NSW Power privatisation defeated (2 Viewers)

[Farfour]

http://ozleft.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/eight-electricity-privatisation-myths-exposed/

Apart from the increased prices, the rest of that is bullshit.

"Did you know that in non socialist societies SOME PEOPLE DO NOT GET AM RADIOS?! WE MUST HAVE SOCIALISM AT ONCE"

Hey wait I've got a good point to make, the NSW current government is utter pants, on both sides of the aisle. Take them ALL outside, shoot them and then start over.

 

[Slidey]

Actually the latter points trail off, but the first 3 are solid.

1) Price increases
2) Jobs aren't safe
3) Energy is put in the hands of people who aren't Australian and don't have Australia's interests at heart

Number 3 is the one that concerns most given the world's political and economic undercurrents and how they'll evolve in the next 10 to 20 years.

 

[jbauer24]

Electronic communications? You mean like government provided email?

As for the postal service, despite the fact that it's subsidised heavily as all fuck you've still got private companies popping up and providing a successful, alternative service.

Australia Post? They made a profit of something like 500 million last year. Surely fuel prices must be hurting them this year but apparently postage for letters is rising to 55c in sept

 

[spiny norman]

New Deal was a failure.

In fact FDR's policies slowed America's recovery rather than accelerate it.

The only reason why America got out of the depression was because of the oncoming war which all of a sudden saw a spike in the armanments industry and the fact that all the men went off fighting the war meant many positions were not filled.

Oh bullshit. Roosevelt kept capitalism afloat in America. Unemployment was well on the drop before America began preparing for the war.

 

[Farfour]

New deal was a joke and the depression was caused by the federal reserve.

But yeah Socialism works, right?!

 

[Slidey]

New deal was a joke and the depression was caused by the federal reserve.

But yeah Socialism works, right?!

No better than capitalism.

Give me a mix of both any day.

 

[Farfour]

Every single major boom/bust has been precipitated by a central bank protecting a fiat currency. Bad things happened and you didn't have any sex when you were 13 did you, did you did you? no you did not.

 

[withoutaface]

Re: postal: Yeah, I know. I don't like it when some random private company handles my shit, but whatever. Like I said - grey area. As long as the private companies compose the minority of postal traffic I'm fine with it.

You'd prefer to have customs open your mail for you?

 

[withoutaface]

lol.


Anyway, first I've heard of an energy crisis. If it exists, I think we can blame the Liberal government, no? If there's not enough infrastructure, I think they've been around long enough - 10 years - to have caused it or fixed it. We certainly don't have a lack of energy resources.

Or it could be ALP fearmongering about nuclear power...

 

[Slidey]

Eh, I'm no opponent of nuclear energy. It's certainly better than fossil fuels.

 

[spiny norman]

It's also not really necessary in Australia. It seems to be the concensus that with our resources that renewable energies will suffice here.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Geothermal for all!

 

[Slidey]

It's also not really necessary in Australia. It seems to be the concensus that with our resources that renewable energies will suffice here.

It pollutes way less than coal, even if Australia does have the cleanest coal. I think I'd prefer an even mix of coal/renewables/nuclear.

 

[sam04u]

It's also not really necessary in Australia. It seems to be the concensus that with our resources that renewable energies will suffice here.

I agree with that.
Infact our government should be working towards that rather than privatising our energy - which is completely unneccessary.

 

[Kwayera]

It pollutes way less than coal, even if Australia does have the cleanest coal. I think I'd prefer an even mix of coal/renewables/nuclear.

Same, although I'm very interested in the development of geothermal energy over other "classic" renewables for the time being.

 

[darkwolfzx]

I can hear the companies whining that it won't get them profit

 

[Farfour]

Nuclear energy is the only effective stopgap to help massively cut our emissions as a nation. Nuclear reactors are less radioactive than Coal reactors, by the way.

 

[Slidey]

Same, although I'm very interested in the development of geothermal energy over other "classic" renewables for the time being.

Hot dry rock is pretty damn sweet, although like all geothermal, it's not really 'renewable'.

 

[Kwayera]

Hot dry rock is pretty damn sweet, although like all geothermal, it's not really 'renewable'.

Well no, not really, but it's not likely to stop being hot anytime soon either

 

[Slidey]

Hmm, no, but IIRC hot dry rock beds run out fairly quickly (i.e. after about 20 to 50 years). Still a great idea, but you need to move around a bit I think.