Politics Super Thread - keep it all in here

[TSP]

The wealthiest people in society, people like the CEO of the Commonwealth bank on about $6m a year, I’m just after a few extra bucks when they go to the big head office in the sky.

More than likely, their kids and beneficiaries haven’t done a thing in their lives to help anyone yet they are filling up the Range Rover with premium fuel while half of us pray we make it to work.

So it’s not a tax of the CEO per se but the idle rich bludging kids.

Of course the CEO gets salary incentives on profit, a lot of which is made from us anyway.

See might to reward CEOs for helping people. Make money, but keep it sensible.

 

[TSP]

I just posted again to state that this is a disgrace. These are foreign owned companies which also means that these companies would constitute a pittance towards our Super.

The only problem with that article is that it doesn't though take into consideration the complete picture. I figure they've cherry picked some companies that are screwing us over. It's wrong and it sucks but you'd have to put that into the proper perspective.

The Australian resources sector - significance and opportunities

The resources sector delivers economic wealth, jobs, high wages, investment and tax revenues to Australians. The sector’s contribution has exploded since the most recent mining boom kicked off in the mid 2000s (Figure 1). Together with mining services, the resources sector makes up over 8 per...

www.industry.gov.au

Revenue

th[align="right"], td[align="right"] { text-align:right !important; } th[align="center"], td[align="center"] { text-align:center !important; } .boldred { font-weight: bold; } .tbl-fill { background-color: #DDD !important; } Budget Review 2019–20 Index

www.aph.gov.au

We actually do tax certain resources with an additional tax. It's line item "Petroleum rent resource tax".

This is though an example of digging into the details and the picture isn't so clear cut. I don't have enough information to make a subjective decision if in general we are managing our resource sector correctly.

I think it's ripe to complain about anyone doing it tough in Australia due to rising energy prices when you consider Russia is bombing another country.

Yes that should stop and peace talks conducted immediately.

We are at what, 14,000 dead now and millions about to starve to death in the Middle East.

Guns down now.

 

[Magpie_Magic]

The real culprit of commodity price increases and housing costs are the massive amounts of QE currency that has increased the money supply the last 15 years especially. Mainly the U.S.. Inflation was 8% in the U.S. before the war.

Also I might add since the 80s I saw a report somewhere that the average CEO income versus average wages has increased 20 fold.

Also most oil companies don't make profit below $40 U.S. so they often run at losses and spend loads on CAPEX. If you bought say Woodside 15 years ago your losing money.

Oil prices hit $100 BBL U.S. before the war from memory. They don't have to sanction Russia anyway to this degree. When the U.S. invaded Iraq illegally their were no sanctions and oil was below $40. The Iraq war led to 800 thousand dead.

 

[InBenjiWeTrust]

We benefit a lot. Resource companies employ a lot of people, pay a lot of taxes and we also own those resource companies via our Super funds or whatever.

I can see your point but I'm skeptical that nationalisation would work.

reminds of the story: "The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs"

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

It’s not up to you cb, the court can override your Will.

If your worth over $10m when you die, I’d say you’re fair game for a modest and reasonable taxing.

Then I might not have to feed an extra kid!

If we didn’t have taxes, life would be poor, nasty, brutal and short. No medicines, no cops, no way to exist.

I'm fine with taxation. I've been taxed between 30-40% my whole working life. Why should they get one last dip at me as I'm being lowered in the ground. You're taxed on what you earn, what you buy and what you save for retirement. Why do you think that taxing you for kicking off is reasonable?

 

[TSP]

The real culprit of commodity price increases and housing costs are the massive amounts of QE currency that has increased the money supply the last 15 years especially. Mainly the U.S.. Inflation was 8% in the U.S. before the war.

Also I might add since the 80s I saw a report somewhere that the average CEO income versus average wages has increased 20 fold.

Also most oil companies don't make profit below $40 U.S. so they often run at losses and spend loads on CAPEX. If you bought say Woodside 15 years ago your losing money.

Oil prices hit $100 BBL U.S. before the war from memory. They don't have to sanction Russia anyway to this degree. When the U.S. invaded Iraq illegally their were no sanctions and oil was below $40. The Iraq war led to 800 thousand dead.

France has been at the forefront of trying to get talks happening. Germans showing more interest in this recently.

A lot more hopeful than chucking weapons in.

Putin can’t be seen to have lost, so we may have to propose something less than stellar for us in the short term.

The Russians could win this war pretty easily if they wanted to because their weapons are other worldly.

Any report that they are losing is dodgy, it’s simply that they are trying to thread a needle. As I understand it, they are keeping their cards close to their chest.

Putin will not stay on the Russian throne forever.

His biggest mistake has been to unify the west in many ways, create new threats in Finland and Sweden where there wasn’t any before. I wonder if he predicted this? I don’t know.

And if the sanctions play out, Russia becomes more dependent on China. That has its own challenges.

Our own spy plane was harassed by them recently and people seemed surprised.

We live in strange times.

The Ruskies have the biggest conventional bombs in the world. They could raise Kiev in a day if they wanted. Not saying it’s right, but it’s the reality.

As is the stockpile of nukes on all sides.

 

[TSP]

The other point about Russian nukes is that their system is aging and doesn’t give their staff a lot of room for error.

And a few weeks ago, the world said hello to their new missile that travels at Mach 10. I’m not sure if they are nuclear capable, but they are entirely unstoppable, the west simply has no defence against them. Frightening.

 

[Odessa]

The other point about Russian nukes is that their system is aging and doesn’t give their staff a lot of room for error.

And a few weeks ago, the world said hello to their new missile that travels at Mach 10. I’m not sure if they are nuclear capable, but they are entirely unstoppable, the west simply has no defence against them. Frightening.

Yes they do Look up HARP and what it's really for

 

[Magpie_Magic]

Good post you've got the gist, many others haven't.

I may add to your good points.

France has been at the forefront of trying to get talks happening. Germans showing more interest in this recently.

It's a real shame that Europe seconded their foreign policy to the U.S. before the war. If they pushed for no NATO membership for Ukraine there'd be no war. As it is,the Europe union will be the biggest loser after Ukraine after the war buying overpriced food, energy and weapons from the US.

At the moment France has hardly sent any war material to Ukraine. They know Russia will be a neighbor forever and have been allied since the 1850s.

A lot more hopeful than chucking weapons in.

Putin can’t be seen to have lost, so we may have to propose something less than stellar for us in the short term.

Russia has bucklies of losing. The western media is promoting this fallacy since the west is pushing a proxy war.

It's really only a matter of how much Ukraine loses and at what cost to the Russians.

The Russians could win this war pretty easily if they wanted to because their weapons are other worldly.

Yeah, despite the horrors Russia is fighting a soft war with one hand behind their back.

Any report that they are losing is dodgy, it’s simply that they are trying to thread a needle.

Yes,
If the truth is known to most citizens in the west they would push for peace. Its in American interests the war drags on.

Putin will not stay on the Russian throne forever.

Whoever is in power, it's unlikely they'd accept Ukraine in NATO.

His biggest mistake has been to unify the west in many ways, create new threats in Finland and Sweden where there wasn’t any before. I wonder if he predicted this? I don’t know.

Finland and Sweden may still not get in. Don't think Putin foresaw this but it wouldn't worry him. Finland is a nation of 5 million in the arctic and neither want permanent bases or nukes. But Ukraine is 45 million a very industrial country with 15 nuclear power stations and loads of military and other infrastructure from Soviet days. Russia don't mind them neutral or even in the EU but won't accept this turned against them with U.S. weapons and nukes period that's ehy this is so important to them.

And if the sanctions play out, Russia becomes more dependent on China. That has its own challenges.

I think that much of this is wanted by the US in order to split the world economically. Russia is winning economically.

Our own spy plane was harassed by them recently and people seemed surprised.

We live in strange times.

In the end I think a multipolar world will bring the best out of the U.S. who got complacent as they Russia and China compete for our business and influence. Lets not forget that America was at its best during Soviet times.

I think many imbalances and financial inequalities that you mentioned will balance out because of these changes.

Sadly Ukraine and it's people and also the soldiers on both sides are suffering for this geopolitical game.

 

[Magpie_Magic]

The other point about Russian nukes is that their system is aging and doesn’t give their staff a lot of room for error.

And a few weeks ago, the world said hello to their new missile that travels at Mach 10. I’m not sure if they are nuclear capable, but they are entirely unstoppable, the west simply has no defence against them. Frightening.

Russia leads the world in rocket technology and have developed hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missiles which can be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads. They are indefensible.

But Russian military doctrine states nukes are only to be used if Russia faces an existential threat whereas U.S. doctrine states nukes can be used to protect us interests even against a non nuclear nation.

We need cool heads and balance.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Hahahahaha, some interesting reading of easily identifiable equitable society problems that exist, but seems most everbody doesn’t want to lose even a little of their own or similar other's nests, which is needed to allow it

Grandfathering is a big no no if there is to be proper change, though I do not agree with instant change either, whether resources or housing. Scaling back over say 5 years is a happy medium and is realistic policy for mine.

If we continue to allow tax evasion/ineffective laws per the current system to accrue obscene wealth, then death duties are a must, with say 200 times the average national wage being the starting point of a sharply incrementally increasing rate schedule.

The rich do not get their money from the fellow rich, as almost all comes at the expense of those near the bottom of the ladder. We have hugely increased our national debt over recent years and have to pay it back. Leaving it to future generations is plain wrong when the current ones (including me and my family) have benefited from incentives and breaks.

 

[TSP]

Thanks.

I simply take a humane position on it.

I don’t agree with the Russian invasion, but 14,000 deaths so far is 14,000 too many.

Russia is blockading ports and transport hubs and that will soon impact the Middle East as grain won’t be able to get through.

There’s estimates of millions of deaths on the horizon, riots and turmoil etc. That’s going to be on TV here or whatever.

It’s wrong and pretty ugly, but we need to sort out what they want.

The promise of arms etc to the Ukrainians, the Russians will obliterate them as soon as they arrive and under the current rules, the Russians won’t allow foreign military into Ukrainian airspace etc. We bring in missiles by road or rail, that’s fair game for them.

So you have an impasse and the only way out seems to be talks.

Of interest, the first country to call for talks at the UN was South Africa. They saw all this unfolding.

One of the catalysts for the war was said to be the Ukraine being given an enhanced NATO membership path last year. That was a red line for Russia as it has a common border. Some likened it to Chinese missiles being sent to Mexico and aimed at the USA.

We may have to capitulate to the Russians in the short term over a few matters. Long term, obviously not.

It’s sad for the Ukrainian people, but as you can see, 100 days of war and the Russians aren’t moving. All the talk of teaching them a lesson ( which they deserve) isn’t working.

But the west we thought that if we got angry and tried to send billions of dollars of weapons in, Putin would back down already, but we miscalculated.

The Uk has been disproportionately angered given their tough response, but some people see that as a reflection of their post Europe reality. They are closer to the US as a result.

Our spy plane got hassled because it was in the South China Sea air space spying as the Chinese also do to us regularly. Tit for tat military stuff.

Trump has said he wants talks too, the Pentagon don’t want it escalating ( keeping congress in check), cia folk and many other full on right wingers. So there’s no clear consensus as the media might portray.

 

[TSP]

Everything @Magpie_Magic has said above is pretty right so far as I can make out.

For viewers at home, you can see other opinions and insights about the war in Ukraine from Chomsky and other learned academics on you tube etc.

Famous movie director Oliver Stone has a good interview on Lex Fridmans podcast and he’s into his Russians big time.

I appreciate people will conclude that Russia is a rogue state and there’s a strong resentment against appeasement. A sense of injustice and even evil.

But if you’re a Ukrainian getting getting bombed and killed on the street for no reason, I’d rather save your life now to give you a chance.

 

[Tim Sheens]

It boggles that we are a net exporter of gas, and yet have to pay global rates for our gas.

A litany of poor political decisions and pressure from global industry giants.

A national infrastructure construction project of a natural gas pipeline from the Northwest shelf to link up with the interstate network around Moomba in SA would seem a practical solution. I would go further by making it a dual project with a sister water pipe from catchments a little further north in WA, then running alongside for most of it's length, before extending into the eastern states.

 

[FinestTigers]

Elon Musk is asking a serious but a reasonable question on his twitter account.

Why the staff at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have not provided the client list ofJeffrey Epstein?

Elon also draws attention to the unusual lack of interest from the media outlets.

Elon Misk,
“Only thing more remarkable than [the] DOJ not leaking the list is that no one in the media cares,” “Doesn’t that seem odd?”

Could it also be that Elon knows that he has no friends on that list and that he only wants to expose his foes?

 

[TSP]

Elon Musk is asking a serious but a reasonable question on his twitter account.

Why the staff at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have not provided the client list ofJeffrey Epstein?

Elon also draws attention to the unusual lack of interest from the media outlets.

Elon Misk,
“Only thing more remarkable than [the] DOJ not leaking the list is that no one in the media cares,” “Doesn’t that seem odd?”

Could it also be that Elon knows that he has no friends on that list and that he only wants to expose his foes?
View attachment 1325

Yeah great post.

I wonder if the leak would prejudice cases against them brought by DOJ. I don’t know the US laws.

I wonder if Prince Andrew appears on the list?

His interview was ridiculous. I laughed until I cried and wanted to put him out of his misery and put my hand up to the camera!

Pompous, arrogant and stupid beyond measure.

There’s a lot of argument about his interviewer. I think she did ok but left a lot unchallenged. We are better off for her efforts anyway.

Imagine kenty, buzz and hoops interviewing the Prince? Then again, maybe not.

 

[Magpie_Magic]

A litany of poor political decisions and pressure from global industry giants.

A national infrastructure construction project of a natural gas pipeline from the Northwest shelf to link up with the interstate network around Moomba in SA would seem a practical solution. I would go further by making it a dual project with a sister water pipe from catchments a little further north in WA, then running alongside for most of it's length, before extending into the eastern states.

Incredibly, we shut down most of our refineries and have scant storage space for local or export.

Soon we will hear our leaders speak of supplying "democracy oil" and "freedom gas" but even re exports we are hamstrung because of a lack of storage.

Santos had loads of issues from "greenies" trying to get their local pipeline approved and it won't be ready for 5 years.

Oil will be $175 within 3 months in my opinion.

We are not placed well enough to help ourselves or export.

Anybody "Green " out there?

 

[FinestTigers]

....I wonder if Prince Andrew appears on the list? His interview was ridiculous. I laughed until I cried........

Imagine kenty, buzz and hoops interviewing the Prince? Then again, maybe not.

If you thought that interview was funny,
And also, what could be funnier than these 3 stooges that you've mentioned? Who are also known as one of the ultimate spin doctors.

Andrew would just need to hand them each a paper bag, then you' will see how they transform him from being seen a villain into a future King.

 

[Papacito]

Elon Musk is asking a serious but a reasonable question on his twitter account.

Why the staff at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have not provided the client list ofJeffrey Epstein?

Elon also draws attention to the unusual lack of interest from the media outlets.

Elon Misk,
“Only thing more remarkable than [the] DOJ not leaking the list is that no one in the media cares,” “Doesn’t that seem odd?”

Could it also be that Elon knows that he has no friends on that list and that he only wants to expose his foes?
View attachment 1325

I'm surprised Elon does not know how to use Google:

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273/jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted.pdf

In all fairness, this isn't a 'client list' as such.

Maxwell kept a black book of contacts which is mostly just random people that they met at parties etc.