

And a snifter of port.

[hellboy]

Kind of hoped this place had loosened up to the point where we realised when something was blatantly racist or offensive, and not. Now I know that will never happen.

It is blatantly racist. There's no getting around that. I don't buy it for a second that you use that term daily. Pull your head it.

[liz]

Totally agree with you HB except for the part where you think he wouldn't use it frequently.

And no Crow, Aussies (at least the ones I know) would be really uncomfortable hearing the sort of expression that you just used. Perhaps its the company you keep?

[not tyson]

I've never heard the word Jew used in real life.

It's usually spam emails from co-workers about how Muslims are invading (Which stopped when I emailed them back saying 'Sounds great!, I for one praise our new Muslim overlords')

[UndKeineZwEier]

I've heard Jew used in real life, though not in the way The Boss used it.

Although, when I was in middle school it was not uncommon to hear kids use the term Jew as a derogatory as in "you Jew" "this is Jewish" etc.

[The Boss]

Kind of hoped this place had loosened up to the point where we realised when something was blatantly racist or offensive, and not. Now I know that will never happen.

It is blatantly racist. There's no getting around that. I don't buy it for a second that you use that term daily. Pull your head it.

I scored the term for "cheap" from my American friends. My co-workers and I use it daily to describe "cheapness". Which comes up unsurprisingly a lot, working in a bank. Thankfully, they're not uptight crybabies, and can appreciate diversity and everyone's stupid sense of humour.

Thanks for letting me know how much insight you have into my daily life.

Oh, and not to push the point, but it's not "racist". Judaism isn't a race.

And if you want to criticise me for being politically incorrect (which I wear, proudly) - you should be accepting of the fact that I consider you to be a massive, blubbering vagina.

Something tells me you won't wear such criticism as proudly, but hey, that's really not my problem. Being offended by literally anything on this planet immediately marks you as a person worthy of contempt; as you have an insecure grasp on how you perceive the world. Being offended means that you lack the ability to ignore things you don't like - which is incredibly insipid.

I'm not arguing that I should be able to say whatever the fuck I want, wherever I want - I'm arguing that YOU should have the ability to ignore shit you think is stupid. And be able to understand WHY you think it's stupid.

[not tyson]

Your not being very jewish with your comments.

[The Boss]

I've never heard the word Jew used in real life.

It's usually spam emails from co-workers about how Muslims are invading (Which stopped when I emailed them back saying 'Sounds great!, I for one praise our new Muslim overlords')

You're in Australia. I hadn't heard the term used until I lived in Korea. It was thrown around whenever someone was reluctant to buy rounds, etc.

I guess it's a cultural thing. I have absolutely no problem using the term, and no one I interact with has a problem, either. Indian chick at work threw "nigger" into the conversation the other day. I didn't even blink.

Words are powerful, but they only have real power if they are being used in cold, hard hatred. I've seen people use beautiful passages in the Bible in anger, and no one reacts at all.

This little argument has just gone to show exactly where some people's priorities really lie. Taking offence at something says more about the offended than the offender, in my opinion.

Which obviously isn't worth much.

[not tyson]

I've never heard the word Jew used in real life.

It's usually spam emails from co-workers about how Muslims are invading (Which stopped when I emailed them back saying 'Sounds great!, I for one praise our new Muslim overlords')

You're in Australia. I hadn't heard the term used until I lived in Korea. It was thrown around whenever someone was reluctant to buy rounds, etc.

I guess it's a cultural thing. I have absolutely no problem using the term, and no one I interact with has a problem, either. /quote]

Ever said it in front of a Jewish person?

[The Boss]

I've never heard the word Jew used in real life.

It's usually spam emails from co-workers about how Muslims are invading (Which stopped when I emailed them back saying 'Sounds great!, I for one praise our new Muslim overlords')

You're in Australia. I hadn't heard the term used until I lived in Korea. It was thrown around whenever someone was reluctant to buy rounds, etc.

I guess it's a cultural thing. I have absolutely no problem using the term, and no one I interact with has a problem, either. /quote]

Ever said it in front of a Jewish person?

Probably? What's your point?

Not everyone is an uptight little princess. I've seen people call African Americans and black South Africans "nigger" to their face in casual conversation, and no one gave a shit.

I'd imagine if it were more like "YOU STUPID FUCKING NIGGER", there would be more of a reaction.

But in much the same way if you said "YOU STUPID FUCKING WHITEY/CRACKER" to me.

Do you get my point, or is everyone deciding to be uptight today? If that's the case, how about you all shove lumps of coal up your asses so we can shit out some diamonds and get some cash. Maybe Kickstart a TOOL album with the funds.

[not tyson]

Probably? What's your point?

Not everyone is an uptight little princess. I've seen people call African Americans and black South Africans "nigger" to their face in casual conversation, and no one gave a

Well ain't you a hero. Personally I'd never use that kind of language around casual acquaintances and strangers.

It's called common courtesy.

As to your work situation and your worldly travels where people through around racist remarks as causally as hello and goodbye I gotta call bullshit. I've worked in Nowra, Canberra and Melbourne for around 10 different business from small, medium and large multinationals and I've never heard anything slightly racist except for a few things about drunk aboriginals down at the local mall, but most towns have that, but still.

I have no problem saying racist words and jokes with friends because they know it's all tongue in cheek, but in the real world no one gets away with that shit.

[The Boss]

Probably? What's your point?

Not everyone is an uptight little princess. I've seen people call African Americans and black South Africans "nigger" to their face in casual conversation, and no one gave a

Well ain't you a hero. Personally I'd never use that kind of language around casual acquaintances and strangers.

It's called common courtesy.

As to your work situation and your worldly travels where people through around racist remarks as causally as hello and goodbye I gotta call bullshit. I've worked in Nowra, Canberra and Melbourne for around 10 different business from small, medium and large multinationals and I've never heard anything slightly racist except for a few things about drunk aboriginals down at the local mall, but most towns have that, but still.

I have no problem saying racist words and jokes with friends because they know it's all tongue in cheek, but in the real world no one gets away with that shit.

Alright, cowboy.