Comments on: Craig’s List: Emerson’s 13 Reasons for Optimism

By: amcoz

amcoz — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 06:14:14 +0000

WS, I fear you maybe right but I hope you’re wrong because if I live long enough to see those assholes return to power I’m sure I’ll do as Socrates did a few mill years ago as I couldn’t bear living through a third nightmare, GW’s being the first.

By: Winston SMITH

Winston SMITH — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:49:06 +0000

Mick, whilst there is some short term relief for the economy in the hope that Labor will lose the next Federal election, just as surely as night follows day, the Libs will do jack shit to repair the damage done. Then the Left will get back in in a couple of terms and continue their war against the middle classes.
Until Australia wakes up to the fact that Labor is the enemy, and start treating them as such, the ratcheting to poverty will not stop.

By: m0nty

m0nty — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:09:06 +0000

Nice headline. I like a good pun.

I have been reading in various places the prediction that it is going to be a bumper year for the Australian economy, including in the Oz itself. Not a whole lot of evidentiary justification is offered for this, which indicates that it’s probably based on informal briefings from independent analysts – i.e. ringing up and/or lunching with someone at UBS. If it was a government leak, you’d see far more detail.

Not a whole lot of support about the place for Sinclair’s infamous prediction of stagflation.

By: Jannie

Jannie — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:04:02 +0000

British sovreign debt in 1815 was high at 250% of GDP, because Britain had financed Europe’s struggle against Napoleon. But the peace dividend was massive, the industrial revolution and opportunities for domestic and imperial economic growth meant they could service and outgrow their debt for almost 100 uninterupted years.

Western debt cannot be repaid by growing the farm or business anymore. Growth is a dirty word in ‘Green economics’, but debt is welcomed, even for current consumption. They seem to plan on disappearing the debt with money printing inflation, but as the man said, theres a lot of ruin in a nation.

By: H B Bear

H B Bear — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:41:45 +0000

Did the Legover Man mention the No 1 reason for optimism in 2013 – the Federal election?

By: John Cowperthwaite

John Cowperthwaite — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:22:28 +0000

The drive to saving is so markedly different across cultures….
Is this something that Australians used to do more of?
The urge to consume now and use credit to it’s maximum always seems to me to be way to enslave yourself to others ambitions.
An anecdote- some migrants in the US were asked if they could estimate how much they saved each week.This occurred during the time when our national savings rate was in negative territory.
Confused they asked what the enquirer was after – they know how much they spent – this was their important parameter not not how much they saved.
We get by on around 20% of our income they relied.Everything else is saved.
No prizes for guessing which country they came from.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:01:36 +0000

“investment is the key to GDP growth is investment” No, really? Thanks Fixed AJM

By: Warwick Hughes

Warwick Hughes — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:39:53 +0000

Gidday Alan – you say – “…our capacity to pay for them is being undermined by productivity sapping carbon taxes and renewable energy standards, and resource rent taxes that hit at exploration, which is the R&D of mining.”

In addition there is an increasing tangle of red & green tape that mineral explorers are forced to comply with. Much of this looks to me pointless other than some ill conceived sop to green pressure. As an example. You plan to drill a few holes in ordinary farming country clapped out by 150 years of ag – before that you can prepare a flora & fauna statement which requires engaging a consultant – all dollars that are diverted from mineral exploration. No benefits for the nation that I can see.

By: Up The Workers!

Up The Workers! — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:35:53 +0000

Quite apart from the 13 reasons for optimism enumerated by Emo, I’m sure our crippling deficit, massive borrowings, job losses, and A.L.P.-closed industries, could all be overcome if Emo releases the video clip of himself singing ‘Skyhooks’ “Horror Movies” outside Parliament House in Canberra.

Emo is a much better pop singer than he is a Federal Cabinet Minister, A.L.P. intellectual or former Prime Ministerial boyfriend.

By: Mic of TOLL

Mic of TOLL — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:31:38 +0000

Craig missed one (Reasons for optimism). Labor will soon be booted out. So far our economy has faired well despite Labor not because of them. In productivity terms Australia is 40% more expensive than the US and 60% less productive. What are we going to do to address this – give more power to the Unions?