Millenials are aged 25 – 39. In Australia four out of five are not even “familiar” with Mao. Half have never heard of him, even though he caused the deaths of twice as many people as Adolf Hitler.
Political ideologues control our education system. We teach kids identity politics, and how to control the weather with light globes, but not the most important political lesson of the 20th Century.
We won the cold war, then lost the peace.
Why Millenials are embracing Socialism
Tom Switzer, Sydney Morning Herald
The survey evidence is clear. In a YouGov poll commissioned by the Centre for Independent Studies last year, 58 per cent of Australian millennials have a favourable view of socialism, with only 18 per cent having an unfavourable one. These findings reflect Millennial attitudes in Britain and the US.
What’s going on?
Part of the problem is plain ignorance. Most Millennials were hardly alive when Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an “evil empire”.
According to the CIS poll, only 26 per cent of Millennials are familiar with Vladimir Lenin and 34 per cent with Joseph Stalin. Only 21 per cent of those questioned said they knew well who Mao was. Never mind that these men were responsible for the deaths of tens of millions and the impoverishment of hundreds of millions.
Whatever excuse explains Millennials’ ignorance of communism, they should at least know about Venezuela where the socialist regime of the past two decades has led to repression, an economy in free fall, widespread disease and starvation and mass emigration.
Tom Switzer is executive director of the Centre for Independent Studies and presenter at the ABC’s Radio National.
Here’s what failure looks like:
Only one in five people aged 25-39 in Australia are familiar with Mao, Stalin and Lenin.
Time to say “No”.
Here’s a radical idea, no child should get a high school certificate if they can’t answer the question “which political party caused the most deaths in the last 100 years”? The answer starts with C, and if you say Capitalism you have to repeat a year, and so do your teachers.
h/t David B.
REFERENCE
Tom Switzer, Charles Jacobs (2018) Millenials and Socialism, Centre for Independent Studies, Policy Paper 7.
Read the Gulag Archipelago to get yourself up to speed on life in Stalin’s Russia.
Millenials don’t know how lucky they are to be living now and not in the 1930s. Many of them would end up in the Gulag to reach someone’s quota.
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They aren’t taught history. It’s
down
the
memory
whole…
along with logic skills.
478
Its by design , as per the request of the Communist run “education” mafioso.
Our generation has a RESPONSIBILITY to educate the millenials, so they dont make the mistake of embracing death-dealing socialism…..
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I bought the book Stalin’s Daughter for my dad to read. He loves war novels. His only comment on the book was “He was a bad bastard”. I’ve not read the book myself, but I will one day.
https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Stalins-Daughter-Rosemary-Sullivan/9780007491117
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I have been doing my usual penance over at the Channel Nine blog (formerly the Fairfax blogs). IT is still populated by unreconstructed alarmists who have a strong socialist bent with one article “On climate change, Scott Morrison is embracing politics as the art of the possible” attracting all of the usual loons.
I have asked what people think about the Acorn 2 data base- some of them have never heard of it, and others are refusing to say whether they approve of adjustments that have caused our rate of warming to jump – presumably so that it better fits the models. As always, they get shouty while refusing to address anything that might hurt their feelings.
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just wandered back to yesterdays Fairfax blog. Some insults but none of the dyed in the wool alarmists responded to my concerns about the Acorn 2 data base. As with all facts there, utterly ignored – and to keep this on topic, people there are arguing for a similar Green Dream that Occasional-Cortex through up in the US.
30
Well, Gulag is old fashioned, now we teach democracy in Guantanamo…
21
Banned in the Soviet Union.
In 2009, the Education Ministry of Russia added The Gulag Archipelago to the curriculum for high-school students.
It’s a Topsy turby world we live in.
50
I would recommend Robert Conquest’s The Harvest of Sorrow: Soviet Collectivization and the Terror-Famine
40
The battle is not Left verses right.
This only raises the battle field to a pseudo political level based on opposed methodologies of implementing collectivism. It entraps people on a bi-polar spectrum of choice, choose your poison. If there is a center position on this spectrum, it is invisibly thin, and is crossed over in a blink of an eye.
While we all get entrench in the left/right debate, the true battle is much deeper than politics.
The true and only ideological polarities are Individualism – Collectivism.
FREEDOM vs CONTROL
Collectivism is like an untreated wound.
Even mild collectivism will fester into extreme collectivism, read totalitarianism.
Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Stalin, Lenin were all collectivists.
And yes the dominant collectivism in today’s world is left wing socialism.
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Yes. Self possession versus fat controller.
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beththesur
I know you consider 1984 a user manual.
But Animal Farm should be part of every child’s study guide.
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I have found “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” the most helpful guides to the nature of “adult” life.
Possibly also “The Goon Show” (ex servicemen who experienced Collectivism at its finest).
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Jack…I agree.
The Left has been on a mission in recent years to muddy the differences between Left and Right ….since Rudd’s guru ..’former’ Communist David McKnight…with his ‘Beyond Left and Right’ essays …advised Rudd on his ‘me too’ CON to make Australians think Rudd was just a fresher more compassionate John Howard….and spelt out the blueprint for the CAGW hoax to be used to rejuvenate the LEFT’s ambitions for Global Socialism.
McKnight actually joined the Communist Party when the Soviet Union was at the height of its aggressive and murderous expansion in Eastern Europe …when the Russian tanks were rolling into Hungary….he’d cast hmself as ‘progressive’ now.
The so-called Liberal ‘progressives’ have played a large part in the pretence that there’s no Left and Right…and so the terms are pretty useless.
I agree with you that the battle now is between individualism and collectivism and freedom and control….and the battle will be over and lost before many Australians know what happened to our country.
Obviously energy is the issue that underpins absolutely everything…nothing works or happens without reliable energy and IMO this is where Australians are about to lose their freedom by ceding control of Australia’s fortunes and our kids’ futures to a ruthless Socialist organisation on the other side of the world…that’s demanding Australia be the only first world country to commit economic and social suicide for their Socialist hoax that some of their officials have already told us…is nothing to do with the environment…all to do with wealth redistribution —the greatest money shift of the millennium …a coerced money shift…from the high-functioning democracies to the often murderous failed Socialist states…to help the Socialist states to leapfrog over the democracies…the term ‘leapfrog’ having been used by them to describe it.
Much of that money we cough up will of course end up in the Swiss banks accounts the despots and dictators already have.
IMO-from reading most of the AEMO/AEMC reports…this ‘transition’ that Morrison’s reaffirmed today…could only work if the authorities have total control…’orchestration’ in their terms…of everything in the country that uses electricity….moment to moment.
ACCC has already told Government that smart meters must be compulsory in every home…..that ‘cost-reflective tariffs’ be implemented ASAP…both…but especially the latter …being precursors to electricity rationing IMO.
ACCC said we’re spoilt in Australia as far as reliability’s concerned too….so that…I think…foreshadows the blackouts they’re softening us up for.
From AEMO reports you get the definite impression that the stability and very existence of the grid into the weather-dependent intermittent-dominated future will utterly depend on this total control….and there’ll almost certainly be further incursions for cyber security… remotely by the authorities since there’ve been reports that foreign hackers are eyeing off this insane experiment.
Throughout all this …watch as progressive MPs and AEMO et al…surreptitiously flog their subversive totalitarian’s deceit…[ they’re already doing it]…that this transition has just been an organic evolution…a happy, people-led ‘profound transition’…in order to inoculate themselves for when Australia sinks into 3rd world poverty.
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WOW truth,
Thanks for the reply, I had to read it twice to digest it all.
There are many issues out there that are demonstrative of our unwanted trip down the garden path.
So I do like to look at fundamentals, the foundations of thought that lead to these issues.
As an analogy: I see the Foundations, then Walls, then Roof as the structure that needs to integral.
If the structure is weak, you can arrange the furniture all you like, your building will eventually it collapse.
41
or as George Orwell might have put it,
81
You can be Free, or you can be Fair. Sometimes you can mix and match, but if you want to be truly Fair then you need to have rules to define what is fair.
Then if you have rules you need someone to enforce them.
Complete Fairness means complete control because only then can ‘we’ ensure that no one is cheating the system.
Complete Freedom means you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. There is nothing beyond the moment. Ironically while many from the Left claim to be anarchists, anarchy is actually complete freedom and against the complete fairness the Left claim to be supporting. Anarchy is actually Ultra Right where the Self is all.
Working society exists somewhere in the middle.
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Hi MudCrab
I cannot think of any thing fairer than a person right to their own life.
How could someone have a right to another life?
Who would decide such things?
I would also say that the right to do what you want to do with your life does not give you the right to take away the same right from another person.
Control is quite often a slippery path, that leads to the needs for more control, that……
Rational based laws are, no doubt, needed for human interaction.
Up holding the basic rights of Life, liberty and Property.
In trade, it should be a totally free and agreed exchange of values between two people, without, force, deception, manipulation or deception.
The policing of the laws, is in effect legalized force, and as such should be applied with utmost care.
I do believe most people are actually good, have a conscience and care for their fellow humans.
That having been said, there are studies demonstrating that there is a small percentage of people that are psychopathic. They are callousness. have lack of empathy, conning, manipulative, and have a superficial charm.
These are the people I consider a fly in the ointment of a free society.
Interestingly these people have been found to be more dominate in particular jobs. And yes one of them is the Government.
By the way, I hope you don’t live in Queensland, they love their Mud Crabs.
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“I do believe most people are actually good, have a conscience and care for their fellow humans.” And right there is where you drop the ball. ALL people in their natural state, and left to their own devices have a VENEER of being actually good and will kill or destroy anything or anybody that gets in the way of what they perceive to be theirs. The only thing that prevents them is a sense of “what would society say about it” because we’re all narcissists that want to be loved and revered, but modern man then slowly works to change the perceptions of society until 51% agree openly with them, and then their true colours come out. Don’t be fooled…
32
Well Rupert, maybe I’ve been lucky, or just naive.
in my humble experience, 56 revolutions around the sun,
Schooling In Vic, QLD, WA & NSW.
Lived in Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane.
Worked in places form Paraburdoo to Colinsville, Auckland to Perth.
And in all the people I have had interaction with, I would say the good far out numbered “bad”.
When I say good, they would not hesitate to cross the road to help some in need, without the need to be prompted by society.
You didn’t have something to do with the writing of The Lord of the flies, did you?
50
Unfortunately Jack, it doesn’t take many of the ‘bad’ to undo all the ‘good’.
10
Very true MR.
The lowest common denominator.
You’d think a functioning judicial system would address this.
But it seems there is a lot of the ‘bad’ running the show.
10
When your house is on fire, do not ask the neighbours for help,
And when their house is burning, do not give them your hose.
Be a true individualist…
02
To right Delaxos.
You take your hose and put it out for them.
The good old rugged Individualist kick ass.
You do have to look after the lefties.
With their problem to deal with reality and such, you know how it is.
30
Agree entirely , its become an us verses them environment , winner take all.
Individualism is being blurred/lost in the process.
The 2 party system of most democracies is dividing us .
Some socialist policies are very worthwhile and good for society , but that doesn’t mean they can or should be implemented without due consideration of costs and unintended consequences.
The capitalist system has served the world well for many decades .It has brought wealth,happiness and longevity to people of many nations.
Not teaching history properly in schools is a crime . It will be repeated by those that do not know .
Education is the only way to prosperity for all.
20
The Media & opticians are always talking about co2 emissions but nothing about Australia’s natural co2 absorption via our forests. Clearly with 134 million hectares of forests (source aus govt.) we absorb more co2 than we emit by a very large margin.
We can debate if co2 is safe or not but the fact that Australia absorbs more co2 than we emit hasn’t been mentioned to my knowledge.
We should be charging the global community for our Forests not paying the UN!!
We must look at both sides of the ledger…..
391
It has on this blog, and elsewhere Matt, Tim Blair and Andrew Bolt, for example.
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Mat, there is no debate as to whether CO2 is safe, of course iit is safe up to levels as high as 5000ppm, and also entirely necessary for the oxygen cycle and the continuation of life on this planet.
This whole AGW scam/hoax/scare/Jussie Smollett/fabrication/lie, is going to be the death of this developed nation. At what stage of degradation of our economy/lifestyle will these people wake up to what is happening. There are claims already that people have not had a pay rise for yonks,well I’ve got news for them, elect a Labor Government and you will not just not get a pay rise but then likely lose your job to this madness.
Think about that long and hard before ticking the box for a Labor candidate at the next election!
90
“Milennials haven’t forgotten Mao, Stalin or Lenin”
They actually think of them as role models. If they get their way, they will cause the death of billions through their genocidal “eco” policies.
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With connectivity, the internet and the like, we now have conmunism?
130
The internet, mobile changes things quite a bit this time. Communicatism?
90
Nope. Not a chance.
“China operates the largest internet censorship regime in the world, blocking access to thousands of websites including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Internet controls also mean news and commentary critical of the ruling Communist party and information about events like the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre are almost impossible to find within China.”
Courtesy of that left wing rag – The Guardian.
150
I’m in China at the moment. Add BBC to your list of sites they block. 🙁
210
I thought the BBC was anti west?
Oh hang on. Are you sure they are blocking that BBC?
14
The internet’s sort of on death row from now on anyway.
Researchers say that absent a revolution in technology ‘computing will become limited by an “energy crunch” within decades.’
‘energy required to power the massive, factory-sized data centres and networks that connect the internet, computing already consumes 5% of global electricity. And that electricity load is doubling every decade.’
Despite claims of ‘carbon neutrality’ it’s almost all carbon offsets because the internet requires stable reliable base load power…mostly coal or nuclear.
US researchers ‘forecast that information and communications technology could create up to 3.5% of global emissions by 2020 – surpassing aviation and shipping – and up to 14% 2040, around the same proportion as the US today.’
They’ve already located some of their data centres in Artic countries to try to overcome the massive waste heat problem….dissipation of which for one such centre can require as much power as the output of a large coal-fired power station.
You can see how the Global Socialists Labor demands Australia be subservient to..might want to ration internet use though.
It’s not as if they haven’t already groomed Australians since the advent of the dodgy consensus…to accept such things…. with the shutdown of all questioning of CAGW by scientists or MPs hoping to keep their jobs …and questions by Australians wanting BoM and CSIRO, ANU et al to be accountable and questioned by our sceptical scientists and policymakers….those who are brave enough.
If Socialist Europe demanded an Australian government shut down sceptic communicators like Jo ‘for the planet’ Labor would probably do it.
Outsiders program on SKY has already been cut back enormously and the next step will probably follow before long.
It’s not as if ANY pundits by whom Labor politicians will agree to be interviewed… ever ask substantive questions on the science ..the ‘pause’…the lack of evidence for CAGW…or even on Labor’s energy policy to destroy Australian industry…agriculture…military…border security…safety nets etc…so we’ve actually been subject to censored information and CAGW Socialist propaganda for decades…enforced no matter which party’s in power…by the LW journalists.
60
Well its one way to shut down freedom of information – create an artificial energy crisis and turn people into tech-peasants.
Funny..I was talking to a friend today about Oz and how this place will look in 10 years time….it may be a colonial backwater soon.
I suspect thats how the NWO boofheads have set things up – we are being turned into a big hole in the ground with under-educated dimwits to serve as cheap labour to service the rest of the world.
Think about it – we appear to have most pollies who have sold us out tot he globalists, our manufacturing has been sent to china, our education is a huge socialist black hole that produces leftist unthinking dimwits, and the smart ones have or will leave.
So there you have it – we may become a dumbed down bunch of subservient roughnecks glues to our smartphones to watch the latest episode of Home and Away…own goal!!
160
Australians are a passive lot. It would be easy to take a coup here, as nobody would bother getting off their couches.
20
But wait..theres more…tv weather girl soft selling climate change(tm)
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/victoria/no-denying-weather-presenter-bunn-is-subtly-selling-climate-change-20190225-p51007.html
“One July day was “cold, wet and windy,” Bunn told her viewers. But the month’s rainfall was less than half the July average. And over the past 75 years there’s a “trend toward less July days with significant rain”.
Or a cool day in May, when a top of 14.8 was reached, but May’s “overall trend since the late 70s is warmer than the long-term average”.
“Overall,” Bunn reported, “our temperatures are moving upwards”.
“Personally, I don’t like to yell at people,” Ms Bunn says.
“Anything that is forcefully put across, I don’t like to put any political spin on anything either. I just want the facts, quietly put through in a straightforward way that people can understand.”
Bunn, who this month was named as the 2019 Moomba queen, has been working with Climate Communicators, a program being run by Monash University’s Climate Change Communication Research Hub, who supply the presenters with graphics and info they can use if they wish.
It’s based on research showing people are most receptive to information that avoids advocacy, is factual, easy to understand, and comes from a trusted source.
The program is the counterpart of an American movement that has signed up more than 500 weather presenters across the US.”
Arent these presenters supposed to be scientically trained meterologists?
Er……
40
Oh God Steve…
“Arent these presenters supposed to be scientically trained meterologists?”
Just watch Grant Danyer presenting the weather. 5 minutes of nonsense and 2 minutes of weather. He was one of the main reasons I turned off television completely. The one useful thing within the news segment just got too ridiculous to watch.
10
Yes, we do.
Why?
Because the Fabians plan long-term – as do the Chinese communists.
181
It stems from the universities that,
train our teachers that,
train our kids.
Lenin:- “Give me your Children for the first 7 years…”
192
Sorry Jack, but that’s incorrect.
It was/is a Jesuit maxim.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7102659.Jesuit_maxim
What Lennin said was:
“Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”
270
No worries Sam
Thanks for the correction.
120
I think Hitler said it too…..
I am actively deprogramming my daughter from ignorant anti-Trump drivel…..
70
The best thing I like about Trump,
is he make left wing socialist cry and chuck tantrums 🙂
20
I understand it is quite a weighty tome.
The Gulag Archipelago
Orwell’s 1984 might be a little more accessible and has been done into a movie with John Hurt.
“Orwell’s writing is rooted in the struggles between the giant ‘-isms’ that disfigured the 20th Century. He fought against Fascism as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War (believing pacifism was a luxury paid for by other people) but realised the hollow promise of Communism, when the anti-Stalinist group he was fighting for was hunted down by the pro-Stalin faction. He witnessed first-hand the self-deception of true believers. Today there is another set of ‘-isms’, such as nationalism and populism who operate through the mobilisation of that most dangerous of feelings, resentment. And everywhere you look in the contemporary world, ‘strong’ men are in positions of power. They share the need to crush opposition, a fanatical terror of dissent and self-promotion. Big Brothers are no longer a joke but strut the world.”
Why Orwells 1984 could be about now
130
Yes, Ava, it’s the user’s manual alright. (
90
Then you’d better thank God for Donald Trump, President of the USA.
251
True Ava,
Gulag was, and still is weighty. But the two books differ in one major way, Gulag is a first hand report,1984 is predictive fiction.
(I have read both, but many years ago.)
cheers,
Dave B
130
Last year my 15 y/o son asked his English teacher if the class could read 1984. The following term they started the book but it was shelved after the first week and was replaced with a novel about child sex trafficking. When I inquired as to why this was so, I was told that 1984 was on the “banned for under year 12” book list.
Child sex trafficking = G rating
Insight to how tyranny operates on a society = R rating
190
Yes, we cant have the whistle blown on the programming methods of the ecucation gulag industry, can we?
70
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/383238/backing-for-nz-students-to-abandon-classes-over-climate-change
The kids don’t need no steenking history – that’s all in the past – now they’re
marchingmoving forward! Taking action on [insert latest campaign strategy here * ]. Ms Awatere-Huara “says the world is essentially in meltdown, and the impact of a few hours off school pales in comparison to the likely impact of climate change”. She must be a climate scientist, right?https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12126881
“Donna Awatere Huata secures top job as Māori Climate Commissioner: Disgraced former MP Donna Awatere Huata has secured a top job advising Māori on climate change [after she was] appointed Māori Climate Commissioner by the… Māori Carbon Foundation, a private carbon trading business [d’oh!] Awatere Huata was found guilty of fraud in 2005 and was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail. She and her husband Wi Huata were found to have taken $80,000 from a state-funded trust she founded to improve literacy among underprivileged Māori children.”
It’s all about the children, huh? A quick duckduckgo or go-ogle search will unearth a few more nasties about this homegrown turncoat buccaneer. [Jo, your legal team may want to vet the above before publishing – you know how nasty these ‘save the planet’
saintssinners can be – however it’s all in the public domain and has been for years… G.]00
This is a good read.
http://thedailychrenk.com/2019/02/19/socialism-millennial-religion/
20
Via Rutland weekend television, Lenin, Stalin and Marx give us communist cooking tips, and do a song and dance …
“When you’ve shot everyone you could shoot
and you shot the firing squad too
Get into the kitchen, get out the pans
And shoot a little dish or two.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtF1ZNqSX3w
30
So who taught these millenials? Presumably someone old enough to know better. I think the baby boomers (of which i am one) were asleep at wheel during the eighties or did we just think the world couldn’t be so stupid as to fall for all that stuff again, and so soon.
160
The baby boomers spoilt them, its all their fault.
Or perhaps it was the communications revolution and the development of a short attention span.
Millennials believe in millenarianism, the Anthropocene is also the apocalypse.
60
aren’t you the el gordo that wants “Chinese re-education centers” in Australia?
00
You must be confusing me with someone else.
Our concentration camp is three star accommodation and its for those who refuse to accept that CO2 doesn’t cause warming.
There are no barbed wire fences, its in the middle of the Simpson Desert.
40
Let me remind you then, El Gordo; See
#10 dinn, rob
November 11, 2018 at 10:52 am
but of course, we knew that! https://balance10.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-to-develop-xinjiang.html
21
#
el gordo November 11, 2018 at 11:10 am …. “training” and “boarding schools” where residents receive vocational, legal and language training as well as “de-extremisation education”. Australia needs to set up these boarding schools.
http://joannenova.com.au/2018/11/weekend-unthreaded-235/
00
Peter, I an no expert, but I believe it went something like this.
In the 50s there was a strong philosophical movement(Post-Modernism) which was not political, but they were all Marxist.
They intern trained/indoctrinated those that became the academia/college professors of the 70s/80s/90s.
The academia/college professors of the 70s/80s/90s trained our teachers of today.
So the net is cast, and we have little Marxist coming out of school today.
It is probably more factors involved than this, but this could be a major cause of the lastest spat red card carrying children in the west today.
PS They hate reason, so you will never be able to reason with then.
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I remember at Cambridge University in the 1960’s there was a strong anti US movement, who were at the time fighting the Vietnam war.
Economists such as Joan Robinson and other academics were full of praise for Mao who was busy killing millions in the Cultural Revolution, but none were as blind as those who will not see. Remember the Little Red Book which was waved at anyone who criticised Mao?
As jack comments above, they taught the teachers who are teaching the current generation.
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Asleep at the wheel? They were too busy working.
I almost never watched the cartoons that entertained the kids while Mum was cooking breakfast. One morning wile visiting family interstate I did watch an angular cartoon.
The heroine was a teenage girl. The villain was her father in his business suit. She saved the world by thwarting his plans. They all lived happily ever after.
What did I do about it? Nothing. As I saw it, there was nothing I could afford to do. But I have no doubt that this was daily fodder for the kids.
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I have an idea to accomodate for the fact that when it comes to millennials understanding how economies work or how the climate works they are too young to appreciate things so that many unscrupulous politicians manipulate this ignorance to their advantage. I think voting should be weighted by age, so a 40 year olds vote would count for twice as much as a 20 year old. And an 80 year olds vote would be worth 4 x as much. This way policy wouldn’t be determined by the youngest but by our most experienced and knowledgeable citizens. Labor’s policy of screwing the seniors to give free education for millennials wouldn’t play out so well at elections . The indoctrination of millennials has allowed socialists to gain traction. My age weighted voting policy would keep things in check.
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It would end up like all those “experienced” drivers who claim to have fifty years’ driving experience but have really only had one year fifty times over.
I think no-one should be allowed to vote, who hasn’t read the Constitution. A simple random test at the polling place with a pass required before being issued with a ballot paper.
Of course, that would rule out plenty of the 80 year olds, even including many of those who have read the Constitution.
20
“It would end up like all those “experienced” drivers who claim to have fifty years’ driving experience but have really only had one year fifty times over”
defies common sense, a lot happens in fifty years
10
Well as they tend to say when they try to do general knowledge quiz shows “that was a bit before my time” as if history is some unknowable black hole.
60
Whether you read Hitter’s Mein Kampf or The Communist Manifesto, both these doctrines explicitly advocate the sacrifice of the individual.
If you want a radical view read Bacon, Descarts, Locke, these are the ‘enlighten” ones that gave us the age of reason, and 250 years of totally unprecedented advance in the life and liberty of every human being in the western world.
200 years ago it took over 6 months to get around the world.
120 years ago heavier than air flight was unheard of.
60 years ago to venture into space was but a dream.
In 250 years a life expectancy from less than 30 years to over 80 years.
And now there are indoctrinated children that want to throw all that away in favour of doctrines that time and time again have very much proved themselves disastrous to all involved.
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“there are indoctrinated children that want to throw all that away in favour of doctrines”–
here’s an example of indoctrinated children:
November 11, 2018 at 10:52 am
https://balance10.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-to-develop-xinjiang.html
21
#
el gordo November 11, 2018 at 11:10 am …. “training” and “boarding schools” where residents receive vocational, legal and language training as well as “de-extremisation education”. Australia needs to set up these boarding schools.
11
What this doesn’t explain is why politicians are so quick to jump on the socialism bandwagon. These are people who claim to have not only the knowledge but the experience needed to run our respective countries. Yet they simply pander to what they think will get them elected.
I would expect anyone who can use a checkbook or a credit card and stay out of trouble to understand at the gut level that you need expenditures less than or equal to revenue or you end up in trouble. Even AOC, a college educated woman should understand that. But they don’t. It’s just pure political opportunism for the sake of an advantage when all the votes are counted up on Election Day.
Socialism is in full swing in Europe, Cuba, North Korea and so on, yet not a single instance of it is working. Does no one simply read world news and make accurate conclusions?
I won’t bother to quote Margaret Thatcher. The lesson is there and is being ignored for the sake of personal gain.
150
I’ll make AOC a special case. She shows me abysmal ignorance about life. a fence post could do better.
120
She certainly is special…
30
Any person obtaining an Arts degree in the last 40 years is tainted.
This includes Politicians, Lawyers, Teachers, Economists, Journalists, Philosophers, all the very molders of our society.
A few not at all, but most are tainted with a Post-Modernist anti-reason, subjective, Marxist dogma that has been ingrained into their psych.
And hence those, from which we expected better(including all politicians), are leading us down the slippery path of socialism.
150
My daughter has an Arts degree, she sits slightly to right of Atilla the Hun.
10
In a former life I was a secondary school teacher. And I taught for a year or so history.
but then the admins decided that history was old fashioned and it was merged with subjects such as Geography and Politics to create something which was called “Social Science”. It made for an easier to organise time table aand fewer periods were also allocated as well…making room for other more politically correct studies..
At that stage I jumped ship from teaching.
But it’s hardy surprising that the current generation of millennials know nothing of Mao or Stalin or Lenin.
181
I suspect its deliberate. We dont want the kids knowing Stalin and Hitler were murderous Leftie thugs, can we?
40
But Steve, why do you suppose Hitler IS well known in the poll results? Could it be that he is not known as a Leftie?
00
Even though he was an arch socialist.
My, haven’t the left twisted history !
He is known because he is the BUTT of many youtube videos and movies.
00
See Jordan Peterson on YouTube answering a question as to why Marxism is so popular.
HTTPS//m.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_mMVwQnAk
41
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_mMVwQnAk
20
https//m.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_mMVwQnAk
20
G’day Stephen,
You lost a colon:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_mMVwQnAk
cheers,
dave B
30
A free colonoscopy; what friendly people we have at Jo Nova’s!
70
Sorry, I can’t seem to get the link to work.
Try Googling YouTube Jordan Peterson why is Marxism so attractive
10
https://www.theepochtimes.com/self-proclaimed-marxist-threatened-to-shoot-sheriffs-for-opposing-gun-control_2812194.html
“A 23-years-old Washingtonian was arrested in February for posting messages on social media threatening to kill law enforcement officers.
“Aside from posting a glut of Marxist messages and imagery, Jaydin Ledford recently took to Facebook to threaten death on sheriffs who said they won’t enforce a new gun control law in Washington which is challenged in courts for being unconstitutional.
“The sheriffs have stated that their duty stands with the Constitution and that they won’t enforce the law, marked I-1639, until its constitutional standing is determined.
“Ledford had a different idea.
“I-1639 is law,” he posted on Feb. 1, marking himself as “feeling enraged.”
“Sheriffs that are non compliant will be shot. by me [sic],” he continued.
…………..
“On Feb. 20, Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office deputies picked Ledford up and charged him with harassment. He was booked that day at the Spokane County Jail and then handed out to federal authorities, which may charge him with cyberstalking.”
10
A couple of years back my 45 year old Son mentioned that he would like to get into some reading.
Come his next birthday, I chased up two books for him.
The first was that wonderfully evocative Western by Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove, and I couldn’t find a copy, so I actually sent him my copy.
The second was Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, and there was no way I was going to give him my copy of that, so I ordered it, and waited for it to come in. (I tried to do that with the McMurty novel, but it was out of print)
I duly sent him the two novels in time for his birthday.
A few weeks later, I was speaking to him, prior to handing the phone across to his Mum, and I asked about the novels.
He was already part way started with the long McMurty novel.
Then he mentioned a small aside about the Ayn Rand novel.
HIS son was, at the time, three years into a four year Politics and Journalism degree at UQ St. Lucia, and when he saw Atlas Shrugged, he said ….. “Seriously, Dad, you’re not actually going to read this are you?”
When I finished reading it (for the first time) I was actually a little sad, because I thought there was no point reading anything any more, because I had reached the summit.
I still read, avidly, but nothing even gets close, I’m afraid.
It seems to me that the youth of today are conditioned, without even thinking to try it for themselves.
Tony.
240
Many years ago, part way through reading Atlas Shrugged, I was talking to a young lady who was going to Uni(Arts Degree) at the time.
I mentioned that I was reading an Ayn Rand book, and the look of venom I received astounded me.
I slept alone that night.
190
Can’t avow for each title – but there are some doozies that they didn’t want you to read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments
Common themes include blasphemy and political criticism.
10
I would believe, it’s in the press, as a redefinition of terms. Look at how the terms communism as defined by the Masters, has gone from a community pot to a governing by edict of a dictorial leader. All for all, to all for one. Now show me where this goes in a business model. Just what all nation’s have now. Applied to a political model, it shows only a few are represented, by accreation of resources or political position. Leaving the many without voice.
Then look at the definitions of left and right, liberal and conservative? Or rich versus not rich? Or how they treat the people who are “under” them. One cannot get ultra rich by playing fair, or leveling the field. But by hoarding resources. By claiming a right to resources where it was the underling that developed the resource.
Education has always been “to the few” the masses were only included when educators found eager monkeys to do their bidding. Otherwise we, were controlled by a religion that said obey the king, the meanest dude in town. Is, that any different then communism? One dude self appointed? One business leader who inherited a business who thinks he’s God’s gift?
Interestingly, the latest redefinition is “green”, from good, pollution controls,not poisoning the consumer, to bad, consolidations of power away from centers of use where needed. The people need clean power. And coal, hydro, gas, and solar and wind have their places. Just not how the few want it done. Under their control.
10
I’m no Stalin apologist, but you have to be blind to ignore the damage that capitalism is causing to all of us. It’s easy to sit back in your comfy seat and laugh at how silly millenials are when you’re never exposed to the actual consequences of the capitalist system. Go to Africa, see how western corporations are bleeding the continent dry without compensating the people who live there. Go to Asia, see how corporations pay people pocket change for exhausting hours and can bypass worker safety regulations because the government doesn’t care. Go to South America, see the poverty and crime caused by the fact that only the rich ever have a chance in life.
Capitalism is a disease. I’m not indoctrinated by anyone, I study mathematics for crying out..but I’ve seen the consequences and realised that I was ignorant about what’s going on in the world.
425
Are you claiming that communism would be less damaging?
180
how many CIA backed coups are needed to prove that socialism does not work?
416
POC hasn’t forgotten Mao, Stalin or Lenin..
They are his idols. !
63
A coup is desperately needed in Venezuela to get rid of the corrupt, crony Maduro regime.
31
Why – for resisting the USA, the country who has imposed sanctions on medical supplies, has impounded their bank accounts, and has 90% of asia and africa behind the properly elected president? Name one other country where the self styled but unelected American puppet would be allowed to have rallies, and not be thrown in jail?
212
‘…has 90% of asia and africa …..’
Do you have a link?
50
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/ao71l1/what_countries_recognize_juan_guaido_purple_vs/
most sources completely ignore asia (apart from china) Africa, the Middle East, and India
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-24/trump-support-sparks-global-backing-of-venezuela-s-guaido-map
But no our media is not biased in any way shape or form is it
38
Beijing doesn’t want military intervention, but ….
‘A change of government in Venezuela would favor Russia and China, who are the country’s two main foreign creditors, Guaido told Reuters in an interview last month.’
Reuters
60
Please what is your solution for Africa? How about South America? Why is the US living standard so high? Why is China doing so well now?
Capitalism does not work without law and order. China has law and order and state support of capitalism.
Aid money to Africa has been an absolute failure as Africa’s number one fundamental problem is a lack of law and order which aid money cannot solve and a lack of reliable electricity.
How many products are made in Africa? Almost none.
Based on current trends there will be 2.5 billion people in Africa by 2050.
https://qz.com/africa/1016790/more-than-half-of-the-worlds-population-growth-will-be-in-africa-by-2050/
‘Africa’s rapidly growing human population is predicted to more than double by 2050, a staggering increase of three and a half million people per month.
120
Africa may not manufacture many products but they still manage to be a major exporter 😀
60
Of millions of desperately poor migrants with not much education
70
Your facts are not correct. The African export economy is almost none existent. Compare China to Africa.
China has the same population as Africa.
Africa is failing to launch as it does not have law and order.
http://www.worldstopexports.com/top-african-export-countries/
Rank Exporter 2017 Exports Since 2013 %Africa Total
1. South Africa $88.3 billion -7.1% 21%
2. Nigeria $40.7 billion -54.5% 9.7%
3. Angola $36.7 billion -45.8% 8.7%
4. Algeria $35.2 billion -46.7% 8.4%
5. Egypt $25.9 billion -9.9% 6.2%
6. Morocco $25.6 billion +16.6% 6.1%
7. Libya, State of $19.5 billion -54.3% 4.6%
8. Ghana $14.4 billion +13.6% 3.41%
9. Tunisia $14.2 billion -16.8% 3.38%
10. Côte d’Ivoire $12.6 billion +3.9% 2.99%
http://www.worldstopexports.com/chinas-top-10-exports/
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from China.
1. Electrical machinery, equipment: US$599 billion (26.4% of total exports)
2. Machinery including computers: $382.9 billion (16.9%)
3. Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $89.8 billion (4%)
4. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $73.6 billion (3.2%)
5. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $72 billion (3.2%)
6. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $70.6 billion (3.1%)
7. Plastics, plastic articles: $70.6 billion (3.1%)
8. Vehicles: $67.4 billion (3%)
9. Articles of iron or steel: $57.3 billion (2.5%)
10. Toys, games: $55.3 billion (2.4%)
50
My facts are fine, read between the lines. I was speaking about exporting people.
Too subtle?
20
Yep, people get very literal and kneejerk at times
20
“realised that I was ignorant about what’s going on in the world.”
Seems that you still are.
Capitalism is what allows you to make comments on a forum..
Capitalism provides for your way of life.
South America is not a capitalist region.
Capitalism NEEDS those people to be lifted out of poverty, and if the politicians and other agendas got out the way, Capitalism would eventually do that.
173
How is freedom implicit in capitalism?
As for South America it has capitalist countries. The only continent that is capitalist is Australia and that’s debatable.
16
Gee Aye: How is freedom implicit in capitalism?
If people are not free to choose voluntarily then it isn’t capitalism.
The governments job is to create a level playing field where corruption is limited, where monopolies* are broken up, and where sellers are forced to be honest and buyers have to pay up. The governments role is stop cheating and predatory market control, but not to “pick winners”.
*Monopolies — then there are natural monopolies we can debate, airports, defence forces, national rail, roads, reserve banks, emergency services, ports.
121
that definition is with respect to one part of life. Capitalism doesn’t stop your government spying on you or creating a gerrymander etc etc etc
210
Does socialism “give” everyone a computer so they can join in forum discussions?
Did you have to BUY your computer, geegee.
Spying on their country’s own people has always been a mainstay of socialist/communists societies. The totalitarian nature is all they have.
Gerrymander? roflmao.. that is exactly what socialism is, one big gerrymander, a one party state where voting either doesn’t happen, or is totally ignored.
93
Watch it. Fitzy might give you today’s non-sequitur award.
I like your definition of gerrymander. Just because one system (or a group that claim to adhere to a system) use gerymandering doesn’t mean that capitalist democracies don’t also use them.
So, are you of the belief that personal freedoms cannot be restricted within this system
if so good luck in your life
26
possibly a ‘lifetime achievement’ for promoting the use of non-sequiturs award. Given that the Oscars are topical
26
And POC and geegee again prove they have deep-seated comprehension issues.
I doubt either of you will ever get awards for anything, not even participation.
Good luck with your life, geegee. You have lucked out so far.
61
“and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market”
Is your computer available to because of a capitalist market or was it given to you by the “state”?
Does not your computer allow to access this forum?
As I said..
QED !!
11
Go to Africa or Asia and see how corrupt governments make dodgy deals with foreign investors that screw over their own people for their own personal gain.
Yes some companies act in an immoral way but that is a human thing, it is not an intrinsic value of capitalism. Besides, the worst excesses of capitalism an be regulated. Socialism however is evil to the core. It’s founding philosophy is that of envy and it’s practice is theft. It’s result is always the same – tyranny, starvation and death. Every time.
121
How many sanctions are directly and indirectly killing innocents. Be really nice to think that our side was whiter than white, but we’re as complicit and venal as any other regime. Manus, Yemen, Cuba – are they going to be taught by the Ramsey Centre?
313
Fitz,
Nobody is saying that “our side” is whiter than white.
To demonstrate your assertion (“venal as any other”) you need to show where western democracies that follow the rule of law have been responsible for the genocides of the authoritarian socialists, be they of the left or right.
60
To clarify:
“responsible for the genocides of the authoritarian socialists,…”
should read as:
“responsible for genocides equivalent to those perpetrated by the authoritarian socialists..”.
60
Bosnia?
18
Bosnia?
I don’t think so. And, in any case it had nothing to do with Capitalism.
Where’s its 100 million equivalent slaughtered by the Communist Stalin; and the other 100 million by the Communist Mao Tse Tung? Where’s its Pol Pot’s “Year Zero”, where he and his Communist thugs set about “purifying” the Kampuchean society by extinguishing all elements of Capitalism, Western culture, city life, religion, including all foreign influences in favour of Communism?
Bosnia?
Yes. Some nasty things were done in the name of Nationalism in Bosnia. However, those atrocities don’t hold a candle to the socialists’ appalling record. As I say, it had nothing to do with Capitalism with with a democracy operating under the rule of law.
“..Srebrenica in 1995 included the killing of more than 8,000 Bosniak (“Bosnian Muslim”) men and boys, as well as the mass expulsion of another 25,000–30,000 Bosniak civilians”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_genocide
Yes. Wikipedia, I know. However, on this, at least, It’s pretty good.
30
with = nor.
20
Lumping together Manus and Yemen?
50
and Vietnam.
09
Moving right along, I support the Belt and Road, a new form of capitalism, to lift Africa out of poverty.
40
You are seeing the remnants of “colonialism” affecting the various African economies. This is not a feature of capitalism. Exploitation comes from crony deals with strong man leaders who are more than happy to line their own nest rather than enrich their country.
50
A, That so nice that your studying mathematics.
A study of Philosophy may well be a better accreditation for your ..ahh… views.
Just wondering, Do you still believe in Santa?
20
I’m not indoctrinated by anyone, I study mathematics
Yes.
Quite.
20
OK, so capitalism has it’s faults too. I would be the last to deny that. But shouldn’t the objective be to fix those faults, not make things worse by going to a system that history shows wherever it’s been tried it’s been worse than capitalism?
How would you make a system better than free enterprise? The desire to profit from your own work and ingenuity is a universal human dream, at last if it’s not pounded out of you as you grow up by constant indoctrination.
20
Every society is a work in progress. When the United States began you could own slaves. But we fixed that.
That fix led to other problems but we fixed those too. And there are still problems and always will be. But we didn’t throw out what was good in order to fix the bad.
Now suddenly a complete fool like AOC with a big mouth is cutting a wide swath through American politics and 2020 presidential candidates are signing on like AOC speaks for god almighty. It flies in the face of common sense and the lessons of history.
20
Oh, dear God. Explain the differences between North and South Korea, in terms of Capitalism and Communism. Then move to North Korea.
20
A!
There is Capitalism and there is Crony Capitalism. Before you throw out the baby with the bath water why don’t you consider where it has worked for quite a long time.
If you think you’d like to live in Africa without capitalism instead of any of the places where it has worked your math is not adding up.
10
On the other hand, I might not recognize the names of leading tyrants from 40-50 years before my birth, which would be 1892-1902. At least this explains why AOC does not mind the label “socialist” and why calling the Green New Deal socialist might be ineffective with her best demographic.
100
Not everything in capitalism succeeds
http://www.greeningearthsociety.org/
17
Most important thing in life is to be able to think in a way that is useful for self, family and wider community.
Following those who promise things that aren’t real or deliverable in a sane world is nuts.
KK
60
You should talk to my uncle who escaped from Communist Hungary with his family, about how disfunctional and plain pointless Communism is….
Communism denies the very essense that everyone is different and that some people will make a go of life and others wont.
Basically it assumes everyone is a chronic under achiever and the govt will sort it all out…er…no…it cant.
80
So your uncle, who had a terrible time under a terrible regime, would say that everything in capitalism works? Is that what you think?
Is your thesis that because one system is flawed, the better system is perfect? I’d go with misquoting Churchill’s comment about democracy.
19
Oh stop stirring……
I never said that, democracy has some pitfalls, but generally if you work hard or smart you can make a decent life for yoirself and your kids. Communism assumes everyone is a worker drone, happy to be told how to live, where to work etc.
The best thing about communism, according to my uncle, was getting out of it….
40
You are right I’d much rather live in a place that would shut him/her up. Lets stop calling in capitalism and instead call it “free market” shall we?
https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking
00
It’s not meant to. Capitalist societies evolve to suit requirements.
The concept of Capitalism is that if you want to better yourself you need to find something other people want and provide that service at a profit.
How do you convince the people to make you the preferred supplier? You either provide cheaper, or you provide better. (or you control the market totally by buying out your opposition… which – SPOILER – is actually a left wing tactic effectively the same as a state owned industry). Free market provides. Provide the market the service they want. Don’t mess around with committees or regulations or 10 Year Plans, either the market is willing to support it or it shouldn’t be on the market.
What does that mean to the society? You get better stuff and with that better stuff you get better life.
What does it mean to the SUCCESSFUL providers? You get successful (duh)
What does it mean to the unsuccessful providers? You fail. Get Gut Noob.
Face it Gee Aye, Capitalism, in the big boy sense, Works. It drives people to improve their lives. Work hard, get rewarded, have more to show, stand out in the crowd and improve the life prospects of your children. Face it, without a capitalist mindset and a free market you would still be living in a cave, sitting around a fire and eating semi cooked dead animal because with a perfectly good cave to live in, a perfectly good fire to sit around and perfectly good semi cooked animal to live you would have everything you need in life.
20
Did anyone say it does? At the moment its seems the least worst option, just based on history and looking around the world.
10
Yeah and they all to try REAL COMMUNISM!!!! Sure….
30
Unfortunately the poll did not ask about communism, despite references to Mao, Stalin and Lenin. My understanding is that socialism is not a dirty word in Europe and many political parties include “social” in their names. In this sense the poll seems a bit off.
80
Its pretty clear the eu pres has marxist sympathies…commrades in suits are just red raggers in expensive tailoring…
10
Better to use the term ‘authoritarian’ rather than socialist or communist because in pure theory there is little to distinguish between a liberal democracy and Marx’s idealised form of communism.
The trouble is that authoritarians hide behind labels such as communism, socialism, national socialism etc. as a means of gaining power that is then unrestrained by democratic principles.
The most important issue is whether those with political power think they know best what is for the greater good regardless of wider opinion. If they really do believe that they know best then they quickly move on to the concept of ends justifying the means which always turns out to be fatal for societies as a whole. In such situations those in power become mere gangsters such as in Venezuela or monsters such as Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and Hitler.
It is important that people’s votes are respected whatever may be the contrary opinions of the so called ‘great and good’.
That is why the Parliamentary opposition to Brexit in the UK is so dangerous and why the US Democratic Party’s blind opposition to everything said or done by Trump is similarly misguided.
In the end, Parliamentary Democracy is the least worst option and within that system it is essential that the voters be permitted to find their own way forward even if they make errors along the way.
The definition of an authoritarian of either left or right is someone who denies the electorate the right to experiment freely with social changes via the voting system.
In the current world situation those who would deny that right are overwhelmingly left of centre.
220
This is the right answer. The underlying political theorum, that may or may not actually underlie the running of the country, is secondary to the outcome produced by the means of control of the masses by the elite. And unfortunately, as pointed out earlier, many of the benefits of capitalism for some come at a cost for others- mostly in those authoritarian countries.
45
Capitalism is not a zero sum system, how ever the green/left subversives like to spin it.
The reduction in poverty, starvation and early death that has been observed over the last two hundred years or so is a direct result of the application of capital in a productive way.
Socialism, on the other hand, just doesn’t work. How many examples are needed before the penny drops?
90
Russia in 1910 was a peasant economy, but with socialism (or the communist variant) lifted most of its population out of abject poverty by the end of 1950’s. China, again with a peasant population in 1045, has lifted a vast majority of its population out of abject poverty. Democratic Mexico, and India as counter examples – not so much.
211
should be 1945
18
It was peasant in 1045 too.
34
Yes. But it was warmer then, courtesy of the Medieval Warming.
Quite pleasant.
40
It was 1947 and Mao allowed 25 million of his own people to starve so that he could impress the west with his export strategy.
What we see over the past 30 years is that 700 million people have been brought out of poverty, its the greatest economic revolution the world has ever seen.
40
Peter there is no such thing as a communist variant of socialism, perhaps you need to understand socialism V capitalisim before making further comments
71
hunh. with respect Mr 24,
https://www.dictionary.com/e/socialism-democracy/
18
Given that the rest of the First world advanced much faster out of their plight during the same time period, why do you think communist Russia is a success story?
Frankly I think Russia was retarded and only now are almost there only because they are looking around and can learn by example.
10
oh yeah, and you beacon of democracy is not so beacony either
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-19/food-stamp-use-still-above-recession-era-despite-u-s-job-gains
29
Not even Trump can’t fix the Obama years in just 2 year, POC. !
83
just saying that the self proclaimed best ever (by the President no less) capitalist/democracy has more than 10% of its population on Food Stamps, so that they don’t starve.
310
“has more than 10% of its population on Food Stamps”
AND DROPPING !!
As I said,
Not even Trump can’t fix the Obama years in just 2 year, POC. !
63
typo…
Not even Trump can fix the Obama years in just 2 year, POC. !
62
Balderdash! No. Very few of the 10% would starve. They simply like food stamps because they QUALIFY for them. They use the money they save on food for other non-essential living expenses.
Socialists brought us food stamps. Now it’s a game for socialist bureaucrats to keep as many on the dole as possible so that their bureaucrat jobs are secure. Left leaning politicians keep adding to the pot and additionally make the requirements to qualify easier every year. Politicians get more votes for handing out this fake wealth. Fake news reports the situation just about the way you did.
Starving in the USA only happens if one has mental health issues.
00
Patricia, you appear to be a champers socialist.
Go and live in a communist country then tell us first hand how it is.
I know people who did get out, and they never want to go back. Why is that?
72
For the same reason that refugees want to come to the West.
Amazing isn’t it that we don’t have Western refugees climbing aboard boats and paying people smugglers to get into Communist China, or Venezuela, or Cuba, or Laos, or North Korea?
30
what sort of comment is that? Have the decency to use my name, at least I’m hiding behind a nom-de-plume. All I’m saying is that we in the west are no better. but you are welcome to your world, where the left is banned. I prefer some balance.
35
Peter F, having seen the museum at Checkpoint Charlie on the border between West and East Berlin back in the time before the Wall came down, I am in no doubt whatsoever of the desperation of those living under communism to escape from their ‘Paradise’. The lengths they went to are extraordinary and many died in the attempt. I have a small chunk of the Berlin Wall, picked up by a friend who was living there at that momentous time when it came down and families from East and West were reunited.
The left here and in other Western nations are undermining those of us who do not have any wish to live under their domination.
I have also visited Bergen-Belsen; an experience beyond any trite words. I am in no doubt that evil reigned in N@zi Germany.
81
“All I’m saying is that we in the west are no better”
Well you have made it clear that YOU are no better.
You would relish being one of the top brass in a socialist country.
But news, POC, you would still be among the dregs of society.
32
“All I’m saying is that we in the west are no better”
Yeah, but we have our freedoms.
30
You have it ar*e about, Patricia,
“I’m saying is that we in the west are no better. but you are welcome to your world, where the left is banned. I prefer some balance.”
Yep, right. Not. Nonsense.
I think in your world, based on what you have said, democracy is banned.
In democracy, we keep a lid on subversives, but freedom of speech is allowed, no matter how unpleasant it maybe, but that’s just how it goes. I’d happily throw any problem people who are threats to the community in jail, left wing or right wing, religious or secular, I dont care.
Under Communism, no freedom of speech exists.
Question – which one would you, Patricia, really want? Opportunity for your kids and ability to generate something to pass on to future generations, or multiple generations of being worker bees in a flawed system that has never, ever, worked?
30
I remember getting angry at what one of my sons was taught by a teacher in secondary school – Port Arthur was a government conspiracy concocted between the CIA and John Howard and the hollow cost never happened .
These kids are in that age range now but not all are brainwashed nutters thank god .
90
are you seriously saying that a school teacher taught that?
Apart from being way off-topic, can you tell us where and when this occurred and did you report it?
25
Not so much off OT we are talking about millenials after all , when were you last around kids in secondary school ahhgee ? This was over ten years ago and I can tell you it hasn’t gotten any better .
Remember the new standard for a pass is just one percent and that gets an “E” , stop watching the ABC and reading the guardian.
Primary school kids going to secondary are at a grade two level and dumb as dog Doo Doo which is just the way the secondary school teachers like it , makes it easy to brainwash them .
Out of 100 students going from primary to secondary up to 40 should be in grade two and some grade one .
50
I’d be interested in an answer to the question. You are saying that a teacher spoke directly to students asserting that Port Arthur was a conspiracy? What state was this in? Was it a government school?
And where in the Guardian and the ABC do you see any support for the teacher?
35
From what I hear it’s greentard teachers with a twisted view of reality , check current curriculum for secondary but also primary school .
As for the Port Arthur thing and Holocost the latter seems to be a socialist green attempt to rewrite history by stealth by a number of teachers in most schools , like most of your ilk you are blind and deaf to all but the green socialist message .
As to location of school let’s just say Victoriastan but I imagine these teachers are all over the country forcing their garbage upon students wherever they can .
As for if those subjects are in the curriculum that’s not what I said , I said it’s what one of my kids were taught .
What is in the curriculum is disturbing enough and now I hear teachers are making kids bring home propaganda from the unions for their parents to read but again you won’t see anything wrong with that .
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So you’ve evidence that a teacher taught nonsense outside of the curriculum and you said nothing? Nothing at all?
22
I have no problem with teachers offering an alternative view on a topic so long as it is presented as such and the students are encouraged to dissect and criticise it.
With regard to Bryant I can only offer my personal experience of the matter through the eyes of one of his fellow school students. The information seemed balanced and level but different from that peddled by all sides of politics and the press. I know ex-SAS officers who doubt the official version of events but who kept silent due to professional obligations. The unofficial Au Army version says that the main gunman could not have been Bryant but was someone of superior marksmanship to themselves.
I’m still above average with a hunting rifle but couldn’t match the Port Arthur killer who fired most shots from the hip and who wasted almost no rounds. Locals say Bryant was “a simpleton” and probably “…couldn’t piss straight” and one gun-shop said the man clearly had trouble understanding how semi-autos functioned.
While we criticise those who have not heard of Mao it might be similarly fair to ask those who believe the press why they don’t apply critical thinking to big media events that carry major political repercussion.
I should add that I was quite concerned at the time about semi-auto ownership by those who had no obvious requirement for such a dangerous weapon and I’m not part of any shooters’ club or political platform however, I do promote harmless discussion on a wide variety of topics and rarely bag those who stick their heads above the parapet of normality.
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John i agree with your comments, and had thought the same. How does a simpleton with zero tactical training out shoot a military marksman?
I guess from a socialist point of view, it advanced socialist dream of implementing gun control , beautifally.
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Rubbish, Bryant had been shooting rifles from a young age and had plenty of practise shooting birds and such.
A lot of the people were shot at close range in the cafe.
30
As a Howard-voting monarchist paleo-conservative who’s into conservation and does not own a gun…I still do not believe the official story on Port Arthur. I’m not sure of who or why, but I’m sure there was no trial, no prints or DNA taken from the cafe, and no likelihood that a backward and clumsy youth could turn into a combo of Bruce Willis and Clint Eastwood. I know there was a sort-of confession after a long period of isolation and the introduction of a coercive lawyer (earlier the coercive lawyer “for” the gun shop owner) later jailed for embezzlement.
There are a number of official stories I don’t believe. Most of them, actually. I hesitate to raise them here because for me this blog is about the pointy end of globalism, namely the climate beat-up. Without being conformist and hive-minded, we do need to stay solid.
The climatariat will take some beating. I drifted into reading some mainstream articles on the major extinctions the other day and was amazed by how the more recent ones had to bend and twist to connect the end-Permian, Triassic, Cretaceous etc extinctions to CO2. It was like a movie producer forced to show a big name actor in a cameo awkwardly skewing the plot to fit him in. Publish CO2 or perish!
So one big fib at a time.
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OH dear… best leave this to fester
10
Fester won’t help you, geegee.
11
This is departing from Jo’s thread but George’s fair comment re Bryant deserves reply.
Using military weapons in enclosed spaces demands courage. Rounds from my firearm have ricocheted off targets and drawn blood from myself and a colleague. It might be easy to hit close targets but I’d be reluctant to use an AR-15 (or similar) inside a building, especially if I was shooting from the hip as I’d be less certain of a direct hit.
A retired RAAF officer named Collins was shot in the neck by the Port Arthur gunman and was placed in an induced coma for a fortnight. Much later Collins claimed that the man who shot him was not Bryant but was clearly an expert marksman with a superb stance and obvious military training who was selecting his next target before pulling the trigger on the current one.
George, your comment is a reasonable one but I respectfully say that taking pot-shots at birds and entering a crowded cafe and shooting multiple people in the head with a long-arm are very different under-takings.
I cannot prove or disprove the matter. It’s possible Bryant did train himself in military precision and did alter his boyish complexion to that of the acne-faced younger man who Collins witnessed at close range.
10
any data for that?
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Here’s some homework for you aahgee , find out what amount of kids pass subjects with an “A” to an “E” and what percentage out of 100 is required for each .
Then compare that with 30 years ago and you tell me .
31
I’ll take that as a no
22
Behave…..at least come half way and do some research and report back….otherwise youve frozen yourself out of your own discussion…
21
Do research? Come on. Robert’s comments are all over the place. I was having fun with him; I know about results standardisation and student performance ratings.
Some research for Robert. What was the raw pass mark for year 12 (HSC) Pure mathemetics in Victoria in 1978?
22
im guessing they’d be different from current years where they can opt out of maths .
As for standardisation and performance reviews is that yourspeak for dumbing down the system aahgee?
All over the place is a couple of main issues , students being taught ideological rubbish , the dumbing down of the system .
If you were teaching I’m pretty sure you would print that MSDS from your well read blog on DDT and show them how to identify a non problem and turn it into a problem just by using words like “could” .
Or maybe bore them to death with Farce X .
20
you are just making things up.
And the answer was below 30%
23
I’m making up that on your well read blog is an MSDS sheet on DDT ?
See now I’m using your distracting technique that getup have taught you on you and your too thick to realise it .
But tell me please why the MSDS on DDT when you know it’s not a bad Chemical even the sheet says so ?
10
“And the answer was below 30%”
Geegee knows that from first hand experience. F !!!
22
This is all a consequence of the carefully planned dumbing down of the education system throughout the West orchestrated by the Left as part of Rudi Dutschke’s “long march through the institutions” starting in the 1960’s.
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Yes.No doubt the Americans with their manipulations are about to “help” by destabilising the economy even more..
They should also learn that MSM are not always honest with reporting on Venezuela..where are the reports of currency manipulation or stores that are full?…which does not fit thenarrative does it ?
LINK
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Watching PM Morrison atm explain why he wants to spend $3.5 billion to save the planet from global warming.
Morrison’s fellow green travellers in America want to spend “trillions of dollars”.
Why not just say eleventy squillion dollars, as the whole thing is just made up.
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Harris: ‘Of Course We Can Afford’ Trillion Dollars of Spending in Green New Deal
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019/02/24/harris-of-course-we-can-afford-trillion-dollars-of-spending-in-green-new-deal/
Ocasio-Cortez explains ‘farting cows’ comment: ‘We’ve got to address factory farming’
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/431119-ocasio-cortez-explains-farting-cows-comment-weve-got-to-address-factory
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When you reach a fork in the road, take it.
Sadly for Australia, Morrison chose the wrong fork.
This was the correct choice:
TRUMP MOCKS GREEN NEW DEAL: ‘HIGH SCHOOL TERM PAPER,’ ‘HOW DO YOU TAKE A TRAIN TO EUROPE?’
TRUMP: “It sounds like he high school term paper that got back a low mark.
https://news.grabien.com/story-trump-mocks-green-new-deal-high-school-term-paper-how-do-you
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Stupid pork barrelling.
They’re all as bad as each other.
I think I will just try to ignore politics.
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Which is why historical revisionism is constantly needed. They are not falsifying history but fabricating it in terms of their present knowledge.
Imagine a global catastrophe that sundered civilisation, the survivors of which were traumatised. Their offspring would be condition and because many, or most, see only what they believe, history is thus written. Except those who have only oral history, and then it’s only good for 3-400 years, human memory being what it is.
But underlying it all is the human proclivity to only see what they believe. It’s why brainwashing/education is so successful. THe only freedom we have is to be allowed to wander within the confines of the jail our brains have been conditioned to have. And when the teachers are also in the same cage, well, welcome to The Matrix.
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the wild river of life: https://balance10.blogspot.com/2019/02/10000-march-for-nemtsov-in-moscow-saudi.html
00
If they don’t know about those three then these will come as a complete mystery,
-Kim Jong-Il -Fidel Castro -Raul Castro -Nicolae Ceausescu -Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier -François “Papa Doc” Duvalier -Benito Mussolini-
-Pol Pot -Ho Chi Min Kim Il-Sung- Kim Jong-Il -Kim Jong-Un- Josip Broz Tito -Idi Amin -Saddam Hussein -Muamar el-Gadhafi.
The list is unfortunately much more longer and note all these “leaders” have a strong link to communist/socialist politics at some time in their lives.
For any Milennials out there type ‘Communist Dictators list’ in any search engine besides Google and all relevant information is there, then when you get to vote research all the party’s and candidates to see where their grassroots politics lie and if they align with any of the above characters for you and your Nations future AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
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This is actually incredibly ignorant. I am extremely well versed with Stalin, Mao, Castro, Lenin, or any other communist revolutionaries of the 20th and 19th centuries. I do not see them as role models because I know they created totalitarian states and murdered millions of people. I am an Australian born GenZ male and a self-proclaimed Social Democrat. I would even argue I know more about the history of communism than anyone else here. Saying that the rise in Socialism is a cause of historical ignorance is an ignorant way of thought in it self. The rise of socialism in First world nations is more likely a result of the economy which Boomers destroyed.
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No comment needed, you’ve covered it all.
Greed, envy,
Envy, greed along with the certainty that Boomers had it easy.
Recipe for eventual disaster.
KK
20
You wrote “The rise of socialism in First world nations is more likely a result of the economy which Boomers destroyed.”
I’m 72 year old boomer. I did not want the economy destroyed. I have never wanted my own children and grandchild to have it worse than I did.But such is the case.
Why ?
Because the ALP & the Greens have been captured as parties by a university educated academic elite. It is decades since the working people of Australia controlled the unions which dominate the ALP. Instead we see self appointed salaried staffers from the union hierarchy calling the shots.
And us boomers ? As a member of the ALP in Victoria from 1975-1987 I realised that there is nothing we can do about it.
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Boomers worked hard and saved for later on in life those that came after didn’t want to work hard and wanted a fair share of what the boomers had saved for , you studied socialism but learned nothing .
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” I know more about the history of communism”
You have made it your life’s work and ideology..
You didn’t to tell us that, obvious from your post.
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No acknowledgement at all on whose shoulders you stand on, who built the world you take for granted. Destroyed, what crap.
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In 2012 my son had an assignment (can’t remember subject) on an influential person on society, one negative and one positive. He wrote an excellent paper on Mao, his teacher who was in her early 20s had never heard of Mao, dismissed his assignment and marked it accordingly.
The following 2min video shows what kids are taught today, “I can’t find ONE CRIME that Stalin has ever committed”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdajUraK0LM
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To be fair, of the top four villains
Lenin 1924, 95 years ago
Hitler 1945, 74 years ago
Stalin 1956, 53 years ago (Stalin died in 1953) CTS
Mao 1976, 43 years ago
Only Mao would be in living memory for someone over 55.
Pol Pot 1998, would be memorable but the media hushed up the mass slaughter, the killing fields, the hatred of education. Nothing much was said then or now. So he was a hero to many on the left who did not believe the stories. Noted historian Keith Windschuttle was originally a devout communist who admired Pol Pot. His world view changed when his best friend went to Cambodia as a great fan and met Pol Pot who had him immediately shot.
So were Castro and Che Guavera heroes and they remain heroes to the left of politics. Almost no one reported the mass executions in China (50-80 million) during Mao’s cultural pogroms against intellectuals. The left of politics are believers. A few have to be eliminated to make their perfect world. As Jordan Peterson says in his talk, philosopher Nietsche prophesied accurately that 300million would have to die.
Having grown up in the shadow of WW2, it was in the past and not a memory. Everyone wanted to get on with their lives. WW1 was a complete mystery. The Boer war not remembered by anyone despite the sandstone monuments around Melbourne. Then the Franco Prussian war of 1870 no one remembers and the US Civil war of 1865 when we in Melbourne hosted the Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah and the Crimean war of 1855. Many Streets in Caulfield are named after people and places in the Crimea. Crimea, Balaclava, Alma, Inkerman and places like Sebastopol. No wonder Russians feel at home there. People in the shops speak Russian, but they came 150 years later.
What is remarkable in the long 75 years since the end of WW2 is that there has been relative peace across the world. Children are being taught in a vacuum where they have no way of understanding the horrors of war. After all the Japanese have been great Australian tourists and great businesses like Toyota. It’s hard to understand the terror of the imminent Japanese invasion.
In our rich and peaceful consumer society war history is ancient history. The Koreans make cars and phones and the very idea of Korea being a slave state of Japan quite incomprehensible, or the Phillipines as part of Spain or America. There is nowhere Australians will not fly on holidays, if it has a good beach or a bit of history and some cute places. Turkey was both our great ally in the Crimean war and our great foe at Gallipolli, but its also a great holiday place, Istanbul is wonderful and there are many happy Turks settled in Australia and some 12 million in Europe.
Memory of the horrors of Communism/Socialism are completely forgotten and the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, the NAZIs have vanished from memory, except in films. It’s so bad that socialists deny the NAZIs were even a socialist party! The second half of Mein Kampf was in fact “Die Nationalsozialistische (“The National Socialist Movement”), was issued in December 1926.
So the violent anti free speech AntiFA attacks all conservatives on the basis that Hitler was a conservative? Trump is called a Nazi by socialists. Now that’s simply exploitation of appalling ignorance, often at university level. Hollywood actors have no shame, rich capitalists and pretend socialists in guarded and high walled gated commmunities who demand Trump does not build a wall. How would they get their acres of lawns mowed without illegal aliens?
It makes you wonder why people study history, taught by people who remember none of it. Then you get science for the unscientific, the innumerate, the unscientific. Psycho ecology, psycho science. Cook, Lewandowsky, Flannery. Climate religious fantasies taught as science. You can tell. It’s psychobabble called The Science and you are not allowed deny “The Science”.
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🙂 🙂 🙂
Thus spake TdeF so well.
KK
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Indeed. One of the best.
10
remember JP Morgan’s Blythe Masters, the “financial genius” who created the “credit default swap”. well, Stephanie Kelton is the new financial “genius”, the face, so to speak, of “Modern Monetary Theory”:
Wikipedia: Stephenie Kelton
She was formerly Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, Chief Economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee 2015 minority party staff and an Economic Advisor to Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. She is founder and editor-in-chief of the blog New Economic Perspectives. She is a leading proponent of Modern Monetary Theory and as such was named one of Politico’s 50 “thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American politics in 2016.”…
***In 2019, Kelton has been invited to be the Geoff Harcourt Visiting Professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia…
She has been a notable proponent of and researcher in Modern Monetary Theory, publishing several papers and editing books in the field, and a supporter of the proposal for a Job Guarantee..
She has been a frequent guest on television and radio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Kelton
***expect more of Steph on theirABC, SBS etc. they already love her:
21 Nov 2018: ABC: Should every Australian be offered a government-funded job?
ABC News Breakfast By Patrick Wood
VIDEO: 1min40sec: Stephanie Kelton. Caption: The idea is part of a controversial theory that is ‘spreading like wildfire’. (with Wood and Virginia Trioli)
US economist Stephanie Kelton, who served as Bernie Sanders’ economic adviser during the 2016 presidential campaign, is currently touring Australia to promote the concept she says isn’t too good to be true.
“There is nothing to prevent the Australian government, if it chose to do so, from funding a large-scale government job program that would offer employment to anybody who wanted work and couldn’t find it anywhere else in the Australian economy,” she said…
The plan — commonly referred to as a “jobs guarantee” — works like this: every one of the 700,000-odd unemployed Australians would be offered a job that would be funded by the government but managed by local communities.
“We want the local communities being the ones to imagine the kind of work that is going to provide the most value,” Professor Kelton said.
“So it’s not a top-down government, bureaucratic [model] … they just provide the funding and the community decides what needs to be done.”
The idea is part of the modern monetary theory (MMT) school of thought that has been developing since the early 1990s.
What was once discussed only among economic outsiders is said to have piqued the interest of sections of the Labor Party and the Greens.
University of Adelaide economics lecturer Steven Hail is an expert in MMT and regularly speaks on the topic.
“Interest in MMT is spreading like wildfire, in Australia and elsewhere, and it is being widely discussed in branches of both the ALP and the Greens,” he said.
“I myself did a presentation to the economic policy committee of the ACT ALP in Canberra in June.”
Professor Kelton has been invited to Australia by organisation GetUp and is speaking as part of its Rethinking Our Economy roadshow…
A core belief of MMT is that countries that control their own money (like Australia) face no purely financial budget constraints because they can always print more cash…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-21/stephanie-kelton-on-modern-monetary-theory-and-a-job-guarantee/10510758
17 Nov 2018: SBS: A radical plan to give every Australian a job who wants one is gaining momentum
The unconventional plan would eliminate unemployment in Australia, says US economist Stephanie Kelton
By Rosemary Bolger
It might sound too good to be true, but a radical approach to give everyone a government-funded job who wants one is gaining ground.
US economist Stephanie Kelton, who advised Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, is in Australia this month to promote the idea…
A federal jobs guarantee is a key plank of a relatively new economic approach known as Modern Monetary Theory (MMT).
With 32,000 Twitter followers and a popular blog, Professor Kelton is helping take the theory from the economic fringes to the political mainstream…
Australia’s unemployment rate reached a six-year low of five per cent in September, with the coalition crediting its economic agenda for the achievement.
At the time, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the numbers were a cause to celebrate…
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/a-radical-plan-to-give-every-australian-a-job-who-wants-one-is-gaining-momentum
20
Stephanie Kelton re-tweeted AOC on 22 Feb::
TWEET: AOC: “The Green New Deal agenda is both feasible and affordable.” -Jeffrey Sachs
As conservatives wag their finger and call me dim on econ, a flood of economists have been verifying the #GreenNewDeal‘s sound policy credentials
The GOP talks about flatulence.
***LINK CNN
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1099125396530966528
***22 Feb: CNN: Green New Deal is feasible and affordable
By Jeffrey Sachs
The right wing and corporate lobbies are already hyperventilating: It is unachievable; it will bankrupt us; it will make us into Venezuela.
These claims are dead wrong. The Green New Deal agenda is both feasible and affordable. This will become clear as the agenda is turned into specific legislation for energy, health care, higher education, and more.
The Green New Deal combines ideas across several parts of the economy because the ultimate goal is sustainable development. That means an economy that delivers a package deal: good incomes, social fairness, and environmental sustainability. Around the world, governments are aiming for the same end — a “triple-bottom line” of economic, social, and environmental objectives…
In the US, the economy is feeding the wealth of billionaires while leaving tens of millions of households with no financial cushion at all…
The key ideas of the Green New Deal — decarbonization, lower-cost health care, and decent living standards for the working class — have been studied for years. The Green New Deal Resolution is the opportunity, finally, to put that vast knowledge into effect.
What is absolutely clear is that the Green New Deal is affordable. The claims about the unaffordability of these goals are pure hype. The detailed plans that will emerge in the coming months will expose the bluster…
Decarbonization will include the following measures. Electricity generation will shift from coal and natural gas to wind, solar, hydro, and other zero-carbon technologies. Cars and trucks will shift from gasoline to electricity, using batteries or fuel cells (with hydrogen manufactured by electrolysis). Planes will use electricity for short flights and advanced zero-carbon fuels for longer flights. Buildings will be heated by electricity (such as heat pumps) rather than boilers and furnaces.
The costs of renewable energy are plummeting, making decarbonization eminently feasible…
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/22/opinions/green-new-deal-sachs/index.html
10
21 Feb: Barrons: Now Even Goldman Sachs Is Challenging U.S. Debt Dogma
By Alexandra Scaggs
Goldman Sachs economists are wading into the deficit debate, and they don’t seem to be sounding any alarm bells about U.S. federal debt…
The U.S. has introduced fiscal stimulus (in the form of corporate tax cuts) ***with unemployment near 50-year lows…
One reason for this shift in thinking is the experience of Japan. Its debt has climbed to more than 200% of its GDP with no inflation to speak of, and steady (albeit slow) economic growth.
Another (reason) is the growing influence of economists who advocate for “modern monetary theory,” or MMT. Essentially, MMT argues that government spending is constrained by a country’s real resources, not its tax revenues, and says explicitly that governments borrowing in their own currency have no reason to go bankrupt…
https://www.barrons.com/articles/goldman-sachs-federal-debt-51550762435
1 comment only???: Chris Dietz: The Japan experience is interesting, but from my understanding they were able to finance most of their debt due the fact the citizens of Japan have a much higher savings rate than in the U.S.
10
23 Feb: NYT: How America Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Deficits and Debt
by Neil Irwin
Economic orthodoxy that ruled for decades held that fiscal responsibility was inherently good and the national debt a leviathan to fear. Now the intellectual and political currents are flowing — gushing, really — in the opposite direction…
How did everyone — liberals and conservatives, politicians and economists — get so comfortable with debt?…
Maybe the economic boom caused the surpluses, not the other way around. And continuing fiscal surpluses meant a falling supply of Treasury bonds, the bedrock of the global financial system. Could that have been destabilizing?
Some economists thought so, for example, Stephanie Kelton, who as a young scholar studied under the groundbreaking Cambridge economist Wynne Godley. In their thinking, the American combination of government budget surpluses and current account deficits — meaning importing more than exporting — would cause private debt to rise. And private debt, they said, is more dangerous than the public kind; private borrowers cannot create money from thin air….
Ms. Kelton, who went from her early research on debt to advise Senator Bernie Sanders and other politicians on the left, argues that a currency-issuing government needn’t worry that deficits will lead to a fiscal crisis. Rather, inflation becomes a risk if spending outpaces the finite supply of workers and productive capacity.
The political implication of modern monetary theory is that you should lay out what you believe is an important priority for the country, and if you have the votes, enact it…
When Senator Elizabeth Warren was asked if she believed in the modern monetary theory approach, she told Bloomberg Television: “It’s only when we talk about the things that go to hard-working Americans that Republicans seem to get religion about the national debt. Debt matters. There comes a point where debt matters. But what I care about is that we need to rethink our system in a way that is genuinely about investments that pay off over time.”…
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/upshot/how-america-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-deficits-and-debt.html
31 Jan 2017: The Conversation: Explainer: what is modern monetary theory?
by Steven Hail, Lecturer in Economics, University of Adelaide
(Disclosure: Steven Hail is affiliated as a Research Scholar with the Binzagr Institute for Sustainable Prosperity)
There is a school of thought among economists who aren’t worried about the so called “budget black hole”, where tough choices have been called for to reduce government spending. Proponents of modern monetary theory, like Bernie Sanders’ chief economic adviser Professor Stephanie Kelton, claim the Australian government need not balance its budget and are instead calling for the government to balance the economy, which they argue is a different thing entirely.
Modern monetary theory is an approach to economic management developed since the 1990s by Professor Bill Mitchell, alongside American academics like Professor Randall Wray, Stephanie Kelton, and investment bankers and fund managers like Warren Mosler. It builds on the ideas of a previous generation of economists, such as Hyman Minsky, Wynne Godley and Abba Lerner, whose interpretation of the work of the famous economist J.M.Keynes was very different from that which became dominant by the 1980s…READ ON
http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095
10
final MMT comment:
18 Feb: HuffPo: The War On Climate Change Won’t Be Won Quibbling Over The Green New Deal’s Costs
The mounting damage of global warming is a crisis far greater than the deficit
By Zach Carter & Alexander C. Kaufman
Instead of extreme weather disasters, famines and wars over natural resources, the Green New Deal envisions a future in which our nation overcomes its addiction to oil, gas and coal. The federal government would need so many workers to deploy renewable energy, retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient and construct more durable infrastructure that it could guarantee a job to every American who wants one. Those jobs would pay well and offer union protections. And because climate change touches on every facet of life, the transition away from fossil fuels would happen alongside a rapid expansion of safeguards for Americans already suffering the ill effects of dirty energy, from poisoned waterways to the coal industry’s monopolistic domination of entire regional economies.
One priority the Green New Deal does not include? Balancing the federal budget. Neither the Green New Deal legislation nor an FAQ released by Ocasio-Cortez last week included a detailed set of plans about how to pay for it.
This is as it should be. Anyone who cares deeply about balancing the budget can find a welcoming political home in the arms of billionaire Howard Schultz. Legislation should be crafted to solve social problems. The financial details affiliated with solving those problems are just that ― details ― which can be developed as political circumstances warrant. There is plenty of time between now and 2021 to sort them out…
Some of this faux controversy over the Green New Deal comes down to a feud within the economics profession over the rising prominence of a school of thought known as modern monetary theory. MMT began getting a hearing in Washington when Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hired economist and MMT proponent Stephanie Kelton as an adviser ahead of his 2016 presidential run. Ocasio-Cortez has created more buzz for the doctrine by talking it up in interviews with journalists…
https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/green-new-deal-costs-climate-change_n_5c66285be4b01757c369e3df
21 Feb: Bloomberg: Modern Monetary Theory Is Not a Recipe for Doom
There are no inherent tradeoffs between fiscal and monetary policy.
By Stephanie Kelton
Paul Krugman first wrote about modern monetary theory on March 25, 2011. He last wrote about MMT in a two-part series on February 12-13, 2019. Although he’s had almost a decade to come to terms with the approach, he is still getting some of the basic ideas wrong.
This matters for two reasons: one, because people listen to Paul Krugman, who won the Nobel economics prize in 2008, and, two, because the approach he is discussing is at the heart of how to design economic policies that affect millions of Americans. I’d like to try to move the conversation forward by addressing his concerns…READ ON
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-02-21/modern-monetary-theory-is-not-a-recipe-for-doom
20
Good grief Pat! They really ARE nuts. 🙁
51
There is no blue pill!
Regrettably, the lesson appears only to be learned from first hand experience. I blame Robert Owen and his version of utopian socialism that made the disease palatable.
10
A key influence in the lives of millennials is the free propaganda.
The Guardian, the Age, SMH, the ABC, etc can all be accessed for free.
So the worst media in terms of being accurate sources of information,
Have the most influence.
Now that is something more accurate & informative rich, pay to read publications need to think about.
100
The ABC was always free. So is Radio, including talkback. So it the telly, (with sky now available as well) but that is all irrelevant as Millennials mostly use social media for news and info.
Now as to free vs paid – you can of course subscribe to both the SMH and The Australian – so are they comparable?
210
The irresponsible ABC is not free! The combination of ABC/SBS is around $50 million a week, $2 from every adult and child in the country. $500 a family per year. Plus the charter of rigorous balance in reporting which justifies its existence is flagrantly violated. The BOM is much the same when we have satellites and computers and they lower past readings to create Global Warming. Plus the CSIRO and Ocean Acidification conferences. When did they last invent anything? Why did they have 500 PhDs in Climate Change? In total $3.5Billion a year for what? Self justifying socialist enclaves for misreporting.
Sell the lot! Then you wouldn’t get anything would you? It’s a quick valuation.
170
Oh, if it’s not free, then buy Bill in OZ’s logic it must be “accurate & informative rich” just like Sky isn’t (since it is free)
110
It’s not free. Margaret Thatcher is perfectly right. There is no such thing as public money, there is only taxpayer’s money.
80
Carefull Fitz or I will tell Bill why you were sacked in 2017 !
41
Go ahead
13
The ABC is most definitely not free. We are forced to pay for it out of our taxes.
121
As wind power is not free, https://stopthesethings.com/2018/04/30/renewables-rip-off-despite-4-billion-in-annual-subsidies-wind-solar-delivers-a-trivial-2-of-australias-power-demand/ so October winds blowing politicks-of-resentment-revolution broadcast at the ABC certainly are not free, not no-wise.
80
The point I was making is that the news sources we had in our formative years were free (broadcast media). You could listen to the ABC and not get indoctrinated, so why not the millenials.
As Mark Twain said, (or at least attributed to him) “If you don’t read a newspaper you’re uninformed, and if you do read a newspaper you are misinformed”
35
That was long ago when the ABC acted as an impartial independent source of information as required under its charter.
Otherwise, why pay for it? A public service broadcaster? It does not make sense. They only represent themselves.
100
I’m going to agree with Fitz here , way back the ABC was a source of information that was apolitical, balanced and had no bias .
I’m not sure exactly when they morphed into a publicly funded version of getup but that’s exactly where they are at now .
81
Annie, I’m happy to pay towards having an ABC but am concerned that they now feel they have to run adverts for themselves to try and reassure us that the ABC is good and free from commercial bias when clearly it has a leaning towards traditional “left” ideals and has an editorial line that promotes AGW and denigration of “deniers”. Even the use of the term “denier” gives away their under-lying bias.
80
Reality has a right wing bias? /sarc off
111
You are far-left, and your mind exists, if at all, very FAR from any reality.
Just “believe” in your petty zero-science la-la-land fantasy, POC
Pictures of MAO, Stalin, Marx above your bed.
Worshipping their farcical ideology.
Yes, the centre and centre right are grounded in reality, that’s who they are.
The left is sinking in a fantasy utopia and trying to take everyone else down with them.
42
Reality is reality it has no left or no right , no wrong or no right .
Only thing is that those on the left have a twisted sense of reality and those on the right are forced to call them out for the bs they spout .
40
You folks have all focussed on the ABC & the Soccer Broadcasting Service…
But the main point I made was “A key influence in the lives of millennials is the free propaganda.”
The sources are many nowadays with Facebook, Twitter , blogs etc
but it’s free propaganda.. That’s the issue.
By the way the ABC was founded in the 1930’s with the goal of broadcasting the truth..But now it is just another propaganda mob which we pay for via our taxes..
50
There seems to be some confusion here (Peter Fitzroy is one).
We have socialism and capitalism thats it……………
Beyond that you have democracy, communism, monarchy, feudalism, republic etc etc etc.
For example Hitler was not a socialist he was a fascist.
Australia is a capitalist country with some socialist aspects with health care, unemployment payments etc. To be a true socialist country Australia would have to undergo a major change in its culture, a change which i believe is already underway.
Socialism by its very nature will not lead to the mass murder of people however socialism can lead to having sychotic leader who does commit mass murder.
Socialism requires the sharing of wealth hence why we here in Australia are required to pay high taxes to allow others to have a higher standard of living (white privilege….see it all makes sense now hey).
A quick communism V socialism
Socialism: You can buy whatever phone you want, the poorer people will get a good phone because the government will tax you more so they can pay for the poor people to get a good phone aswell.
Communism: This is the phone you get…………..you all get the same phone…….if you are lucky you will get a choice of color.
80
I give you a definition, and what? How about those Saudis and Yemen? If mass murders are done by our team are they justified?
25
You stated up thread a “communist variant of socialism”……………this is utter BS its a common mistake made by many so dont feel too bad.
My point is socialist leaders have a tendancy to commit mass murder but not because of socialism itself they were just nut jobs more than anything, your latest comment is non sensical.
60
you could at least look at the definition.
14
that was the logic in Dresden and Hiroshima, and thousands of smaller encouters through history. Welcome to the human race.
20
With the atomic bombs on Japan, the Americans dropped them to prevent the USSR joining the fray against their old enemy. The US president deemed mass murder was acceptable for strategic reasons.
10
Hitler was a socialist, which makes my point as above. Fascism was Italian socialism as created and promoted by Mussolini whom Hitler admired greatly. Communism and socialism only differ in principle, not in practice. All end up totalitarian dictatorships where the state controls everyone and free speech is banned and the courts are controlled by the state and there is no rule of law. Murder is carried out by the state, often after a show trial. Consider Socialist Venezuela. Cuba. Cambodia. Socialist is what governments call themselves when they do not want to be seen to be murderous dictatorships. Venezuela is a modern tragedy.
Marx proposed a new concept, but what Marx never appreciated was not Capitalism, an equally destructive force for enslavement, but consumerism. It didn’t exist. No one had anything and there was nothing to buy anyway, until after the war.
It’s appalling in the US and Europe today that the richest people want more slaves. Hitler enslaved millions. People forced to do the hard jobs for nothing. Worked to death. That’s why they don’t want walls. Walls mean you have to pay people more. All presented as caring socialism when it is really uncaring capitalism from the elites.
Amazingly modern post WW2 societies are freer, richer, healthier than in history, without socialism. You can have wonderful health care as in the UK and Australia, without being socialists. Still there is always someone wanting to take your stuff, ostensibly for the greater good. That’s Government authorized theft, not socialism. The worst offender in my lifetime is the RET, $6Billion a year from everyone, buried in their electricity bills without their knowledge.
Now that’s corrupt socialism in a terrible partnership with capitalist bankers. All to save the planet? Who would believe that absurd idea?
90
Surplus value – Marx understood consumerism very well . and considering he passed in 1881, to which war are you referring?
06
Peter F…do you mean he died in 1881? Why not say so instead of using a euphemism. Passed what and where?
21
Tdef: when did Hitler do any of the following?
26
No, of course he didn’t do it. He promised every family a car if they worked hard, a Volks Wagen. A few were built and the rest were machine gun dune buggies for the desert. That’s why he wanted air cooled engines. Hitler promised everyone a holiday once a year at the beach. They built the places on the Baltic but they were never occupied. He promised living room and Goering promised not a bomb would fall on Berlin. They said all the soldiers would be back for Christmas. Six million died. Like all caring socialists, he lied.
It’s believing the lies of fairness and equality from Maduro, Castro, Lenin which is the essential success of socialism. The Russian navy backed Lenin in the October Revolution, controlling the entrance to Petrograd on the island naval base of Kronstad. That gave him power but when Lenin was in power and no better than the Tsars, they objected. So he sent an army over the ice and m*rdered the lot of them, 30,000 people. Socialism. Communism. Fake, fantasy like Climate Scientology where the humans are the problem.
80
ergo he did not preside over a socialist regime.
11
Now that’s the short but mindless statement we are more used to, geegee.
11
With a little research it becomes apparent that he did all those things. He took over the unions banning them and incorporating them into the party. It was no longer necessary to have independent unions as the Workers Party, who controlled the Gov, now preformed their functions. Joining or supporting the party became necessary to gain or keep employment. Academia both its curriculum and the tenure of professorships became controlled by the SS. Political officers were to found in every agency and in the branches of military service. Sonder Komissions and committees under control of the SS oversaw various industries. What goods and services were provided and their costs and rewards were dictated. It became a planned economy. If a family business or farm or family owned company was owned by those of the Jewish faith it was confiscated and the leadership appointed by and of SS personal.
70
That’s true and for the 1930s people’s lives improved greatly. Plenty of food, good times, good enconomy and all funded by a nation borrowing and investing massively in heavy manufacturing for war but unfortunately and ultimately it had to be funded by taking other people’s stuff. Which they did, very successfully at first. Once on that path though, it was impossible to stop. Like a Ponzi scheme. Then the only thing shared was the total misery and devastation. No food, no water, no oil, no jobs. It was a massive effort under the US Marshall plan to get Germany working again, $12 Billion in aid. Democracy bailing socialism out again, as will have to happen in Venezuela.
70
the coward’s gambit. Nothing of what you wrote, if you did a little more research, was socialist.
01
Very much totalitarian socialist, geegee. !
Time you did some research.
11
Those poor Chinese communists, no markets, no economy, only one type of phone /sarc off
112
They are communist capitalists, a new variety. As I have said, Marx did not think of everything. He could not imagine the personal wealth which has come from operating systems, Facebook, Google, smart phones and that so many people could be poor and well off, as in the US where cars are cheap, food is cheap, housing is cheap and roads are good and the internet is fast.
In China the generals and the communist party control every business. You cannot even be in business without being a communist party member. Consumerism did not exist when Karl Marx invented communism. As I have written, communism and socialism are philosophic excuses for military dictatorships, aspirational equality, not reality. Of course there is no common ownership and there is no rule of law, but that does not mean people cannot be rich. The Chinese are some of the world’s best traders and I would like to think the appeal of personal wealth blunts some of the brutal excesses of communism and the desire for world war.
80
oh I see, you have no understanding about China.
Now in your second paragraph, replace China with USA, and the communist party with the 1 percenters. Leave in those generals though, they are needed for all those arms sales
As to when did consumerism start, most put it at the start of the industrial revolution, which was well before Marx. Marx did not invent communism, he critiqued Capitalism. Socialism developed out of the Paris Commune in 1870. Lastly, China and War? Bit like America and Peace.
You get today’s award for the most falsehoods in a single post, take a bow
213
Peter,
Kind of like the 4 cents a KWh in Germany
Kind of like the 12 cents a KWh in NSW!
No Peter, you win hands down!
91
that was 2, I’ve been supplanted
24
“I’ve been supplanted”
Geegee isn’t quite that bad , yet, POC.
He is working on it, though.
When it comes to sickly LIES, and demented fantasy, you are still well ahead of him.
so don’t get all panicky. !
33
I have been involved in business in China for more than 20 years. So I lack your profound understanding of China. Keep away from open flames.
101
of course you have, and yet you make so many wrong statements.
29
Actually comrade, TdeF is correct in all he has said.
In 1979 Deng decided to embrace capitalism and set up four economic zones on the coast, the rest is history. They have been traders for thousands of years and have been restrained by the communist yoke.
They are communist capitalists.
80
Petre Fiztroy,
“yet you make so many wrong statements.”
How would you know?
You’re not old enough nor experienced in the world enough, all you have is what you’ve been told. And you have that absolute belief that no one lie to you.
Your protestations are but a product of your interpretations of MSM news outlets, news that you have that absolute belief in.
🙂
90
Not that you, Peter Fitzroy, would appreciate this https://youtu.be/BgQ79evjylc but I’ll put it here so that others can see how the MSN spin the ‘news’ to frame events into the required political narrative.
10
“and yet you make so many wrong statements”
Poor POC, having to continually cope with his childlike embedded ignorance.
Not sure I have ever seen a CORRECT statement from you, POC..
.. except by accident.
12
you really have no idea peter, socialism/capitolism are economic models used by countries, communism, democracy, facist etc etc are ideologies.
China are democratic socialists as they have elections
There are people in oz pushing for is known as socialist marxism, based on the teaching of karl marks.
As i said before get educated before commenting further
60
Democratic, Socialist, Green, African Politics.
Driven by those who know how to instill Greed and Envy and Ruthlessness in African populations.
KK
70
An interesting observation, in whatever country that left leaning politics takes over that country gradually reverts back to an older version of itself with left bias, tribalism with an overlord Chieftain, Aristocracy with a self installed ruler, Lords with a militant Baron, Cultism with an impoverished population.
Whatever way you look at it left wing politics always becomes the cancer of liberty.
91
Sparta is the early historical example of the organized society in which the individual is completely subordinated to the general ends of the community. Such subordination is, of course, the very essence of socialism in its general sense, as distinguished from that species of socialism generally referred to as communism. From the day of his birth, a young Spartan’s way of life was subordinate and suppressed for the good of the state,from birth to death,he, she, continued to be disposed of in one way or another as deemed necessary for absolute cohesion. Good ol’ Plato’s Republic was based on the Spartan model.
50
Yeah, and the Spartans were notoriously corrupt and licentious once they got from under Nanny’s iron skirts. Think I’d rather be taxed by Xerxes than by those boarding school louts.
20
The young 1. Are attracted to any political party that offers More Free Stuff ; and 2. Are basically kind and generous of heart (especially if that generosity can be achieved with someone else’s money) and want to see an end to war and starvation and ‘inequality’. And so they become attracted to Utopianism. I checked out the Internationale on YouTube, and noted all the gooey, agreeing comments. One commenter wanted to know how anyone could disagree with the sentiments expressed in it. I am old. The sentiments are lovely, but unachievable, and further when anyone has tried to enforce them, they have led to untold misery.
100
You can forget Mao and Stalin and Lenin. No style.
No one wears Mao suits any more but who can forget Hitler? Cars by Porsche. Clothes by Hugo Boss. Perfumes by Coco Chanel.
All those Hollywood films where the Nazis had the great flags and uniforms.
After WW1, young Adolph’s job was in marketing. He learned how to sell, self promote, use the camera and film and clothes. It’s how he is remembered now.
I suspect Che Guevara had a T Shirt franchise.
Without historians teaching what really happened, millenials get all their facts and history of war from Hollywood and in their versions, Tom Cruise always won.
100
So in Hollywood, Reds, Commies, etc (insert bad guy de jour) always loose in the final reel. So if your millenials are only sipping from that tap, why o why do are they embracing evil godless socialism.
09
I have news. Harry Potter’s not real. Conan the Barbarian is not real. Arnold Schwarznegger is an actor. So are all the wrestlers.
Hollywood and TV sell make believe. Children like fantasies. By the time people reach thirty, they realise that socialism is fake news, fantasy. Few countries in the world have freedom in the way that we in Australia understand it. Try being a Christian in Pakistan or a Jew in Iraq or a Coptic in Egypt or even an entrepreneur in China without government permission. Movies are make believe entertainment, not education. Hollywood is fake, especially the righteous actors, millionaires so touched by compassion.
90
Also students love to be part of the cause du jour, to change the world without really understanding how it all works. I remember some students envious of the time in the Vietnam period because the protests were so famous and thought it must have been a great time. They really felt they had nothing much to protest about. Now that’s sad.
91
Then you get the Anti Fascist socialists of Berkerly. Now that’s just ignorance or marketing or both.
61
It was your statement. read it again
110
There goes your slimy deliberate twisting of what someone else has written.
Your mind twists everything into slimy little self-righteous knots.
Its all it is capable off.
Why do you embracing evil godless socialism, POC?
(What is POC?) CTS
33
POC = the Australian version of AOC.
00
rather, fitz would be the JoNova Forum equivalent of AOC, hence POC.
I guess di Natali or someone like that would be the “Australian” equivalent of AOC. Constantly babbling inane socialist totalitarian insanities.
11
Those of whom Jo writes are just the latest generation of children deliberately educated to be incapable of independent thought and destined to have their lives completely controlled by malevolent artificial intelligence, poor devils.
50
90
I’m still waiting for el gordo’s vision to be realised when Morrison announces funding for three HELE plants.
Presumably his polling tells him this statement of acceptance will be sufficient to eliminate any Labor edge on climate and he’s wagering border protection will see the government returned.
In fact, if they’re serious about managing climate wouldn’t there be a visionary drought-proofing and flood management scheme underway or at least in planning? It’s all talk, business as usual.
40
Peter C –
Morrison has upset a lot of people today.
meanwhile, Gladys seems to have been talking to MMT guru, Stephanie Kelton.
setting up trade schools etc is not creating jobs, Gladys:
‘Blue collar is back’: Berejiklian reveals ambitious plan to create 250,000 jobs
Sydney Morning Herald – 25 Feb 2019
More than 250,000 jobs will be created over the next four years in a pre-election promise from the NSW government.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday said the government, if re-elected, would meet this target by focusing on increasing opportunities in western Sydney and regional areas.
She said the plan included opening two new vocational high schools and expanding the youth training program Productivity Bootcamp…
10
how theirABC continues to be funded by all Australian taxpayers is beyond me:
25 Feb: ABC: Adani’s ‘attack dog’ law firm could face Legal Services Commission probe
Exclusive by Josh Robertson
Lawyers for Adani who proposed acting as the mining giant’s “trained attack dog” could face a professional misconduct investigation by Queensland’s legal watchdog.
The Legal Services Commission has told the ABC it will “consider and assess” marketing material created by Brisbane firm AJ & Co, which pledged to use the legal system to wage “war” on Adani’s behalf.
The commission said it would then decide what action might be taken, after the ABC revealed the draft strategy to pressure government decisionmakers, silence critics and bankrupt unsuccessful court opponents…
A retired Supreme Court judge who is patron of Queensland’s Environmental Defenders office described the AJ & Co document as “profoundly disturbing”, while a leading law ethics expert said it damaged the reputation of the profession…
Monash University law professor Adrian Evans told the ABC that the firm’s language in the draft strategy raised a red flag.
“That brings the profession into disrepute, definitely,” Dr Evans said…
Retired Justice Alan Wilson, the patron of Queensland’s Environmental Defenders Office, which received a legal threat from AJ & Co on behalf of Adani, has issued a scathing rebuke of the strategy.
“The strategy outlined in media reports is both extraordinary and gravely concerning,” Justice Wilson, a former head of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, said.
“It is profoundly disturbing that lawyers working within our system of justice would believe, or represent, that their job is to be ‘trained attack dogs’ and that their client should regard itself as ‘involved in a war’ that might require ‘all out attack’.”
“It shows a fundamental misconception of the lawyer’s role, which is to advance the interests of justice.”…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-25/adani-attack-dog-law-firm-facing-legal-services-commission-probe/10831088
10
theirABC looking for extreme climate damage. doesn’t take much to knock down bananas. five large pics to illustrate:
25 Feb: ABC: Cudgen banana grower’s crop smashed by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oma
ABC Rural By Olivia Ralph and Kim Honan
Cudgen banana grower Sarvan Singh said the 80km/h winds claimed 95 per cent of his Cavendish bunches and snapped 90 per cent of his Cavendish plants, with some 25,000 cartons’-worth wiped out all told.
Given the current market price of $40 a carton, Mr Singh, who was set to begin cutting next month, is looking at a potential million-dollar loss.
This is the second time his crop has been ravaged by heavy wind — two years ago he lost half his crop to ex-Cyclone Debbie.
“Debbie [was] probably not as bad as this one, we lost probably 10,000 plants from that one, this one we’ve lost about 15,000 plants,” Mr Singh said.
“The wind was just too much.
“It blew hard and stopped and blew hard and that’s what twisted the plants and broke them…
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), estimates there has been at least $700,000 worth of damage so far, but said the figure may rise.
“We are still waiting to hear from banana growers in other areas regarding possible damage,” a DPI spokesperson said.
“The DPI [is] awaiting reports of damage to macadamias, blueberries and protected horticulture — no damage has been reported so far.”…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-02-25/cudgen-banana-crop-damaged-cyclone-oma/10847430
even worse propaganda by Tom AND staff! nothing to do with Oma. sadly, in reality, another foreign national drowns. this piece has Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, but doesn’t get his quotes about how quickly the erosion will be remedied with sand at the ready:
25 Feb: ABC: Swimmer drowns in Cyclone Oma aftermath as swathe of Queensland beaches battle erosion
By Tom Forbes and staff
Police say a man has drowned while swimming near Cylinder Beach on North Stradbroke Island off Brisbane today, despite an easing of surf conditions after days of big swells from ex-Tropical Cyclone Oma.
The man, described as a foreign national, got into difficulty this morning while in the surf.
Critical care paramedics worked on the man but he was pronounced dead on the beach…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-25/cyclone-oma-beach-erosion-drowning/10846778
00
OFF TOPIC
Jordan Peterson is on Their ABC’s QandA tonight 935pm. Will probably have the usual Leftist rent-a-crowd, however.
40
Now that should be interesting.
30
It was interesting
Peterson was baited on quite a few occasions and he handled it oh so well.
He tried to maintain eye contact, of which he got very little in return.
He was pushed a few times on the climate issue, which he wisely avoided, not the environment for that battle.
The transvestite, Catherine, was great.
The labour minster for employment was without substance when questioned by Peterson.
Tony Jones was ..well.. Tony Jones.
Peterson answered a long winded Tony Jones climate baiting question with a simple “no”.
The liberal minister came across a bit weak, even willing to throw his answer time over to Peterson.
And the Marxist/feminist thing on the panel was just beyond any description that I could use that wouldn’t put me into Jail.
61
Good review jack.
That Marxist/feminist thing on the panel was Van Badham, unbelievably irritating.
I also loved how he dealt with the Marxist/feminist thing in the audience who called his comments “banal”.
I too noticed how they kept trying to introduce Climate Change™ and he rightly refused to be baited.
30
David and jack, you both mention “Marxist/feminist thing” when referring to Van Badham and a female audience member.
Do you always refer to women as things?
When waiting for dinner do you shout to your wife “Prepare the roast, thing, I’m hungry”.
Do you quietly refer to the blog host here as a “thing”?
Did you ever refer to your mother as “thing”?
Apart from your obvious handicaps, it appears you have other serious issues to deal with.
Get help, now.
11
I refer to card carrying Marxist as things.
Any one who advocates an ideology that has resulted in the death and misery of 10s of millions of people properly deserves better expletives than thing, but they won’t let me publish them.
It not all about marginalized groups, so go find some else to apply your weirdo guilt trips on.
Oh and thanks for the advice, moving the fridge was much easier when I got help 🙂
20
So in your world simple respect and courtesy is a “weirdo guilt trip”. Spare me please.
Next you’ll be telling me those Capitalist Entrepreneurs who thought slave trading was a good business model, never hurt anyone.
00
How can you polite to someone who deals out
and
and now slave trade supporter!!!
You have a very fertile mind,
Is it horse or cow manure?
00
The main problem with Das Kapital is
the paper on which it is printed is of too lower quality to use as toilet paper.
20
on Sky “Front Page” just now:
top left of tomorrow’s The Age: Big surge in power cut-offs
can’t find it online as yet.
however, there is:
25 Feb: The Age: No denying weather presenter Bunn is subtly selling climate change
By Liam Mannix and Katharine Haynes
For the past nine months, Channel Seven’s Melbourne weather presenter Jane Bunn has been inserting a subtle message into her nightly bulletins.
She never uses the words “climate change” but instead gently introduces the TV audience to the idea that the world is warming up.
One July day was “cold, wet and windy,” Bunn told her viewers. But the month’s rainfall was less than half the July average. And over the past 75 years there’s a “trend toward less July days with significant rain”.
Or a cool day in May, when a top of 14.8 was reached, but May’s “overall trend since the late 70s is warmer than the long-term average”.
“Overall,” Bunn reported, “our temperatures are moving upwards”.
“Personally, I don’t like to yell at people,” Ms Bunn says.
“Anything that is forcefully put across, I don’t like to put any political spin on anything either. I just want the facts, quietly put through in a straightforward way that people can understand.”
Bunn, who this month was named as the 2019 Moomba queen, has been working with Climate Communicators, a program being run by Monash University’s Climate Change Communication Research Hub, who supply the presenters with graphics and info they can use if they wish.
It’s based on research showing people are most receptive to information that avoids advocacy, is factual, easy to understand, and comes from a trusted source.
The program is the counterpart of an American movement that has signed up more than 500 weather presenters across the US…
Bunn and the ABC’s Paul Higgins are the first weather presenters to sign up for the pilot Australian program.
So far, Bunn has focussed mostly on trends such as the increasing numbers of hot days and warm nights…
The Monash program is delighted to have Bunn and Higgins using its data.
“Climate change has become such a hyper-political issue. Weather presenters are trusted, they are apolitical and skilled at communicating,” says Stephanie Hall, the team’s communications manager…
Has there been any backlash to Bunn discreet climate change advocacy?
“Literally, nothing has come through to me,” she says…
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/no-denying-weather-presenter-bunn-is-subtly-selling-climate-change-20190225-p51007.html
pathetic.
10
Where are our warmer nights? We have been well down into single figure temperatures overnight lately despite warm to hot days.
01
found this bit from Cairns Post – behind paywall re power cut-offs in Vic:
Why we’re having our gas, power cut off
Shocking new figures reveal the number of Victorian households being disconnected from electricity and gas because of unpaid bills has surged in the past year.
also found:
Energy disconnections, hardship customers surge in Victoria
Herald Sun – 25 Feb 2019
Energy retailers cut off a staggering 55,474 residential customers last financial year — a 20 per cent surge on the previous year…
More than 1000 Victorian households a week have been disconnected from electricity and gas because of unpaid bills… the Essential Services Commission’s latest annual energy market report reveals…. “Victoria has for many years had much higher rates of disconnection than any other state,” ESC chairman Dr Ron Ben-David said…
10
full of people, including TAI, who don’t think Morrison went far enough. not a word from anyone who think he went too far. read all:
25 Feb: The Age: Industry calls for Morrison to go further on climate policy
By Nicole Hasham; With Michael Koziol
The largest player in the Morrison government’s flagship emissions reduction fund says a $2 billion cash injection should not be the government’s only major climate policy and the Australian Industry Group says the plan is not “a comprehensive or permanent” solution to curbing dangerous carbon pollution.
The two organisations have called on the government to deploy climate policies across the broader economy, where sectors such as transport, industry and agriculture are driving growth in the nation’s greenhouse emissions…
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/industry-calls-for-morrison-to-go-further-on-climate-policy-20190225-p51026.html
00
25 Feb: SBS The Feed: Environmental policy got a huge boost today, so where was the Minister?
Can you name Australia’s environment minister? She’s got a solid CV in the mining industry.
By ***Emily Jane Smith
Ms Price has worked for Robe River Iron Associates – which is largely owned by mining giant Rio Tinto; and Crosslands Resources – owned by Mitsubishi Corporation. As part of her role she travelled to the mid-west of Western Australia to assess possible mining acquisitions.
It would take five years in parliament and an appointment to the assistant minister for the environment for Ms Price to sell her shares in seven mining and resource companies: BHP, Otis Energy, Ampella, Panaust, South32 and Northern Star.
However, in August – shortly after taking the portfolio – Ms Price attended an event hosted by oil exploration giant INPEX where she heralded the contribution the company has made to her electorate.
In October last year, Ms Price’s response to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) received widespread criticism after she argued that scientists were “drawing a long bow” in calling for an end to coal power in a big to limit global warming.
The minister has been widely criticised for being absent during recent natural disasters – including the major fish kill at Menindee.
In November, she was forced to deny being an ‘L-plate minister’. Fellow liberal Concetta Fierravanti-Wells made the remarks in a Fairfax Media opinion piece after Ms Price reportedly offended the former Kirabati president Anote Tong in a Canberra restaurant, telling him he was just there for cash…
The Feed has contacted Ms Price for an interview but her office did not respond in time for publishing…
MINING INDUSTRY INFILTRATING PRIMARY SCHOOLS
VIDEO – WON’T PLAY FOR ME!
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/environmental-policy-got-a-huge-boost-today-so-where-was-the-minister
***the writer is also ABC Kimberley, whose Twitter page is so predictable:
Twitter: Emily Jane Smith, Online producer at @TheFeedSBS via ABC Kimberley
https://twitter.com/e_janesmith?lang=en
10
btw if anyone can get the SBS video – MINING INDUSTRY INFILTRATING PRIMARY SCHOOLS – to work, please let us know what it has to say and how long it is/who made it.
am presuming it’s an SBS video. can’t find anything with the same name onine.
10
25 Feb: Reuters: Green Climate Fund names France’s Glemarec as new chief
by Alister Doyle
The $8 billion Green Climate Fund, set up to help developing nations tackle global warming, named Yannick Glemarec of France as its new executive director on Monday after his predecessor quit.
Former leader Howard Bamsey of Australia stepped down in July after what the fund described as a “difficult” board meeting marred by disputes between rich and poor nations about how to select projects in developing nations.
“Yannick Glemarec brings 30 years of experience in climate change, development, finance and their inter-relationships,” the fund said in a statement. He has previously had senior jobs at U.N. Women and the U.N. Development Program…
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-fund/green-climate-fund-names-frances-glemarec-as-new-chief-idUSKCN1QE1FG
lol:
26 Feb: ClimateChangeNews: Megan Darby: French UN official named as next chief of flagship climate fund
Yannick Glemarec was picked from an all-male shortlist to lead the Green Climate Fund, in a key fundraising year.
Glemarec was selected from a shortlist of three white men, beating World Bank official Ede Ijjasz-Vásquez and GCF interim chief Javier Manzanares.
He will coordinate with economist Johannes F Linn, who was named by the board to steer a replenishment drive for the fund…
Japan’s argument that as the biggest donor, it had the “largest responsibility” to make the fund run smoothly, rankled with the developing world. Its candidate, diplomat Kenichi Suganuma, did not make the shortlist…
Some sources expressed disappointment that female contender Mafalda Duarte, head of the Climate Investment Funds, was overlooked. Egyptian former board member Omar El-Arini told Climate Wire the omission “says much about gender balance”.
The selection panel was made up of seven men and one woman, reflecting a male skew on the full board. It took its decision ahead of a three-day board meeting in Songdo, South Korea, where the fund is headquartered…
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/02/25/french-un-official-named-next-chief-flagship-climate-fund/
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Some points should be made:
A. Kids only know what they are taught/indoctrinated since they do not obtain much in the way of genetic history such as the fabled “instinct” of many animals.
B. Millennials were not taught the evils of fascism conjoined with socialism by their parents.
C. Millennial parents were poorly taught by their parents and failed to teach Millennials properly AND allowed the fascist-socialist to take over nearly all education and government functions.
D. The old adage attributed to Jesuits, “give me a boy until he’s 10 and I’ll show you the man” has proven true (observational) for 80-90% of kids.
The failures of modern Western Civilization has been the failure of the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomer Generation. We have failed what Reagan explained:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
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22 Feb: Axios: Amy Harder: How one Australian region kicked the coal habit
CANBERRA, Australia — A decade ago, coal supplied 90% of this national capital region’s electricity. By next year, it will be 0%, and renewable energy will be 100%.
Why it matters: It’s a rare example of a region traditionally dependent upon coal weaning itself off the fuel. The key lesson: big pivots in energy systems are possible with stable government leadership, instead of windshield-wiper policies that voters from Australia to America have been accustomed to in recent years.
“We’ve had the same parties in power, that same leadership over a 10-year period. We’ve been able to steadily roll out policies and provide industry certainty.”
— Shane Rattenbury, climate change and sustainability minister, Australian Capital Territory.
The big picture: Despite its big environmental footprint, coal has traditionally been the world’s cheapest form of electricity. As concerns about air pollution and climate change grow, renewable energy is increasingly competing with coal, buoyed by government policies like the kind this region implemented…
•Although electricity prices nationally have gone up, prices in this region haven’t risen disproportionately, according to government data…
Yes, but: The capital region faces limitations.
•The government’s electricity won’t be independently renewable energy. Most efforts to get 100% renewable energy aren’t due to the nature of electricity grids and variable wind and solar resources.
•Instead, it has procured renewable energy — mostly wind farms — from within its region but also across Australia to equal its power demand.
•At a little more than 900 square miles, the region is relatively small, making it an easier lift to get enough renewable energy…
What’s next: National elections expected in May are sure to influence whether the federal government pursues big climate and renewable-energy policies…
Go deeper: Australian coal-exports are booming despite climate-change concerns (LINK)…
https://www.axios.com/how-one-big-coal-user-got-off-coal-57da6928-ee7d-4ca9-a171-15324ecbdc2c.html
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CarbonBrief re Financial Times: Hedge fund forecasts demise of coal in Europe within 3 years
Coal demand in the EU could “collapse within three years”, says the Financial Times, reporting comments from “senior London commodity hedge fund manager” Per Lekander who “manages more than $1.1bn at Lansdowne Partners”. Lekander’s prediction is based on carbon prices reaching €50 per tonne on the EU Emissions Trading System. The paper quotes him saying: “My projection for coal becoming less than 5% [of European power supply] is three to four years because once you get a €50 carbon price it shuts down…Investors are increasingly starting to realise that climate change is not a political thing, it’s real. And if it is real then you need to drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels. And that is going to happen. It could go even faster. I think it will be basically zero.” Separately, the Financial Times reports that the €1.5bn Datteln coal plant in Germany is “in doubt”. Due to have opened next summer, the plant may never operate due Germany’s planned coal phaseout, the paper says…
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22 Feb: Reuters: Climate plan ‘not pie in the sky’ before election, says Spain
by Isla Binnie, Jose Elias Rodriguez and Belen Carreno
Spain’s government presented a draft proposal on how to drastically reduce carbon emissions on Friday, less than two weeks before parliament is due to be dissolved ahead of a general election that may nix its chances of becoming law.
The package aims to make Spain carbon neutral by 2050, through measures including phasing out coal and nuclear power generation in favor of renewable and making sure all new cars are emission-free by 2040.
The ruling Socialists have emphasized their green ambitions since taking power last summer, promising support for renewable energy generation and passing measures aimed at cooling Europe’s fourth-highest electricity prices…
Presenting the package, Energy Minister Teresa Ribera said it was worthwhile to forge ahead.
“This is not pie in the sky,” she told a news conference. “There is no reason for us to delay this debate. I am convinced that whoever (is in government), this will be approved and broadly supported by all Spaniards and political forces.”
A shift away from fossil fuels necessitates deep change and hefty investment across Europe to meet national and regional objectives for renewable generation while guaranteeing the lights stay on.
Sanchez has said implementing the carbon-reduction plans would require 200 billion euros ($227 billion) of total investment in the next decade, 47 billion euros of which he said would come from the public sector.
By favoring cheaper, renewable generation, the package would reduce Spaniards’ steep electricity bills, before taxes, by 12 percent by 2030, the energy ministry calculated.
An energy ministry source said the government expects investment in renewable generation projects, which are set for a record year in 2019, will not need much public money, but works to increase the energy efficiency of the housing stock would…
Ribera said the obligation for cars to be emission-free did not imply a prohibition of any type of vehicle, but she did not explain how such a result would be possible without a ban.
A previous draft of the law which said new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars would not be allowed in Spain from 2040 caused some consternation in the industry.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-energy/climate-plan-not-pie-in-the-sky-before-election-says-spain-idUSKCN1QB1J7
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behind paywall:
25 Feb: UK Telegraph: Sir David Attenborough criticises plans for coal mine at beauty spot as ‘shameful’
by Tommy Greene & Sarah Knapton
Sir David Attenborough has criticised plans to open a coal mine at a Northumberland beauty spot as ‘shameful’ as he joined environmental scientists calling for the project to be blocked by the government.
Proposals for the open cast mine in Druridge Bay were originally rejected by Sajid Javid when he was Communities Secretary, but last year the High Court ruled that decision was flawed and asked for a rethink.
New Communities Secretary James Brokenshire is due to rule on plans before the summer, but now experts have written to the minister urging him to throw out the scheme, claiming it will exacerbate global warming.
Sir David Attenborough, said: “It would be shameful were the UK to open this…
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2019/02/25/sir-david-attenborough-criticises-plans-coal-mine-beauty-spot/
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the FakeNewsMSM is sooooooooo tiresome:
CarbonBrief: Want a Green New Deal? Here’s a better one.
“We favour a green new deal to save the planet. We believe such a plan can be efficient, effective, focused and achievable. The green new deal proposed by [some] congressional Democrats does not meet that test,” begins a Washington Post leader.
In a series of editorials, the paper sets out its view of a better alternative. It says policy should “start with carbon pricing. Then fill in the gaps”.
On the international stage, the paper says “reentering the Paris Agreement would have to be top priority”.
The series concludes by warning that “good intentions are not enough”, pointing to Germany “whose government has imposed extremely high electricity costs in the name of emissions reduction but that still burns tremendous amounts of noxious brown coal”.
The New York Times also has an editorial on the green new deal. It says: “The ambitious plan has had a rocky start, but it has also changed the national conversation. That alone is reason to applaud it.” In an article at Vox, David Roberts says “green new deal critics are missing the bigger picture”. He explains: “To put it bluntly: this is not normal. We are not in an era of normal politics. There is no precedent for the climate crisis, its dangers or its opportunities. Above all, it calls for courage and fresh thinking…The kids are out there, organised, demanding a solution. Let’s try to give them one.”
Separately, the New York Times reports on a video in which Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein “lectures children who want [a] green new deal, portraying it as untenable”.
Axios also covers the video.
The New Yorker carries a comment from veteran climate campaigner Bill McKibben, in which he says the video demonstrates why: “Climate change exemplifies an issue on which older people should listen to the young.”
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novel length:
24 Feb: DeSmogUK: Aberdeen: A City Gambling that Oil and Gas is Still the Future
By Simon Roach
Is Aberdeen preparing for the low carbon future the UK and the world is promising, or is it still investing in a future where oil and gas remain the spine of its economy?
This DeSmog investigation reveals a region that continues to put the industry at the heart of its economic planning. In the energy, education, and transport sectors, Aberdeen and its surrounds continue to build on the basis that oil and gas is the future, making the gamble that climate policies won’t make the industry a relic of the past…
https://desmog.co.uk/2019/02/24/aberdeen-city-gambling-oil-and-gas-still-future
silly as ever:
22 Feb: TheAtlantic: The 3 Big Things That People Misunderstand About Climate Change
David Wallace-Wells, author of the new book The Uninhabitable Earth, describes why climate change might alter our sense of time.
by Robinson Meyer
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/david-wallace-wells-climate-change-interview/583360/
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The reason that they “never knew them” is that it is ancient history and thereby not relevant to today’s issues. It is as if reality began when they were born. Thus nothing that went before actually happen. They start with an empty mind and make damn sure nothing else ever enters into it without first being “socially approved”.
Their philosophical position is one of Social Metaphysics. Nothing exists nor can be known but the contents of the next person in their social matrix. Who takes exactly the same position recursively throughout the matrix. How they can even know this much is beyond question and is self contradictory. They “just know”. As always, a summation of zeros is zero no matter how many zeros are summed. (See Kant for massively confusing and self contradictory explanatory detail.)
This is a state of mind vastly inferior to the mind of an ignorant stone age savage. An ignorant stone age savage had some mental contact with reality. His stone tools were real. His need for food and shelter was real. They achieved enough with what they had to improved the quality and quantity of their lives. At least enough so that they had descendants who eventually resulted in us.
The Social Metaphysical mind set continues by virtue of endless human sacrifice. It ends when the last individual human is sacrificed to their holy god of ***Other***. The remainder is nothing but gray goo sinking into the earth.
Now for something completely different: the shortest science fiction story ever. “The last man alive is eating breakfast. There is a knock at his front door….”
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There is a vast difference between socialism and communism, and anyone that refuses to recognize that are as much of the problem as any other that refuses to recognize it. In other words, people who look at Venezuela and say “see what socialism does” are no closer to recognizing the difference than the millennials that are taught about communism while calling it socialism. To me, the fact that Venezuela still exists is a miracle, and it has nothing to do with Chavez’s embracing socialism. It has everything to do with western “democracies” wanting to insure that no other form of governance can work. Venezuela has been sanctioned into the destitute state the nation is in, and that has nothing to do with implementing socialism. Until people recognize that, they can not judge “socialism,” where the government works to bring everyone UP to the same level of life, not drag everyone down as communism does.
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It is the Maduro government that is blocking humanitarian aid.
https://www.9news.com.au/2019/02/25/06/47/venezuela-could-face-fresh-sanctions-after-repelling-food-convoys
Maduro with his fake election is responsible for the breakdown of democracy.
The sanctions are against a despotic leader who will not allow citizens to leave or allow aid in.
Maduro is heading toward socialist totalitarianism at its worst.
Fake elections, suppression of the people’s rights. Is this the sort of dictatorship you want people to live under?
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Tom there is socialism with Chinese characteristics and if the Labor/Green alliance win power it will be socialism with Australian characteristics.
Venezuela was impacted by gluts and political ignorance, this is a long story but covers all bases.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/07/16/how-venezuela-struck-it-poor-oil-energy-chavez/
00
What sort of mind altering substances produced that line, like wow man.
Communism and fascism are socialism’s, albeit extreme versions. Really the are more correctly grouped under collectivism.
They all share the same Metaphysical and epistemological bases. And these are the building blocks, foundations, of any ideology.
In the last 100 years, every applied ideology with the base premise of control and subjectivity have failed disastrously. Including the murder of 10s of millions of people.
Ahh you say “That wasn’t true socialism.”
Well that’s a pack Post Modernism clap trap. Let’s remove metaphysics from philosophy so you can not compare our socialism with that from the past. Nice try.
What you are really say is “If I was the dictator, my socialism would work”.
Well good luck with that.
Just don’t include me in your tried and tried again social experiment.
00
The only economic model in the last 150 years that has ever worked at all is capitalism. The evidence is prima facie: From a feudal order that lasted a thousand years, produced zero growth and kept workdays long and lifespans short, the countries that have embraced free-market capitalism have enjoyed a system in which output has increased 70-fold, work days have been halved and lifespans doubled.
Investor
20
And when they do learn history, it is then a history fabricated by the ruling elite from belief rather than empirical fact. After all, winners get to write history after all.
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There is international socialism, or communism, and there is national socialism or a socialism restricted to a nation or cultural group/tribe.
So Cuba etc are national socialist systems by definition.
Communism on the other hand is a universal or global socialism in which no nation states exist.
Which means that any group or culture who separate themselves as distinct nation states, and emphasise that distinction, are simply national socialists.
And it’s always helpful to understand that the use of ad hominems to counter criticism is usually a ploy used by the guilty who never practise what they preach. Apart from the fact that deploying ad hominems is invariabbly used by the Left when they lose the argument.
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‘Millenials are aged 25 – 39. In Australia four out of five are not even “familiar” with Mao. Half have never heard of him, even though he caused the deaths of twice as many people as Adolf Hitler. Political ideologues control our education system.’
Indeed. Ideologues who teach children the version of history convenient for Australia, which fought alongside Mao, and against Hitler.
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