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The Blind Ass
Bodhi


Registered: 08/16/16
Posts: 27,993
Loc: The Primordial Mind
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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27899677 - 08/11/22 08:56 PM (1 year, 9 months ago) |
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If so you aren’t the only one.
-------------------- Give me Liberty caps -or- give me Death caps
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27909611 - 08/19/22 12:53 PM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
sudly said: How is my money worth less and my Hecs worth more when my cost of living goes up..
I'm not learning more, it's not an asset, there isn't interest. The value of my degree is increasing faster than the way I've been given to pay it off. After four years I now owe the same as I did when I finished my degree on a 27k loan.
I got duped. I mean I got my degree and I didn't fail anything, and my Hecs is more average than most. I earn more than 60k a year and the way the system is set up at the moment I may retire before it works.
When I signed up for university I didn't think I'd pay it off before 10 or 20 years, but it never came across my desk from tutors, professors, teachers or peers that my and our hex debt will not slowly diminish over time. The interest free design was promoted and the indexation was not admonished.
We slip our 17 year olds a major contract and distract them with promises of interest free loans for a tuition that itself won't educate us on the fine print, terms and conditions.
Was I the folly?
So I was just reading that your interest free loan is indexed to rise in line with the cost of living, that's a bummer, but yeah I guess it always pays to read the fine print 
One thing I've worked out over the years with the government is; they always expect their money back.
The covid payments for example. I bet there'd be a lot of people that weren't/aren't(it's still available if you get covid) aware of that money being added onto their taxable income.
Also, if you're not long out of uni your income will reflect that, but after you get some experience under your belt I'd be surprised if you can't easily double your current income, possibly even triple it depending on what you've studied. You'd be aware of this though yeah?
27k is around half the price of a new car, most car loans are taken over 5 years, you'll get through it.
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


Registered: 09/26/18
Posts: 6,234
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2 weeks ago, after the Insiders program with Andrew Hastie on, I emailed him and asked him to tone down the anti China rhetoric. Amazingly, he replied himself, even if he did say I appeared overwrought, I thanked him for his reply and kindly asked if he would endeavour to not get us all blown to hell.
This also seems to be a view held by John Lander, he's a cool cat.
This is a cut and paste from the Australian Citizens Report email I get once a week regarding their latest video that went up this week.
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Must watch: An urgent warning to Australia
Following US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s intentionally provocative visit to Taiwan, and China’s military exercises in response, veteran Australian diplomat John Lander has issued a stark warning to his nation. The issue is not whether Australia will follow the USA into a war against China, he insists; rather, Australia, like Taiwan, is being primed to be a proxy for the USA in a war against China.
John Lander was Australia’s Deputy Ambassador to Beijing 1974-76, Ambassador to Iran 1985-88, and three times the head of the China desk at the Department of Foreign Affairs. His experience in foreign affairs, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, goes back more than 50 years, and includes the period when Australia pursued a policy independent to the United States by recognising the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1972 (the USA did not formally recognise the PRC until 1979). At the time there was a growing awareness of, and concern about, the security implications to Australia from always marching in lockstep with the USA. This concern was expressed in the Department’s Policy Planning Paper QP11/71 of 21 July 1971 (then Secret/Eclipse, now declassified), which argued that there was “cause for concern whether our alliance with the United States can protect us at every step from political disadvantage resulting from the manner in which the United States conducts its global policies…. The American alliance, in a changing power balance, will mean less to us than it has in the past.
“If anything, this argument has been strengthened by recent United States actions and America’s failure to consult us on issues of primary importance to Australia. Accordingly, we shall need, now more than ever, to formulate independent policies, based on Australian national interests and those of our near neighbours, that will enable us to react quickly to developments in United States’ policy towards China and Indochina” (and the rest of Southeast Asia). The streak of independence Australia displayed in the early 1970s, and which motivated John Lander his entire diplomatic career, has long since disappeared. John Lander is warning that this has implications for Australia’s security that are even more grave today.
In the interview, he gives a different perspective on the war danger to that expressed by former US military officer Scott Ritter—the courageous weapons inspector who tried to stop the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003—who warned that Pelosi was provoking a US war with China over Taiwan that America couldn’t win. John Lander insists that the US war planners have no intention of directly fighting a war with China, because of the very real danger it could escalate to a nuclear exchange. Rather, they are planning to use Taiwan to fight a proxy war against China, hoping to “weaken” China, just as US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted America is using Ukraine to “weaken” Russia. The United States, he warns, is priming Australia to also be its proxy against China; the USA would arm Australia to fight China but avoid engaging China directly. This would be an unwinnable war which would destroy Australia, but, America hopes, would at least weaken China, so the USA would remain the world’s sole superpower. With their undisguised hostility towards China and their sycophancy towards the United States—cultivated by the likes of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue and the US State Department-funded Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)—Australia’s political leaders are not just talking themselves into being America’s proxy, but are taking concrete steps through increased military “interoperability” and “interchangeability” with the USA.
In the interview, John Lander explains precisely the legal status of Taiwan as a province of China, showing how America’s actions that are instigating the conflict are in breach of its own recognition of the law. If Australians do not want to find themselves suddenly thrust into a war of annihilation against China, they should all listen and heed the warning of this veteran diplomat, who is the clearest strategic thinker in Australia today.
Click here to support the Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition’s petition - A “Call for Peace”
Click here to refer others to receive regular email updates from the Citizens Party.
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sudly
Quasar Praiser

Registered: 01/05/15
Posts: 11,594
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Quote:
Stable Genius said: Also, if you're not long out of uni your income will reflect that, but after you get some experience under your belt I'd be surprised if you can't easily double your current income, possibly even triple it depending on what you've studied. You'd be aware of this though yeah?
27k is around half the price of a new car, most car loans are taken over 5 years, you'll get through it.
I earnt 50k after finishing uni, then eventually bumped it up to 60.
Outside of a white collar worker pushing more hours than they have in a day for salaried incomes.. what field could anyone possibly double or triple their income within 5 years?
I'm suprised you'd be surprised someone can't easily double or TRIPLE their income with even 5 years experience under their belt.
27k is the price of a new car! Maybe not a ford raptor but a genuinly good car.
I'll put my two cents up front and say that to me you sound like you're financially sound, and imo a few cents short of being in touch with general lower to middle income earning individuals.
I've known engineers who started at 80 and worked up to 100 in a few years, marketers going from 60 to 80 over 2 years, but no one at all who has doubled their income as of yet.
What examples are you thinking of?
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


Registered: 09/26/18
Posts: 6,234
Loc: Wide Bay Orstralia
Last seen: 8 days, 21 hours
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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27911752 - 08/20/22 07:21 PM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Engineering degree https://www.seek.com.au/engineer-jobs-in-construction/in-All-Brisbane-QLD?salaryrange=100000-999999&salarytype=annual
When school ended I was 14 yet have consistently earnt around $100k+ a year for the last decade working in my own business.
The first year I cracked $100k on wages was in the late 90's, in Qld. Qld is a low wage state. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/employee-earnings/latest-release#:~:text=Weekly%20Earnings%2C%20Australia.-,State%20and%20territory,and%20South%20Australia%20(%241%2C100).
Last foreman position I had in the N.T. Alice Springs, 10 years ago, was over $150k a year + share house with a pool + car + flights back to Qld once a month.
Electricians in Brisbane on union projects can earn close to $200k a year. When I worked underground, Tieri central Queensland 2007, anyone with any experience was able to get $120hr(not me it wasn't my forte), experienced Deputies(the guy in charge of an underground crew) were getting $200hr, yes $200hr, 60hrs a week.
If I wanted to go to W.A. I could earn close to $300k a year. I work with a guy at the moment who earnt that on the last LNG project in Darwin https://www.seek.com.au/job/58138742?type=standard#sol=9e798ed7ec925f4e0dd622e0d754fbb63619a5ca
I'm getting too old for solar and not interested in doing any more fly in/out work so I took a wages job, this year I'll make $120k + 10.5% superannuation + 9 day fortnight + 4 weeks holidays plus plus plus and I'm home everyday.
Also, my Commodore Sv6 ute cost $44k 13 years ago, it's not a v8, not top of the line, but it is a nice car and I'm not selling it as it still runs fine.
Quote:
I'll put my two cents up front and say that to me you sound like you're financially sound, and imo a few cents short of being in touch with general lower to middle income earning individuals
You did say you've put some effort in by earning a degree Lazy people rarely earn good money so I am not inferring you are lazy. Neither am I, my experience was earnt in difficult situations and I've walked out the gate on strike many times.
A TAFE teacher told me when I was 17, find a niche industry and specialise in it, best advice ever. If you're doing the same shit as the guy across the road you'll never get anywhere, my advice would be to search out something that's difficult to get into, that suits your skill set even if you have to do more study/move/whatever, then make it your business to get into it.
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sudly
Quasar Praiser

Registered: 01/05/15
Posts: 11,594
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Outside of senior roles or working in the mines, I don't think it's as simple as pulling yourself up by the bootstrap to get 100k + roles a few years after graduating.
With limited availability and a lot of competition for such high paying roles, I'm sure plenty of qualified people miss out on the opportunity.
You said it yourself you are aware the given high paying roles require niche industries to specialise in.
Some people I know paid $2000 (adjusted for inflation) for their degree, and although I can accept it currently is what it is, I'd still have liked to see certain information emphasised throughout my education, to ensure new students were fully aware and informed, not that it would make a difference in the end, but that something like indexation wouldn't be a surprise.
University involves a lot of students teaching themselves, but even in highschool we (imo) weren't exactly shown anything about taxes, relationships, mental health, goal orientation etc.
5 years, 10,000 classes, and not one on life skills. Just rinse and repeat.
Overall I'm pretty comfortable with decent future opportunities to grow in my career, though for the moment the lifestyle of a professional bushwalker sounds appealing.
-------------------- I am whatever Darwin needs me to be.
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


Registered: 09/26/18
Posts: 6,234
Loc: Wide Bay Orstralia
Last seen: 8 days, 21 hours
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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27911968 - 08/21/22 12:30 AM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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there's always a trade off.
Fruit picking is something I always wanted to try as sometimes the money isn't always the answer.
Plus I can live anywhere except big cities. I've tried Brisbane a couple of times over the years but just couldn't handle it. Darwin is ok, had a lot of fun there.
May even end up selling my house near the beach and going bush... but running away isn't the answer either
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sudly
Quasar Praiser

Registered: 01/05/15
Posts: 11,594
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I came back from a road trip in Darwin 2 weeks ago, there is no winter there and in the wet season accessibility would be sliced every which way!
It's not bad getting paid to be in the bush
-------------------- I am whatever Darwin needs me to be.
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


Registered: 09/26/18
Posts: 6,234
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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27912014 - 08/21/22 02:56 AM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Nice! The Territory is such an extreme place hey.
The most enjoyable times I've ever had have mostly been a long way from any city
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


Registered: 09/26/18
Posts: 6,234
Loc: Wide Bay Orstralia
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Quote:
US Coast Guard vessel unable to enter Solomon Islands port to refuel while patrolling for illegal fishing in the South Pacific
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/101377816
Sogavare is showing he means business.
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


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Brian Jones
Club 27



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I couldn't watch the whole thing due to the hour and my current biochemical state. What I heard sounded balanced.
I guess the rest of the world which was applauding him, didn't catch on for a while that this was playing very differently in Russia; I'm not sure if it was immediately, but soon enough they didn't like it.
I'm still confused how and why the Communist Party gave him the keys to the kingdom.
I'll try to watch it all later.
-------------------- "The Rolling Stones will break up over Brian Jones' dead body" John Lennon I don't want no commies in my car. No Christians either. The worst thing about corruption is that it works so well,
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


Registered: 09/26/18
Posts: 6,234
Loc: Wide Bay Orstralia
Last seen: 8 days, 21 hours
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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: Brian Jones] 1
#27933141 - 09/04/22 06:20 AM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Cool Brian I really like Phillip Adams even though I sometimes disagree with him. He's a very interesting journalist and a walking encyclopedia.
He was a member of the Australian Communist Party and had an ASIO(= FBI) file at 16 years of age! but don't let that put you off, he's actually anti Putin and no longer a card carrying communist. The programme I linked had a shortened version of his interview with Gorbachev but the ABC also linked the original uncut interview as a podcast as well 
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/interview-with-mikhail-gorbachev-2006-/101393096?utm_campaign=abc_radionational&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_radionational
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sudly
Quasar Praiser

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My grandads uncle was put-in jail for 12 years accused of espionage for KBG relations
-------------------- I am whatever Darwin needs me to be.
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Stable Genius
Radicalised


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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27933921 - 09/04/22 04:29 PM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Whoa holy shit!
So that must've been at the height of the communist hysteria here in the 50's? 12 years the poor bugger, that's nuts.
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sudly
Quasar Praiser

Registered: 01/05/15
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Anti-fascist views weren't appreciated in the German 1930s, especially if done as the editor of a social democratic to communist paper.
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sentenced him to life imprisonment. It is, he comments, “an even harsher punishment than a quick death, considering I would have to be buried alive for forty years. But I hope confidently that I will be restored to freedom in a few years.
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The »thousand-year Reich« lasted 147 months and eight days. Of these, he had to spend 143 months and one day less in prison and behind barbed wire. He was released on May 13, 1945, when the doors of the Werl prison were opened for him.
-------------------- I am whatever Darwin needs me to be.
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koods
Ribbit



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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: sudly]
#27940034 - 09/08/22 08:38 AM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Looks like you guys are gonna have to print new money
--------------------
NotSheekle said “if I believed she was 16 I would become unattracted to her”
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Markamello
Stranger


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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: koods] 1
#27940581 - 09/08/22 02:47 PM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
koods said: Looks like you guys are gonna have to print new money
Just thought I'd chirp up to post the same thing.
Hopefully this is the begining of taking her of our currency and public talks of independence resurface.
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sudly
Quasar Praiser

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Posts: 11,594
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Re: The Australian Politics Thread [Re: Markamello]
#27941359 - 09/09/22 01:11 AM (1 year, 8 months ago) |
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Not good news for coin collectors apparantly?
I used to be neutral on her but after hiding the news on Whitlam for 50 years she's a dud in my book. Something hidden for 50 years don't sit right.
-------------------- I am whatever Darwin needs me to be.
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Brian Jones
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Quote:
Stable Genius said: Cool Brian I really like Phillip Adams even though I sometimes disagree with him. He's a very interesting journalist and a walking encyclopedia.
He was a member of the Australian Communist Party and had an ASIO(= FBI) file at 16 years of age! but don't let that put you off, he's actually anti Putin and no longer a card carrying communist. The programme I linked had a shortened version of his interview with Gorbachev but the ABC also linked the original uncut interview as a podcast as well 
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/interview-with-mikhail-gorbachev-2006-/101393096?utm_campaign=abc_radionational&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_radionational
I had time to listen to the whole thing. It was good. I can totally identify with the narrator going from communist to social democrat. I would like to find a book or a really long internet article that was balanced, dealing with the power dynamics with the Gorbachev phenomena. It was a closed society, and will we ever know about the internal debates they were having? It really is a riddle of history to me, but assumably the communist party was very divided at the time.
When Andropov came in major change was expected but he died quickly, and Chernenko was a step back from reform. I remember telling my students that the next leader would bring real change because that was the direction they were going, but Gorbachev went farther than anyone could have anticipated.
-------------------- "The Rolling Stones will break up over Brian Jones' dead body" John Lennon I don't want no commies in my car. No Christians either. The worst thing about corruption is that it works so well,
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