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1
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by LP -
I feel you have to differentiate local versus global effects in relation to balance of trade.

Under global influences if you are largely self-sufficient the outcome of taxation adjustments will be different to when you are globally dependant. Australia's history of kyboshing local manufacturing and processing for cheap imports is now coming home to roost, the true cost is beyond the purchase price.

FWIW, I'm not sure any country on earth is globally independent, and RedTrump has found out that the hard way!

On the flipside, the same nuffies that torched local capability as "too expensive and not competitive" will now be telling you that "rebuilding infrastructure is too expensive and not fast enough solution". If you listen to the noise you'll be travelling on pothole filled dirt roads with farmers hitching the up a draft horse to the plough a field, while wondering where all that billionaire wealth came from. Sound familiar!

A huge problem is that individuals can have very loud voices and a lot of influence, but they rarely look far beyond their own personal agenda.

It's interesting to see when the lightbulb flips, for example the flip in perspective of the infamous Tucker Carlson. My only worry is it a genuine change, did he always know the contents of his past messaging were false but he felt safe to the contrary, and so he sails with the wind. Safety net removed, things change I suppose.
2
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 3 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Melbourne
Last post by LP -
It's amazing how quickly fans forget.

It was about this time last year when his EH started going through all the turmoil that OH was basically only one of a handful actually having a crack. When he probably had every right to be distracted, I think he comfortably finished in the team's top 10 leaving some others to look more like passengers.

I like Lord as well, I don't get some of the negativity towards him, but in comparison OH is a step up on Lord and comfortably so.

Neither have even reached 3 full seasons yet, which most coaches imply is the true start of a career.
3
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: General Discussions
Last post by dodge -
Drugs, weapons, Human Trafficking (which includes slavery) and cyber crime are the top 4 committed international crimes.  Don't know if someone working in the scam centres is classified as cyber or trafficking.
4
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: General Discussions
Last post by Thryleon -
I'm not sure that it's quite so clear cut, and that's why I don't think that a hierarchy is appropriate.

It's estimated that at least 10% and probably as much as 25% of the Scandinavian population were slaves during the Viking age and the vast majority of those captured by the Vikings were sold on to slave traders from the Middle East.  Mitochondrial DNA studies of the Icelandic population indicate that more than 60% of the initial colonising female population were Gaelic and most likely slaves.  Then there's the Arab or Trans-Saharan slave trade that endured from the 7th to the 20th century and involved the enslavement of an estimated 9M Africans in the Middle East.

I don't want to get caught up in this jockeying for pole position in the Suffering F1. I feel quite comfortable with the reading I've done and I'll leave it there. Trying to compete wrt who suffered the most does the cause more harm than good, and ends up a kind of self-cannibalism, that dilutes the message rather than keeping it sharp and focussed.

Whether they named this or something else is of secondary importance. If the final aims of this process are achieved, it creates momentum, precedent and potential for others to follow. Future groups will be able to analyze what worked, what did not etc., and be in a better position as a result. It could also splinter off into related histories, such as our own First Nations peoples, who whilst not enslaved as such, have suffered immensely, certainly deserve a lot more than they have received thus far.

some of our first nations people were slaves.  This country is half built on it.
5
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 3 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Melbourne
Last post by Thryleon -
reminds me of Toby Greene and jack ginivan Connor macdonald from hawthorn and James Sicily too.  Jamie Elliott.  I dont know how to explain it, they just look like smart asses.

Theres a common theme there. 
7
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Reality is One Nation won't ever have the numbers to form Government in their own right and if you watch Question time in both houses and the Senate in particular the Government now treat the Libs/Nats and One Nation as an alliance.
Not much talent or experience in the One Nation camp either and they tend to struggle when debating.Policy wise much like the Greens the cupboard is bare and like the Greens their role seems to be as agitators only and their new found popularity is more a reflection on how poor Labor and the Libs/Nats are performing.
9
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Lods -

True, Labor have had to manage/massage the Greens/Independents to pass policy through the Senate and its a messy business dealing with Larissa Waters and crew so how the Libs would deal with Pauline, Barnaby and their inflexible extreme right wing thinking/nutty high school political theories I dont know.
Its a mess when you have an opposition that cant make the Government accountable and improve their performance, having competent pollies on both side of politics makes the country run better and lifts performance but we are a long way from that happening and when you couple that with some of the madness going on overseas its a real worry looking forward.
Imagine the new Minister for Foreign Affairs Pauline Hanson talking to Donald Trump about Foreign Policy????
Would Pauline do any worse than the buffoons running the joint (or any other waiting in the wings ) ? I have zero faith in any of the current crop of Australian politicians to be able to mix it on the world stage of politics and look after the interest of Australians. Like Carlton, the are meek and play nice. We need to find some politicians with some s h i t about them.

Short answer is Yes.
I would be fearful of her running economic, social and foreign policy.

It's one thing to be able to identify the shortcomings of government. It's a completely different thing to offer solutions that would work.

A lot of the current appeal of One Nation stems from the Maga approach in the States. Populist appeal that in the case of the US is currently 'chickens coming home to roost'. We just haven't caught up with the electoral disaster some of these types of policies are yet.

I'm not a fan of either Labor or Liberal/National just at the moment  but I believe they're a much more stable option than One Nation.

10
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by PaulP -
The Orange Tsunami....?   So One Nation have pinched their game plan from GWS....?

The Ginger Whinger claims to side with struggling Australians, yet is besties with a woman who said Aussie workers must compete with their African counterparts, who work for $2 per day.

She's been in political / public life for 30 years, and I cannot think of one positive / constructive thing she's done. Literally, not one. No contributions or efforts to build a school or a bridge or other infrastructure, no bills that she's voted on of any substance, no interview / article etc where she has displayed any depth of knowledge on the topic, no policies of any note. She complains about dole bludgers, and yet she is the biggest grifter in Australian political history.