The Howard Years (1 Viewer)

[Not-That-Bright]

I think that article is a load of wank, so is your post loquasagqcious.

Communism works!

 

[wheredanton]

Peoples peoples peoples. While everyone may think John Howard's government stinks every is happy with the way the economy is going (look at my big shiny new 4WD! I borrowed the lot on a personal loan!). so just sit back and become passive consumers. You won't even have to exercise a single bit of independent thought. Just work, consume, be silent and die.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

You won't even have to exercise a single bit of independent thought. Just work, consume, be silent and die.

When the masses aren't preoccupied bad things happen tho!

 

[wheredanton]

When the masses aren't preoccupied bad things happen tho!

What? Too busy watching the fattest looser on my new plasma.

 

[loquasagacious]

I think that article is a load of wank, so is your post loquasagqcious.

Good luck with the revolution - PROVE me wrong....

 

[Comrade nathan]

See i agree with you. But you got most of it all wrong.

You totally exaggerate, as did the article the power that the youth have to master their position as labor aristocrats.

Come on seriously not every teenager and young adult is thinking about runing a buisnes, or geting on the so called "information highway" checking out blogs from army serving in Iraq.

The article was a totaly wank, when the answer i view is alot more simple.

Rich and middle class kids in Australia have acces to alot of crap. The don't know how they got it, they don't know why the get it and the they don't really care, all they know is they better vote for Howard or they might lose it.

Compared to their parents who came out of WW2. These groups of teenagers up to the Vietnam war were growing up in the era of neo-imperialism. The new epoch of imperialism had begun, so did the fight against neo-imperialism with the nationa liberation movements of Asia, Latin America and Africa. So these youths had not fully grown into the Labor Aristocracy culturally and so laged behind and held fairly progressive views. However this people now are in the neo imperialist era that has had major wins against the national liberation movements and no longer hold thoose progressive views.

So i think in the crude form your post and the article was a wank, and meant to soften the real analysis of whats going on. Young people in Australia are parasites and fully benifiting from their position in labor aristocracy, unless of course they are part of the bourgeoisie. With this labor aristocracy position also comes the superstructure, the culture of bourgeoisie pushing the youth further away from progressive ideas and culture.

 

[Generator]

PM - PM reflects on a decade in power

JIM MIDDLETON: In a nutshell, what enduring changes do you think this Government, your Government, has made to the nation?

JOHN HOWARD: It's become more entrepreneurial. It's become more self-assured.

It has rediscovered its self-belief in what I might call "the traditional Australia". That's an Australia of mate-ships, an Australia of egalitarianism, an Australia that welcomes people, an Australia that's informal and friendly.

They're things that are very important to this country's identity and I think we have … I mean, we never lost them, but I think we went through a period of perpetual seminar about our self-identity, which was quite unproductive

 

[leetom]

unlike the past labour prime minister my dad was saying intrest was so high he wasnt able to pay the house off so yeah

Your dad is a whinger. Like all the other people who complain about the Keating era's high interest rates, they were an unfortunate side effect of the reforms undertaken to deliver to this nation the economic success it enjoys today. People like your dad fail to acknowledge that, to their discredit. I can safely conclude that your dad is spineless and inward-looking, unprepared to take a momentary hit for the nation's long-term benefit.

I'm not detracting from the work of Howard and Costello, I just want to remind people of who it was who politically sacrificed themselves to get the whole thing started.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

I just want to remind people of who it was who politically sacrificed themselves to get the whole thing started.

I think there's a good case that it was due to fraser that the liberals did not get in these reforms first.

 

[Demandred]

There hasn't been any real attempt to remove the main constraints on the economy - the huge current account deficit and inflation. So at the moment, any means to alleviate unemployment, the most direct means of raising standard of living, would simply mean the RBA pushing the red button called interest rate hike.

Economic growth? Aww fuck, the only reason we've been riding is due to the mineral boom from China, other than that, we don't have much going for Australia's economic growth, don't be surprised if the minerals boom explodes as it did in the 1980s. As for unemployment, 5.5%? what a fucken joke, underemployment is shooting through the roof, the figure is closer to 20%.

As what leetom said, Howard is simply reaping the benefits sowed by the Labor government. The economy needs an oil change, it hasn't had one since Labor.

 

[Rorix]

There hasn't been any real attempt to remove the main constraints on the economy - the huge current account deficit and inflation.

The government has repeatedly made it clear that it is going along Pitchford thesis lines in regards to the current account deficit. Furthermore, I find your suggestion that there hasn't been any 'real' attempt to remove contraints to economic growth from CAD/inflation laughable. Firstly, inflation is within the target band set by the RBA and has been since September Quarter 2002/03, which really makes me question why you think there is such an inflation problem at the moment. Secondly, I really must ask you what you call the Howard government (and previous ALP governments) microeconomic reforms. What purpose do you think these policies, which have really been the main focus of economic management over the recent times in Australia (although diminishing lately with the ALP increasingly discontent)?

Also, why is it that you consider the main concern regarding employment at the moment as underemployment? I think most economists would regard the issue of most interest as the shift toward 'precarious' employment, but you certainly have some revolutionary ways of thinking.


In regards to leetom and you, although leetom has not taken the extremist step of claiming that Howard is simply "reaping" the benefits and the economy needs an "oil change", which is totally ridiculous in the face of the Howard government numerous economic reforms, I find it ironic that you are arguing that the party which opposed the GST, opposed IR reforms etc. is actually the economic reform party of Australia.

And leetom, I wish you would apply the same logic of taking a momentary hit to the trade unions and IR reform...

 

[Demandred]

Ok, I may have been over the top in the last post. I am not saying Howard is crap, infact he's pretty decent, but he can do a lot better.

The government has repeatedly made it clear that it is going along Pitchford thesis lines in regards to the current account deficit.

I disagree with Pitchford, even though, assuming that Pitchford is right and we have nothing to worry, why not make a decent attempt to fix it up?

Firstly, inflation is within the target band set by the RBA and has been since September Quarter 2002/03, which really makes me question why you think there is such an inflation problem at the moment.

????

You mistinterpreted, Inflation is a constraint, we have trouble with inflation as any sort of increase in AD would only see contractionary measures, if we can increase AS, we don't have to and there would be more spending on university funding, health and public services, the stuff that improves our standard of living. The government could seriously intervene more directly rather than a flanking move the likes of the IR reform, there are more options out there that doesn't require massive government spending and doesn't require loss of social wellbeing.

Also, why is it that you consider the main concern regarding employment at the moment as underemployment? I think most economists would regard the issue of most interest as the shift toward 'precarious' employment, but you certainly have some revolutionary ways of thinking.

Ahh no.

I may have been over the top in my last comments, but I do stand by the fact that the government has been relatively slacking in the long term wellbeing. Alot more can be done.

 

[Rorix]

I disagree with Pitchford, even though, assuming that Pitchford is right and we have nothing to worry, why not make a decent attempt to fix it up?

Well, as mentioned by Pitchford, CAD has some advantages, such as allowing higher rates of economic growth, sign of investor confidence etc.

The government could seriously intervene more directly rather than a flanking move the likes of the IR reform, there are more options out there that doesn't require massive government spending and doesn't require loss of social wellbeing.

What areas of microeconomic reform that are topical at the moment does the Liberal party seriously oppose? There's full GST implementation (which the Liberal party was in favour of), further IR reform (libral party in favour of), further trade liberalisation (which the party has been moving toward albeit slowly), further privatisation (telstra etc.), media ownership reform (although it seems stuck at the PM's desk).

I can't think of any areas, except for things opposed by the Nationals e..g. AWB. Maybe you can set me straight.

 

[Iron]

It's such an obvious thing to say, but he must be after the Menzies record...

 

[Demandred]

Well, as mentioned by Pitchford, CAD has some advantages, such as allowing higher rates of economic growth, sign of investor confidence etc.

Its better to have a CAS rather to have a CAD, investors would even have more confidence if the economy wasn't riddled with such a high CAD, infact, hell, we don't even need them if we end up having a CAS, we can fucken finance our own projects you fucken idiot.

What areas of microeconomic reform that are topical at the moment does the Liberal party seriously oppose?

Did I say anything about Liberal party opposing reforms? I said that the government should do more about the longterm outlook of the economy, we're only riding high because of the Chinese economic boom, other than that, there's nothing much.

I am out of this.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

riding high because of the Chinese economic boom, other than that, there's nothing much.

We've always only been riding high in a simplistic sense because of exporting minerals/produce... I can't imagine us becomming a manufacturing country any time soon, we're gunna have to keep selling off our resources and hope there's always someone there to buy them. This is of course without looking out our foothold in the WTO, worldbank etc so our companies can borrow more etc..

noob economic analysis.

 

[jwhitrow]

howard besides all the shit thrown his way hes a good prime minister given the hard descisions he had to make about the war on iraq n stuff ( allies ) unlike the past labour prime minister my dad was saying intrest was so high he wasnt able to pay the house off so yeah

Indeed. I would like to congradulate our Prime Minster for the work he has done towards strong Economic Growth in the past decade. Anyone who begs to differ can look up three statistics compared to the last ALP government; Interest Rates, Economic growth (non inflationary) and Unemployment.

Secondly, Can anyone honestly say that the War in Iraq was a bad idea, concidering we captured one of the worst dictators in the world and ended his regime. He has killled millions of people throught his reign. Yes the War in Iraq may have killed many innocent people, but does that really compare to the numbers the old regime killed?

Only thing i would chage is i would set up a manufacturing industry for such things as all our Urainum etc that is being sold overseas raw...More money that way...Although you Economists out there will understand why it doesn't quite work

Congradulations JONNY!...

PS. Costello will take over when the time is right - i think it will be just after Howard wins us the next election!