I’ve said it many times before. Australia is the best damned country in the world with the exception of some island nations in the Caribbean with some very liberal banking laws.
For all that Australia can be a confusing place, especially for Australians. There are three tiers of government, all pretty much worthless and in various stages of decrepitude shuffling between inertia, chaos all the way along to abject failure. We have a corporate world blagging its way around a laughably cobbled together regulatory system while trying not to snigger too much. There’s a mutant media that routinely crucifies people, more often that not for no apparent good reason and a taxation system that, frankly, I gave up on a long time ago.
Last week the Turnbull government announced a range of changes to the 457 visa scheme and rounded it off with tightening requirements for citizenship. At a presser and then again in an interview with Leigh Sales on the ABC, our Prime Minister, resplendent in an electric blue suit, equivocated in response to what were some fairly mild inquiries on his thoughts on Australian-ness and what he considered might be Australian values.
Full column here.
Budget week, Mr Insider, and lets hope Treasurer Scott Morrison has the “cojones” to make difficult decisions to make our economy a sound one. Welfare spiralling out of control, the country riding on the back of “Johnny Debt” and so it goes on. Permanent jobs hard to get for the young who have to survive on casual work another problem that needs addressing imho. “Balls to the wind” Scott, “make Australia great again” buddy. Election year 2018.
Jack the Insider (8.28pm) – Indeed! Thanks, mate.
I have the two movies made by Wayne Ewing: ‘Breakfast With Hunter’ and ‘When I Die’; the second a documentary about the events described in the Douglas Brinkley piece to which you linked. Lots of people have been bagging Johnny Depp recently but his backing of Hunter’s last wishes and final send-off will forever make him a good bloke, in my mind.
Hunter is a great illustration of why the USA stands as a beacon of freedom. He was a brilliant, dazzling writer; a storm-trooper for truth. He was also a dope-fiend; a dangerous drunk; a parent of questionable responsibility; and a frequent pain in the arse. He pulled guns on people – and even animals – who annoyed him (he once shot his personal assistant while trying to shoot a bear – she lived).
The point is, Hunter could do all this and still get a huge Hollywood star to fund his funeral; could still attract politicians and major show-biz figures and musicians to his funeral, and not so outrage public opinion as to make him an untouchable.
We can’t do that in Australia. We tend heavily to the boring and the beige. We might do some things spectacularly well, but exercising freedom ain’t amongst them.
Depp happily forked over the best part of $3 million for Hunter’s funeral, according to reports.
We have Barnaby Joyce
Yes we do. I’m sure Penn and Teller concocted that for our entertainment. I missed the episode, but it must have been a very big hat. They should stick to rabbits.
BASSMAN – I think somewhere on the page (it’s getting difficult to find things) you posted a red-hot guitar solo from Chicago. Pretty good, although I wonder about the comment on the clip rating it amongst the top 5 solos of all time.
I saw this young lady a few years ago playing with the Adrian Belew Power Trio at The Corner Hotel in Richmond. Any thoughts from an old pro?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFWtM-PyutA
Yes she is truly amazing
I like this too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnq3ZW6OyTI
That’s pretty outstanding! I wouldn’t even thought that could be done.
We apparently take in 7200 parental immigrants per year.
http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/migrant-intake/report/migrant-intake-report.pdf
on page 479
They pay $47,295 upfront.
The net liability to the Australian Taxpayer over an annual intakes lifetime is around $2.9 billion. If the numbers were to grow at .5% a year, the cumulative cost is between $73-92 billion – ignoring the of future cohort’s decreasing mortality rate which further increase the costs.
You are wrong. In terms of our capacity to pay re our GDP we rate one of the lowest in the world on our intake of refugees. The other point U fail to address is we only draw from the UN HCF 5% pool which is a piss in the ocean.
I am not talking about people who pay umpteen grand upfront either.
Hoi, you have the wrong guy here. This is not about what you wrote Bassy. I have never replied to it.
I just think it is incredible that we actually keep 7200 people a year happy at that cost when there are so many demands on the budget. The amount is not much different to our whole overseas aid budget.
I will add one thing though – from my observations the multi-cultural country we live in is showing signs of stress.
As to immigration in general – we are hooked on it like a drug. It is what has kept us out of a technical recession for the last 20 years, it has contributed substantially to the housing bubble, and it has consumed all the spare infrastructure capacity that we had.
I am not to sure the positives outweigh the negatives at the moment.
There are 60 million displaced people in the world. There is nothing much that we can do to make an impression on those numbers. The money we spend on the paltry few that we house would be far better spent in the countries in trouble.
Did you read the word ‘parental’?
Jean Baptiste says:
May 6, 2017 at 9:22 pm
“Read BASSMANS post again. It’s not about the numbers”.
I did JB, and I’m somewhat perplexed (but not unexpectedly) by your crotchety comment because the very foundations of BASSY’s cherry-picked post was literally supported (albeit biasedly) with references to the following numbers: 5%, 25th, 32nd, 47th, 81st, per capita, etc.
Did you not notice that me old mate?
So what?
So, … you are in a state of bewilderment JB. Or you’ve been getting out of the wrong side of the bed lately. Try the right side for a change me old mate.
Again, so what? What is your point, have you forgotten, did you have one in the first place?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrv7XvYryTA
Holy shit – looks like I’m well on the way to a perfect zero in the tips this week ! 🙁
Things should get better though as I’ve had to put in 3 rounds in advance for when I’m away. A better chance when no thought is given perhaps.
Anyway, au revoir, adios and all that. Off tramping the paddocks of France and Spain for a couple of weeks – interrupted by some nice food and wine to keep things sane. Paris may be interesting after the election result.
Behave yourselves!!
Have a safe and trouble free journey. Bon voyage.
I head back from the UK on Tuesday Boa. I’ll wave to you from the plane!
Re the food and wine, you’ll need to keep your stretch up with copious amounts. Have a good time.
‘Strength” even!
Thanks Tracy. I’ll try hard not to over indulge, at the same time keeping my strength up 🙂
JackSprat says: May 5, 2017 at 6:04 pm. Sigh I will only answer a couple of your incorrect comments.
Howard/Costello left an $80 billion year unfunded increase in welfare. Temporary revenues from mining boom is NOT long term funding. That is why $340 billion of the $360 billion extra revenue was spent between 2004/007. leaving a paltry 1% of GDP surplus and as above $80 billion a year of unfunded welfare.
Tax cuts started in 2003/04 under Howard and Costello along with the other unsustainable changes after that on Super and CGT and the subsidising of health insurance began under Howard and Costello.
Abbott for 5 years in opposition refused to pass savings measures and means testing changes to the unfunded welfare including on health insurance. Swan cut spending in Real terms in the last 2 labor budgets something done only a few times ever in the Nations history. Never done under a coalition government.
GST taxes those with less more heavily. It does need to be broadened not raised as raising hits the poorest, broadening it more progressive not less.
Royalties are the least effective way to tax resources. your position on corporate tax is just wrong and ridiculous.
Yes I know raising the tax free threshold gives everyone tax cut from the bottom up along with lowering other tax thresholds and removing most of the transfer system. That is the point. The economy is consumer driven about 65% so more money in peoples pocket means more activity. Your comment actually highlight all that is wrong with the neo-liberal ways.
Dismayed honey are you a Trade Union shop steward sweetie?
Kathy, sweetie, darling sugar pie, are you a forelock tugging lickspittle? Trade union shop stewards are real men and women comrade Kathy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ognMPZByOiE
And those who are not Trade union shop stewards?
Or, God forbid, those who have never been in a union?
I know logical progression is beyond your ken Carl, that cant be helped but all real men and women are not shop stewards. If you are genuinely interested send me a list of types and I will rate them for you.
Shop stewards are by nature strong types who have the guts to confront unreasonable exploitation.
Unlike the general run of the mill sheep………………………….. forelock tugging snide snipers from the sidelines………………………………. gutless selfish wonders who refuse to contemplate the fate of our children……………………………………..
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/goodbye-world-weve-passed-the-carbon-tipping-point-for-good
Best wishes from your old mate, who has a genuine interest in educating you.
Never been in a union.
Actually Dismayed, at the time of Costello, every economic pundit, including Treasury, was predicting that the China boom would go on for the next 20-30 years and were screaming for Costello to spread the largess. The papers were full of it. Everybody forgets that and denies it..
So putting GST on food, rent , rates, education and medical stuff will help the poor – rubbish mate. You just do not think things through. At the moment it is largely on discretionary spending and the poor can get around it. They pay a whole lot less because of the cheaper goods that hey buy..
As to your comment about Swan in his last 2 years – load of cobblers and straight out of propaganda central. The unfunded measures he introduced are still coming back to bite us.
The story from Propaganda Central is that it was fully funded (in small print “through the period of the forward estimates”) and Treasury had its forward estimates totally wrong as they still do,
On one hand you are saying that taxes should be increased while on the other you are saying they should be decreased.
The person from Propaganda Central who wrote the reply is just trying to rewrite history – they are very good at it.
As for your good self, keep up the self improvement exercise I suggested and keep reading Dr Zeuss.
JS. Delusional and wrong pretty much sums you up.
Dr Zeuss is not improving your vocabulary .
I apologize for recommending him as I misread your abilities.
Try Peppa Pig.
When you have mastered that series, we can move on to something more complex.
These people never mention the $160billion loss of revenue Swanny lost during the GFC. The best example of Looter debt I have seen believe it or not was from Simon Benson in The Oz last week. There it is in all its beautiful red graphics how the Looters have tripled the deficit and made gross debt nearly half a trillion.
Glowing truth about Looter debt in The Oz
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/treasury/budget-2017-debt-hit-to-be-shared-around-departments/news-story/50917b034a0b8604e81b907938c06890
“All the Way with LBJ”, Mr Insider, 1966 was the year and the late (now very late, where is he?) Harold Holt was our beloved PM and Sir Robert Askin our beloved NSW Premier. POTUS Lyndon Baines Johnson came out to Australia to see us and we all fell head over heals in love with him. Sir Robert, who loved a bet, riding in LBJ’s car came across a protester or 6 lying in the middle of the road and like yelled to LBJ’s driver to “run over the bastards!”. Later Harold coined the phrase “All the Way with LBJ”. To the present and we see POTUS Trump may come to see us in November this year and given the worship that Turnbull and Shorten are now giving Trump we may well see and hear new things to mark his trip. Sadly though we live in more Politically correct times, alas……….
I’m going to push you in front of Trump’s car Henry. And call loudly, “back up over the brown nosing bastard and slam the brakes on driver!”
What a treasure you are Mr Baptiste, let me say I value your “input” dear chap, cheers.
Probably not widely known that LBJ’s car lives in Australia now. After Dallas, Kennedy’s car was seized by the FBI and forensically stripped out looking for the missing 3rd bullet, but it was never found. Kennedy’s Lincoln was then sent back to the coachbuilders, Hess & Eisenhardt (formerly Sayers and Scoville, stagecoach builders) who prepared it and it took a year to re-assemble the bits. Johnson ordered a roof for it, and armour plating, bulletproof glass and run-flat tyres, and it was resprayed black. (Kennedy had ordered the fleet to be painted blue). Johnson had to use the VP limo until Kennedy’s car returned to the White House garage. Both cars continued in service for Presidents up to Carter. Kennedy’s car was retired and now lives in the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. LBJ’s car was sold for scrap as White House cars are never re-registered. 20 odd years later an Aussie collector/restorer bought the wreck from a Wisconsin junkyard not realising what it was. It is now completely restored to exactly as it was that day in Dallas (Johnson was right behind Kennedy that day), including step bumpers and pop out jump seats for the Secret Service guys. The collector couldn’t believe his luck. After 3 years of work his $200 wreck is now valued at $2m AUD. It makes rare appearances at classic car events. Hess & Eisenhardt ( now O’gara-Hess & Eisenhardt) still specialize in making armored limos. Her Maj has one (Bentley) and King Saud has one (Rolls).
Ok, the Kentucky Derby is tomorrow. There’s no clear favorite, but I just put my bet on a 15-1 shot called Thunder Snow. This is not a tip, as I have no clue.
Wide open field – 9/2 as the bookies say. Irish War Cry for mine.
Really wet track, you might have the better horse.
Damn horse pulled up right out of the gate! Oh well. The Preakness is in a few weeks.
The favourite, Always Dreaming, won the roses, Dwight. Mine nowhere. The sentimental fave, Patch, didn’t run a drum.
The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.
That’s why we like it.
Love your work Jack! 🙂
One of the funniest things ever written:
http://brianb.freeshell.org/a/kddd.pdf
Ah yes, superb. You might enjoy this, TBLS:
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/football-season-is-over-20050922
Always good to hear them sing My Old Kentucky Home. Of course, they’ve modified Foster’s original lyrics. Can’t be singing “the darkies are gay” in the 21st century.
Probably not, Dwight. No.
I have to stop doing that . . .
The winner Dwight and Mr Insider was “Always Dreaming” in the 143rd Kentucky Derby returning $11.40 for a $2 outlay US money..
http://tinyurl.com/l7yjprr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWloaxXWv0g
A great selection JB, he’s one of my favourites. He has always had that gratifying gift of stirring the old ventricles, eh.
Oh mah gawd! Willie and his schmaltzy country shtick!
How many C&W singers does it take to change a light bulb? 1 to change it and fifty to write about a song about the guy who changed the light bulb.
To be fair Willie sings a few good songs. This one of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrv7XvYryTA
He followed it up with “Aint going down on Brokeback Mountain.” Word was some folk was spreading rumours.