If you will be eligible to vote, who do you intend to vote for?

[soloooooo]

Economically speaking that may not be the case. And as for Abbot or Gillard "doing a bad job" its a reflection of the party as a whole, not someone that sits there and makes every decision singlehandedly. At the moment, seems like labor has fucked itself at every turn.

Either way, ill support libs all the way. That said, too many people are bogged down with the persona at the head of each party and vote based on that without properly looking at each parties policies and what not. *cough* every bogan in blacktown voting for labor *cough*

Political arguments get too bogged down and eventually devolve into mindless drabble so thats all I'm gonna say on it lol.
(its funny as watching this though lol)

Labor is fucked, yes. Gillard is trashing the Labor brand, it won't be long now until Shorten moves against her. Either Shorten or Rudd will take Labor to the next election - Gillards' position is untenable.

The Liberals are also fairly fucked up though. Labor and Liberals both have perhaps half a dozen decent/competent frontbench MPs each. The rest are all deadwood.

As for Clive Palmer wanting to join the Liberal party he will cause headaches. Imagine a mining billionaire whose sole crusade will be to reverse the mining tax/increase his bank account etc.

Both sides are fucking hopeless.

[Lolsmith]

Labor is fucked, yes. Gillard is trashing the Labor brand, it won't be long now until Shorten moves against her. Either Shorten or Rudd will take Labor to the next election - Gillards' position is untenable.

The Liberals are also fairly fucked up though. Labor and Liberals both have perhaps half a dozen decent/competent frontbench MPs each. The rest are all deadwood.

As for Clive Palmer wanting to join the Liberal party he will cause headaches. Imagine a mining billionaire whose sole crusade will be to reverse the mining tax/increase his bank account etc.

Both sides are fucking hopeless.

The difference between Palmer and manufacturing CEO's is that he doesn't want a handout from the government because his business is actually profitable without it.

"Increasing his bank account" isn't why he's joining parliament.

[SylviaB]

ron paul is invested almost entirely in gold

the only reason he wants a gold standard is because it would make his super-rich

[Chemical Ali]

The difference between Palmer and manufacturing CEO's is that he doesn't want a handout from the government because his business is actually profitable without it.

oh except the 9 billion his industry already gets but we'll just ignore that because it's not like the australian right have ever been remotely consistent about "muh free marketz" when it comes to subsidies for their favourite big industries

[SylviaB]

yeah that was a bit dumb

but it doesn't detract from the virtues of a legitimate free market

[Lolsmith]

oh except the 9 billion his industry already gets but we'll just ignore that because it's not like the australian right have ever been remotely consistent about "muh free marketz" when it comes to subsidies for their favourite big industries

fuck off that's a false and misconstrued figure and you know it

[Lolsmith]

and it still doesn't mean that his shit isn't profitable jesus

[funkshen]

clive palmer wants to join parliament because he is an outrageous cunt, not because he is greedy. notice how he announced he had commissioned a replica Titanic on the same day?

[Lentern]

He doesn't really want to enter parliament but does he? Like aside from Maxine Mckew when has the "celebrity versus minister" thing ever worked? It's just about a high profile public dialogue with Swan, if he really wanted to enter parliament he'd be seeking pre-selection somewhere safer.

[Chemical Ali]

yeah that was a bit dumb

but it doesn't detract from the virtues of a legitimate free market

is it inevitable that every free market advocate will eventually turn into a white nationalist? please respond

[soloooooo]

is it inevitable that every free market advocate will eventually turn into a white nationalist? please respond

What is wrong about having pride in Australia and out history?

Free markets don't work either as shown from the 2008 - ongoing financial recession, the worst sicne the great depression of 1929 that took the world almost 10 years to recover from. We have only been in this recession (perhaps later coined a depression) for three and a half years - it is going to last for years to come still.

[Annihilist]

is it inevitable that every free market advocate will eventually turn into a white nationalist? please respond

Correlation does not imply causation.

[Lentern]

Correlation does not imply causation.

There is plenty of linkage between anti-migrants and free marketeers though, essentially they're both just really really greedy people who got lucky in life and don't want to share stuff.

[Lolsmith]

There is plenty of linkage between anti-migrants and free marketeers though, essentially they're both just really really greedy people who got lucky in life and don't want to share stuff.

doesn't like his stuff being stolen

"greedy"

[Lentern]

doesn't like his stuff being stolen

"greedy"

You're sounding like Abbeyroad there you realize?

[Annihilist]

There is plenty of linkage between anti-migrants and free marketeers though, essentially they're both just really really greedy people who got lucky in life and don't want to share stuff.

I believe in a free market, so a certain degree. I believe in a business's right to conduct itself however it needs. I am also anti-anti-migrant (for migration). I don't support capitalist greed but I do support a free market to an extent.

[funkshen]

You're sounding like Abbeyroad there you realize?

dont encourage him

[soloooooo]

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with immigration. However as Australians we should have a say in what type of immigrants (hard working, predominantly Australian degree equivalent qualified etc) we do want in this country.

[iSplicer]

Wow, threads on politics? BoS has come a long, long way since 2008, lol.

[funkshen]

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with immigration. However as Australians we should have a say in what type of immigrants (hard working, predominantly Australian degree equivalent qualified etc) we do want in this country.

if australians had their say, and only wanted gay muslim terrorist hairdressers with AIDS from outerspace, with 9 children all with various mental and physical disabilities, and enormous families they will bring over through family sponsorship, would you think australians having their say would be a good thing?

[soloooooo]

if australians had their say, and only wanted gay muslim terrorist hairdressers with AIDS from outerspace, with 9 children all with various mental and physical disabilities, and enormous families they will bring over through family sponsorship, would you think australians having their say would be a good thing?

Yes. If Australians clearly wanted that (obviously most don't) then fair enough.

Somehow I think most Australians don't want that though. Most Australians would have less trouble accepting immigrants from developed western nations that hold similar cultural values to that of Australia.

[funkshen]

Yes. If Australians clearly wanted that (obviously most don't) then fair enough.

Somehow I think most Australians don't want that though. Most Australians would have less trouble accepting immigrants from developed western nations that hold similar cultural values to that of Australia.

what similar cultural values?

[Annihilist]

Isn't a democracy run by the people, for the people? If the majority of people want something then common sense says when should have it. There are some arguable exceptions (lets way we wanted to endorse pedophilia for example). We can't really do that even if the people wanted to, in my opinion.

[Absolutezero]

Isn't a democracy run by the people, for the people? If the majority of people want something then common sense says when should have it. There are some arguable exceptions (lets way we wanted to endorse pedophilia for example). We can't really do that even if the people wanted to, in my opinion.

This doesn't make sense in terms of subjective morality. Yes, pedophilia is currently wrong, but if we were entrenched in a society that found it morally acceptable, I fail to see how your argue that it is wrong would be correct. Surely morality (in a non-religious sense) is a reflection of the times.

[Annihilist]

This doesn't make sense in terms of subjective morality. Yes, pedophilia is currently wrong, but if we were entrenched in a society that found it morally acceptable, I fail to see how your argue that it is wrong would be correct. Surely morality (in a non-religious sense) is a reflection of the times.

Exactly. My belief is that it's wrong though. And I don't think we should be able to endorse something which does great harm to others, which brings us back to the immigration issue. If we disallow migrants just because "the Australians didn't want them" (including asylum seekers) then I think the Australians who voted are selfish and immature and they don't deserve a say.