Buggered if I know and I suspect that most of the commentators and experts – if pushed – would probably come to a similar conclusion.
Bernard Keane over at Crikey makes the very valid point that a single budget isn’t really going to affect things all that much but it’s in the interests of the media and the pollies to beat it up into the all singing, all dancing budget day.
Why, I don’t know. Something to do with “narrative” or “discourse”, I suspect.
My opinion of the budget, based on blind hatred of the Tories and the fact that Neil Mitchell doesn’t like it, would be that Kruddy and Swanny have pretty much got the mixture right. True, I would have liked less of the “fiscal discipline” and more of the “social control of the means of production, distribution and exchange to the extent necessary to eliminate exploitation”*, but that’s just me.
There’s always some cunt, whinging that “there’s nothing in it for me”. Well, tough shit buddy. We’re in the middle of the worst international financial crisis since 1930.
Shut the fuck up.
*This is an incredibly obscure political in-joke. I will buy a roast diner for anybody who can pick it.
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That quote is something by Engels
Maybe Squib, but that's not the quote I'm thinking of.
No roast tofu for you.
I know what it means for me. More bloody Medicare surcharge.
The loss of the private health rebate I can handle though, since I always refused to be pushed by Howard's gang into paying an exorbitant and ever-rising fee for a non-service that delivers no real value.
Certainly has a lovely Marxist ring to it.
What shits me is this ridiculous automatic opposition to a stimulus package from those cunts the Liberals. What, you wouldn't implement a stimulus package and a resultant deficit during a time of recession? You cads! That would mean certain misery for all. That's what governments do in recession, you fucks! That's what surpluses are for you fucking pieces of slimy filth!
Jesus, aren't we all left of centre today?
Swan has no idea. Economically we are a rudderless ship, but so's the US. We'll just muddle along but at some stage the bitter pill will have to be swallowed.
Sounds like a quote from the Manifesto Ramon.
And Bob, say what you mean for God's sake!
I've never hidden my political affiliation Wari, but really, what's the alternative?
If the economy is slowing, then it seems obvious to me that you need economic stimulus from somewhere.
Doesn't Perseus have an economics degree?
Most economists agree you spend money during a recession, and save money during a boom.
Howard's lot refused to save money in case it might be spent by a later Labor government, so spent it on short-term pork barrelling, middle class welfare and tax cuts, which ended up just stoking inflation.
That's certainly true Ramon, from your avatar onwards.
Spending your way out of recession is a rather simplistic way of handling what is mostly/partially a structural issue. Keynes may well disagree with me though. Marx certainly would. And you have to pay the money back at some stage, even Governments are unable to avoid that reality.
And the quote? You say it is an "in political joke". So it's not a quote from A Communist Mainfesto?
Typo, you know what I mean.
Howard's lot refused to save money in case it might be spent by a later Labor government, so spent it on short-term pork barrelling, middle class welfare and tax cuts, which ended up just stoking inflation.
Come on Boogey. They just may have repaid a bit of debt too. Which last time I checked was the same as saving.
It's not from friend Karl, no.
Sorry wari, you know I love you, but if both Keynes and Marx would disagree with you on the idea that spending the way out of a recession is NOT the right strategy, who would agree with you, and what is the alternative, as Ramon said. Don't say Turnbull, Costello or Howard. Give me some non-politician names, some impartial economists?
And just as an aside, I thought most people here were firmly left of centre all the time, not just when commenting on the budget.
Melba - Thanks for the kind words, we more mature people need to stick together.
Adam Smith.
And you're right about the potilical leaning here. But as Ramon says, it's not like he's subtle about his preference.
I like to say I'm centre, but also I like a healthy debate.
I'm off for a post birthday lunch at Daikoku.
Oh, and it's fine and 31 degrees.
It's hard to see how that slimy cunt Costello would have handled this.
"Shit, I've run out of bribes to throw at people. What do I do now?"
The thing about Swan, and Costello for that matter, is that they don't make policy. The public servants make policy, dependent somewhat on what the government tells them to think. So whether Swan has no idea, or a good idea, is largely irrelevant. He's just the face of the policy.
I think spending money on 'the people' is a very Marxist philosophy. And fortunately, this labor government actually seems to be doing a bit more of that than the previous labor government. As well as boosting infrastructure such as public transport and hospitals and schools which is also for the people.
Adam Smith from the Cure, right?
Just joking. Well, who is he and what's his thing? I'm lazy here, but then you've gone to lunch wari. (Isn't daikoku white radish in Japanese?) Does that mean I have to look him up myself?
My broad take on everything is that life currently is too much about business, money and squeezing as much out of as many as possible. This includes governments, service infrastructure, corporations. Everything. I want to live in a society where the government looks after the people first, their own interests next. Utopian? Bloody likely. Unachievable? Probably. Worth discarding as an ideal? Never.
You have until 4:00PM (AEST) to claim the Ramon Name that political quote roast dinner challenge.
Labor Socialist Left throwaway line after several beers following the last election?
Very close Bob, but no roast dinner.
Maybe a roast potato.
Come on Boogey. They just may have repaid a bit of debt too. Which last time I checked was the same as saving.Pfft. That took the first few years only, and it was following a recession. Any government, Liberal or Labor, would have had to pay back a deficit after a recession, in spite of Howard and Costello's bleating about 'inheriting' Keating's debt (while keeping quiet on the debt Howard bequeathed to Hawke, of course).
After that was paid back, the resources boom came then it was like an open candy shop for all.
If you throw in gravy Ramon, I'll take it.
It's from the ALP's constitution, but reeks of the Manifesto.
SO someone said it in jest? But where?
Melba. You looked up Daikoku, but not Adam Smith?
Lunch was nice thanks. Daikoku is a flash Japanese tepan style restaurant. Adam Smith is most famous for his "invisible hand" metaphor and a book called The Wealth of Nations. Essentially he postulates that government should intervene in free enterprise as little as possible and market forces (the invisible hand) will bring about a fair balance between supply, demand, prices and wages.
We've got a bit of rioting going on here today. Someone decided to stir up anti-Asian sentiment. 2 shops looted so far. The mob is apparently headed this way ....
I didn't look it up. I was wrong, I've remembered daikon is the radish I think. Dai = big. Ko = don't know. Ku = don't know. Koku = don't know.
Be careful in the riots. Duck and cover, duck and cover.
(A little old-timer joke.)
Spot on Wari.
It is in fact the "socialisation clause" which until recently was part of the ALP's platform.
If you survive the riots, the roast dinner is yours.
Hooray, hooray, hooray. I've won something. And from your previous posts I've done particularly well.
All the Chinese shops have closed and the staff are a bit stressed, but it hasn't gotten to us yet. Everyone was talking about it at lunch, so I've had to forego an afternoon of sake drinking and make sure things are Ok here.
Why do they always target the Asians? Even during the infamous Sandline Crisis in '97 every time there were riots they loot all the Asian shops first.
There was a budget?
I own a small business. I don't care.
*
I have a Dropped Out Of Economics degree.
My band does have a song mentioning Adam Smith though... the line is:
Somewhere between Karl Marx's legs
Somewhere between Adam Smith's legs
Somewhere between capital legs
We've been let down
That's not a joke either. It's a line in one of our old songs.
Oh dear.
Not exactly Billy Bragg.
It remains my favourite song of theirs, Ramon.
And the guff about an early election is complete bullshit.
Ignore.
Perseus, as the official TSFKA sports journo it's clearly your job to come up with a post about the Matty Johns affair.
I think "Gang bang gate" would be a suitable title.
The thing I found most disturbing about the ACA "sexclusive" last night was the something next to Tracy Grimshaw's mouth. A bit of food or a wart or something.
I'd write a hard-hitting piece about the whole sorry saga if I actually gave a fuck.
I'm with Ramon. This story has been heard before. I blogged about Nathan Bock only a month ago, and everything I said there still stands.
Where's today's post?
Where's the midweek Madman?
Can we have a midweek Madwoman one day? And Ramon, can we have some poetry that's a little less male/ale-soaked?
Getting uppity, I know.
Melba, tomorrow's Poetry Slam will be completely ale free.
It will also have a book review.
If that isan't value for money, I don't know what is.
Sorry Melba. I've been a tad too busy for a midweek madman. I have a long list to get through so it's best to spread them out anyway. I'll make the next one a madwoman. Got the perfect subject.
Anyway, I wasn't aware we had to post something every day. That wasn't in my copy of the charter.
Thank you gentlemen. I look forward to the poetry, and Bob, looking forward to the madwoman.
Damn it all, I'm a few hours late reading this post and I've missed out on competing in an obscure quote/info competition that includes one of the handful of things I learned during my Arts degree (to my delight, I used a piece of useless degree-based information just last year after harbouring it carefully since 1994).
Congrats Wari, I salute your roasty glory.
Did anyone else watch Cutting Edge on Tuesday night? It was about the US economy and how their deficit is 10 trillion dollars at the moment (or $35k for every person) and will double in the next decade unless they do something pretty drastic. I kept imagining Dr Evil saying the figure - its so unreal a number I can't actually get my head around it. What comes after trillions?
Straight after that they had our budget announced, with the 60 billion dollar deficit and I felt a bit 'oh is that all - whats the fuss about?' Do you reckon Turnbulls reply to the budget tonight will be the lowest rating program in its timeslot? Getaway should hammer it.
Who's Turnbull?
What comes after trillions?
Quadrillions.
Dr Evil: Gentlemen, the national deficit will rise to one hundred thousand dollars. Mwahahahaha!
I thought it was pretty average. If they wanted to be tough they would have reneged on the tax cuts and cut/removed the baby bonus.
Instead they have massacred IVF rebates, so only rilly rilly rich infertile women will be able to afford to have babies.
so only rilly rilly rich infertile women will be able to afford to have babies.
And of course middle class girls can still make babies the way god intended - through drunken sex with a near stranger the day they forgot to take their pill.
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