Whooohooo, new record for our $.

[mx250]

A thoughtful observation Pancho but I'm not certain exactly how correct you are (but probably at least 80% right ).

The scary thing to me is that is that I think that what should be economic decisions are too strongly influenced by the politics. What should be fundamental, strategic, infrastructure and 20 year long term decisions are perverted by the 4 year re-election cycle. In other words America, and Europe, have some deep seated fundamental institutional problems and issues that are not being addressed.

Freddy Mac and Fanny Mae, the main players and culprits of the GFC, are still there and doing business in the same economically unsound way - guaranteeing banks against bad business choices and practices, and encouraging risk (without consequences and unfounded fat profits and bonuses in between ). And that is not to talk of America's massive corporate welfare, it's military spending or accumulated National Debt. 

Greece is still a basket case that needs to learn to 'live within it's means'. But the Greeks seem to think that they have a God given right to retire on a govt pension at age 57 and enjoy life and the Mediterranean sun.  There is speculation that Greece will soon have to 'restructure' it loan again. There is also speculation that such a 'restructure' may not be possible and may also bring down European, especially German, banks.

Ireland, Portugal and Spain are still teetering.

I not sure of the short or long term solution; personal, national or international. But I believe the fundamentals are not being addressed and are unlikely to be addressed until the situation is undeniable (another GFC or worst).

I think I'll join Walter and get a few Gold Sovereigns to put under the floor boards . Meanwhile, back to washing the dog and sanding my plastics .

[mx250]

Here you go buy some shares and bump us up that big wave a bit more   

Aurora Oil & Gas Limited (AUT) HOLD
AWE Limited (AWE) BUY
Bandanna Energy Limited (BND) BUY
Brockman Resources Limited (BRM) BUY
Logicamms Limited (LCM) BUY
Mirabela Nickel Limited (MBN) BUY
ROC Oil Company Limited (ROC) BUY
Bradken Limited (BKN)  BUY
Orica Limited (ORI) BUY
VDM Group Limited (VMG) BUY

Are you moonlighting as a broker Allison .

[VMX247]

Are you moonlighting as a broker Allison .
[/quote]

Nah,I will alway support those who like to move a bit of dirt        

[mx250]

Mal Brough's take on the NT intervention was one of the crappiest things that the Howard govt did. It was all about appealing to city voters. They did everything that the report told them not to.
This is not a bleeding heart comment - I totally agree that something had to be done, but there's a big gap between "fixing the problem" and "looking like we're getting serious". Brough went for the latter at the direct expense of the former, as the issues in Alice Springs demonstrate.

That's the problem in a nutshell Nathan. You'll find Aboriginals strongly opposed to the intervention, and you'll find Aboriginals strongly in flavour of the intervention. You'll find non-Aboriginals strongly opposed to the intervention, and you'll find non-Aboriginals strongly in flavour of the intervention.

But this is a human problem (as opposed to an economic problem). Humans are blessed/cursed with a rational brain and an emotional brain; a built in contradiction. Individually and collectively we reflect this built in contradiction, which is highlighted in the above.

How do we get around the contradiction? Tolerance and patience for the emotional arguments. Time and problem solving for the rational response. In other words a compromise. It won't satisfy everyone but it will satisfy most people. And there will always be those who will indulge their emotional side and 'hold the faith' and 'maintain the anger' through think and thin. e.g. Greenies and Zealots of all persuasions.

[crash n bern]

- if you treat someone differently simply because of their skin colour,  then you are being racist. Even if you're being nice to them.

Yes to a point, but it's not racism that's the driving cause. It's human nature.  It's more a case of being 'unsure of how to act in the situation' type of thing. People will tend to overcompensate the fact that they don't have a problem with the persons ethnicity. Which is often caused by the lack of interaction with people of  whatever ethnic background they may encounter.

It's the 'Your totally different to me, I come in peace' sort of thing. 

[firko]

Yes to a point, but it's not racism that's the driving cause. It's human nature.  It's more a case of being 'unsure of how to act in the situation' type of thing. People will tend to overcompensate the fact that they don't have a problem with the persons ethnicity. Which is often caused by the lack of interaction with people of  whatever ethnic background they may encounter.
It's the 'Your totally different to me, I come in peace' sort of thing.

I couldn't have put it better. As we eventually become accustomed to people from different ethnic backgrounds to us the more 'normal' the relationships become. I can remember when ordering curried prawns and rice from the waiter in the local Chinese restaurant was about the most interaction we'd have with a 'foreigner'.
The times, they are 'a changin'.

[bazza]

camnt copmplain at Fletcher building shares in Unzud $5.50 to $9.25 in 2 years

[montynut]

Well Brett it is if you then feel the need to spread the news of your good deed to the world. This indicates that you felt you did something exceptional or special for this person at some expense to yourself. This means that you recognise or feel the action was out of the ordinary or special and requires recognition.

Maybe I'm wrong but that is the way I would feel if someone went out of their way to talk to me in a similar situation only to then broadcast to others 'hey look what I did'. The fact the recipient of your perceived good deed does not know matters little.

I am sorry if that is not your view and it also does not mean I disagree with MX's endeavour to highlight someone else’s racist statement just the example or method used. As I said it seems to me to be as equally sad as the ugly form of racism he was trying to highlight.

Greg

Lets leave it at that as this is really highjacking this thread.

So you have said your bit and expect others to swallow this crap you are spreading and not reply due to high jacking of a thread? I am sick to the back teeth about people like you pulling the racist card every time someone even looks like saying something that MIGHT offend. Next the colour black will be stricken from the English language just because someone might take offence to it. You either work for a current affairs program that throw this shit around to sensationalise and entertain the sheep for half an hour or you are just one of the sheep. Get away from the TV and go work on your bikes.FFS.

I have no control to stop others from voicing their opinion on anything and have not suggested that.

It is pretty obvious that your view and mine are much more similar than you might think but it is pretty obvious I have not explained my position well. As you asked so eloquently and politely I will FFS stick to working on my bikes. I will however continue to watch the 30mins of pay TV news that I watch each day if that makes me a sheep then Baaaaaaaaaa.

[Mike52]

Bit confused guys.
Osama get,s knocked and OUR dollar goes DOWN?
How does that work?

[motomaniac]

Bit confused guys.
Osama get,s knocked and OUR dollar goes DOWN?
How does that work?

Its not so much that our $ went down but that the US$ gained/recouped some ground. The Osama news is viewed as a positive for the US and Obama - even though he's been dead for a while .

[Mike52]

The Osama news is viewed as a positive for the US and Obama - even though he's been dead for a while .

I was told that by a friend today. He said he,s been in a freezer and they,ve pulled him out for the elections.

[Nathan S]

I was told that by a friend today. He said he,s been in a freezer and they,ve pulled him out for the elections.

Surely they were talking about Donald Trump?

[motomaniac]

The Osama news is viewed as a positive for the US and Obama - even though he's been dead for a while .

I was told that by a friend today. He said he,s been in a freezer and they,ve pulled him out for the elections.

Thats sounds about right.

[Bioflex]

if you treat someone differently simply because of their skin colour,  then you are being racist. Even if you're being nice to them.

Very true, which unfortunately means the Government is being racist with it's preferential treatment in terms of services and payments to Aboriginal Australians.
I think as long as this exists (even if the purpose is an attempt to undo a lot of bad treatment) there will always be some form of resentment in the community from people who consider they are equally hard done by, at least financially, yet receive less benefits.

I don't know the in's and out's of the intervention with Aboriginal Australians but I can tell a few interesting stories about Child Protection.

Having worked with children and families who the government consider the "bottom of the barrel" for 5 years I thought the Government was quite lenient in many cases when they would intervene with families, finally resorting to removing children in what was considere dworst case scenarios.
I've seen examples of women giving birth to 5 children in a row who were all seriously disabled due to massive alcohol abuse, children abused both physically and sexually, seriously neglected and later dieing as the government came in to the scene too late.

Sadly, my sister who worked with me in this area for many years in Tasmania (generally with anglo families) is now working in law in Mt Isa and the Gulf Area where she deals with Aboriginal communities.
She often talks about how far the goals posts have been moved up there as the situation is so much worse.
Perhaps it's a move by the governments there to intervene later due to the issues of past intervention, but the real stories I am hearing weekly would shock everyone here.

I think the sooner we treated everyone as equal Australians the less issues we would have.

[Nathan S]

I think I agree with you.
I have a real sense of unease that governments don't seriously deal with those sorts of problems, while feeling the need to restrict the majority of the population in other ways that acheive no real benefit for anyone.
What makes it worse, is that we do the "frog in the saucepan" trick, and meekly accept it.
I suppose that any attempt to control people's sexual/reproductive behaviour is fraught with the risk of major human rights infringements and that's a big part of why nobody wants to take it on. And, possibly, why Howard and Co went down the popularist route for the NT Intervention - they might have been f#$king it up, but they were f$%king it up with the support of the voters and they could say they were doing something, which is what really matters to a politician...

More generally, I think that modern democracy has created a dysfunctional situation where there is no true libertarian option - both the left and the right have areas where they restrict people's activity for purely political benefit and often against the country's interests (think gay marriage, forest useage etc).