Threats
- Did all of that volcanic ash really pose a threat, or was it exaggerated? I have no idea… though Andrew Bolt has more
- South Park does Mohammed… kinda, sorta. Synopsis: In their 200th episode spectacular, the people of South Park face a class-action lawsuit from celebrities previously mocked by the town. They agree to drop the suit if the people of South Park can arrange a meeting with Mohammed who, for some reason, appears to be immune from criticism
- Bill Clinton suggests present “antigovernment tone” is similar to that of before the Oklahoma city bombing… Meanwhile, Time columnist Joe Klein suggests that statements by Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, “rub right up close to being seditious“
- Firefighters to citizen: Nice business you got there… shame if something happened to it
Under 30? No Dole For You
I hate the handout mentality, and even more so the entitlement mentality of some of those who receive handouts, but I’m not sure this is a good idea – and doubt it will sell politically:
TONY Abbott has proposed banning the dole for people under 30 in a bid to entice the unemployed to head west and fill massive skill shortages in the booming resources sector.
I certainly think there needs to be strict control over who receives these benefits (though I’m informed it’s a lot harder to receive them than it once was – particularly for those young people still living at home), but I don’t think this is the answer. There are many other issues which could improve both the budget bottom-line, and encourage increased employment and productivity amongst our youth. Here are a few thoughts which spring to mind:
- Crack down on the ever-increasing rates of people on Disability Support Pension;
- Stop thinking everyone should go to university – or year 12, for that matter. Governments on both sides boast about how they’ve increased percentage of students completing year 12, or a uni degree, but how is this a measure of success?;
- Maybe we should make unemployment benefits a HECS-style loan (or would this deter people from ever finding work?);
- Mandatory unemployment insurance? (OK, I hate this idea – it’s un-libertarian, and wouldn’t be much help to young people anyway… just putting it out there).
Any other thoughts?
Catallaxy Files- Not all criticism of government is rent-seeking May 17, 2012Jess Irvine has an op-ed in the SMH where she makes the argument Meanwhile, business is acting like an adolescent, too, chucking hissy fits about workplace laws and taxation because it has learnt that this is an extremely effective parental manipulation strategy. In the teenage economy, the returns from rentseeking – or seeking special treatment [...]Sinclair Davidson
- Words from the wise May 17, 2012Graham Richardson has a must-read op-ed in the Australian today. He reveals the depths of hatred towards the PM. While it is clear Julia Gillard just doesn’t understand how bad things really are, she is at the very core of the disenchantment. These two MPs, who both voted for her in Kevin Rudd’s February challenge, [...]Sinclair Davidson
- Reactions to the The Heretic May 17, 2012Jo Nova reports some discussion stirred up by The Heretic, a play that addresses climate issues, on stage in Melbourne this week. Golly, but The Heretic is a play that appears to be genuinely useful art, something that actually challenges the paradigm. Brice Bosnich reviews it ( see below), Andrew Glikson rails against it (see, [...]Poor Old Rafe
- Not all criticism of government is rent-seeking May 17, 2012
- inCISe
- Govt furphy on Indigenous homeownership May 16, 2012In a media release on the Indigenous Affairs part of the 2012 Budget, the federal government insists it ‘will continue to prioritise access to the new program for people seeking to move into home ownership on Indigenous land’ – but this is a furphy. The government is well aware that people living on Indigenous land will not be able to access money from the n […]Sara Hudson
- A move long overdue May 15, 2012At long last, services on Sydney’s highly inefficient rail network are getting some attention. Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has announced that 750 jobs will be cut in a restructuring effort intended to reduce bureaucratic waste. Even more heartening is that RailCorp’s projected job cuts are relatively mild, consisting of voluntary redundancies to m […]Alexander Philipatos
- Generalising about racism May 14, 2012The Sydney Morning Herald is running a poll asking if Australians are Racist. So far 74% of respondents say yes and 26% say no. Some of the commentators include Larissa Berendt who argues that Australia is a racist country because Aboriginal people have a shorter life expectancy. However, there are many reasons why their life expectancy is shorter than the a […]Sara Hudson
- Govt furphy on Indigenous homeownership May 16, 2012
- IPA news
- The unhappy compromise of European 'austerity' May 14, 2012Has austerity worked in Europe? Well, if "austerity" means savage cuts to government spending, then there has been no...
- The politics of projection: there's a reason we can't all just get along May 12, 2012Politics is almost entirely in the eye of the beholder. Obviously conservatives, libertarians, progressives and...
- Great expectations vanish May 10, 2012The federal budget was entirely predictable. The dodgy accounting. The flimsy "surplus". The higher taxes on the wealthy....
- The unhappy compromise of European 'austerity' May 14, 2012
Oz Political Quiz
