Tough Times Ahead

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by fte50

Ok I have a question

We unanimously agree on all of the previous sentiments but I would like to quote a post from stevs coz this constantly ponders on my mind.

[COLOR="Red"]If we can see it, why cant govco, or if they see it, what is their agenda ?
Im interested in peoples views !

A few problems:
Our governments only think short-term. At best, they are looking only as far as the next election, and when things get tight, they are only looking as far as the next opinion poll.
The Chinese government works towards FIFTY year goals. For them, 10 years is considered “short-term” planning.

Our governments tend to be ideologically driven. They will follow certain policies, or bend policies to the left or right based on their ideological views.
Despite the “communist” trappings, China has only ONE ideology: Do what is BEST for China and the Chinese people.

Consider the Abbott government, and the three years they have before facing re-election. Now consider how much time they will waste; undoing what KRudd & Gillard did, fighting/ bickering/ point scoring with the opposition, and fighting with the Greens and random twats to get legislation passed.
The Chinese may appear ponderous, but at least they are generally moving in one direction; FORWARD.

The art of being a politician is about giving the illusion of doing something about whatever the public thinks it cares about this week.
Your average Australian cares more about the Greenhouse Gas mythology and “boat people.” Even when unemployment is once again high enough to be a vote turner, these solutions are too long-term for an Australian government. They would rather hand out welfare, than cause the necessary pain to recreate jobs in Australia.

The “Not MY problem” view is endemic in Australia. When another factory closes, everybody just tut-tuts and goes on about their business. Even those who have lost their jobs are naturally more concerned with the immediate effects, than in the economic malaise behind the closures.
Let’s not forget, that in Australia’s darkest economic hour, with the most unpopular PM imaginable, Australians rejected Hewson’s plans for tax reform and the Liberals lost the “un-losable” election. No politician is going to propose the radical reform we need.

By and large a disproportionate number of wealthy professionals (who drive expensive imports) vote Liberal, and similarly a disproportionate number of blue-collar bogans (who drive Commodes) vote Labour.
So there aren’t many votes to be had for the Liberals in saving manufacturing, whilst they also need to give lip service to trendy environmental agendas and daren’t risk increasing the price of imported luxuries for fear of losing the “trendy elite vote.” Interestingly, the swing in the last election (in WA) was not the middle ground moving, but conservatives returning to the Liberal fold having decided that Australia couldn’t afford the Carbon & Mining Tax.
Then, whilst the Labor party IS the party that should be protecting workers jobs, they are more concerned with chasing the Green vote, and with their out-dated “Keynesian” economics. Their response to the 2-speed economy was to try to tax the mining industry to bring it down to the same depressed level as manufacturing.