None, I vote third party always because both Republicans and Democrats are greedy corrupt soul-less cowards who spend all their time trying to bring their opposition down and completely ignore all the problems we have.

(January 17, 2012 at 7:05 pm)JohnDG Wrote: None, I vote third party always because both Republicans and Democrats are greedy corrupt soul-less cowards who spend all their time trying to bring their opposition down and completely ignore all the problems we have.

Oh dear; mate, it REALLY doesn't matter for whom you vote; you STILL get a fucking politician.

Apathie. La position infatigable!



Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.
The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.

So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.

- Chapter 29, excerpt, Tao Te Ching

---

"A great tailor cuts little."

(January 17, 2012 at 7:05 pm)JohnDG Wrote: None, I vote third party always because both Republicans and Democrats are greedy corrupt soul-less cowards who spend all their time trying to bring their opposition down and completely ignore all the problems we have.

There is much wrong with the US political system which is institutional. I agree that not looking past the next election cycle is a big part of the problem. The way each one tries to hamstring the other when they're in power makes accountability nearly impossible. The two big parties have lots in common but they are different in at least three important ways.

Most importantly the republicans are the whores of the 1%. Like W told his audience at a big fundraiser: "Some people call you the financial elite. I call you my base." If you're not part of Bush's base then the repubs don't give a damn about you. Their message to you is "pull a little harder on those bootstraps and you just might pull yourself up by them".

The republicans are also the party of backward conservative social values. No gay marriage or other rights. Bring the church back into the schools and government. Squelch planned parenthood and block safe abortion access.

They are also the more hawkish party. Lots of military spending and unfunded international police work. They're the party of american exceptionalism and going it alone. They don't want to get bogged down in international treaties though they want other countries to abide by such agreements.

These are some pretty important differences. That doesn't mean a democrat can deliver the opposite of these things across the board. Obama realized that but his supporters don't all seem to have.

The american system is structurally built to preserve the status quo to the extent that there is very little that the president or anyone else can do 'fix it'. But what can be done, needs to be done. Incremental change is the only kind I can believe in given what I know about how our system works. I trust Obama to pull whatever slack is available in this dysfunctional system to the benifit of the 99%. I know that a republican president will do the opposite.

Incremental change in the other direction can get you ass shipped off to war. A republican in power can leave you without health insurance or public assistance when the economy goes in the tank. A supreme court packed by republicans could overturn Roe v Wade, block marriage equality, block affordable health care and further erode election finance reform.

Frankly I fear the harm a republican led government can do more than I am disappointed by how little a well motivated democratic government has been able to do. It really does make a difference and if you have your eyes open you should try to avoid this happening. Vote Democratic because we need an adult in office who isn't a fundie.

(January 16, 2012 at 11:23 am)Justtristo Wrote: I believe Australians are using too much natural resources and could cut down on their consumption without affecting the quality of their lives (measurements of living standards a highly subjective in my opinion). Essentially they drive big fuel guzzling cars, live in over-sized energy inefficient houses and etc. Changing Australians lifestyles to be more sustainable environmentally would likely require measures which would be considered fascist by many. However I could not care less.

Let me elaborate my positions on this particular issue.

Since anthropogenic climate change is a reality, in order to combat it we need to switch our dependence on greenhouse gas emitting fossil fuels to energy sources which dont emit greenhouse gases. Also not to mention change practices in households and industries which are also major sources of greenhouse gases emissions.

From an Australian perspective, practices like "urban consolation" are actually increasing greenhouse gas emissions, not reducing them. Because the apartments and row-houses being built often have much higher energy requirements (through the increased requirement for heating and cooling), than say a detached house on a quarter acre block. A reasonable sized detached house on a large lot, through inexpensive measures is much easier to cool and heat than higher density housing.

So decreasing urban densities done the right way can decrease greenhouse gas emissions from our major cities. Also reducing traffic congestion through building more freeways, arterial roads, improving public transport even with lower urban densities can reduce greenhouse gases emissions markedly. Since vehicle greenhouse emissions are lower when traveling at 90kph than when they are traveling at 30kph. Also any technological changes to motor vehicles which would them much more fuel efficient would offset any increased reliance on automotive transport.

However our coal industry, not to mention the reliance of coal for electricity (which includes urban trains which are mostly electric) needs to go the way of the dodo.

Your biggest problem is Trist that the Mining Industry is bringing in ~80% of GNP I am thinking that this alone is what will stop / delay the dodo coming

(January 17, 2012 at 10:48 pm)KichigaiNeko Wrote: Your biggest problem is Trist that the Mining Industry is bringing in ~80% of GNP I am thinking that this alone is what will stop / delay the dodo coming

While coal is a major part of the mining industry, it is not the whole mining industry.

(January 17, 2012 at 10:55 pm)Justtristo Wrote:

(January 17, 2012 at 10:48 pm)KichigaiNeko Wrote: Your biggest problem is Trist that the Mining Industry is bringing in ~80% of GNP I am thinking that this alone is what will stop / delay the dodo coming

While coal is a major part of the mining industry, it is not the whole mining industry.

And Iron Ore and Steel manufacturing??

(January 17, 2012 at 10:59 pm)KichigaiNeko Wrote: And Iron Ore and Steel manufacturing??

Australia's steel industry (and manufacturing in general) has been declining for years. Nowadays a lot of iron ore we mine gets exported overseas. Both the mining of iron ore and production of steel can be changed in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However coal being a major source of greenhouse gas emissions is an industry that will have be radically downsized if not eliminated in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I don't deny there will be economic pain from that occurring, however the economic pain generated by major climate change will be a lot worse.

http://theconversation.edu.au/once-upon-...ustry-2967

While we depending on mining for export earnings, the vast majority of new jobs in the last 30 years have been in the services sector.

(January 18, 2012 at 1:05 am)Justtristo Wrote:

(January 17, 2012 at 10:59 pm)KichigaiNeko Wrote: And Iron Ore and Steel manufacturing??

Australia's steel industry (and manufacturing in general) has been declining for years. Nowadays a lot of iron ore we mine gets exported overseas. Both the mining of iron ore and production of steel can be changed in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However coal being a major source of greenhouse gas emissions is an industry that will have be radically downsized if not eliminated in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I don't deny there will be economic pain from that occurring, however the economic pain generated by major climate change will be a lot worse.

http://theconversation.edu.au/once-upon-...ustry-2967

While we depending on mining for export earnings, the vast majority of new jobs in the last 30 years have been in the services sector.

Firstly the major jobs losses have been in the service industry over the past decade. The mining industry is the only thing that is keeping this country viable IMHO. Our manufacturing is overseas and our services are outsourced overseas. Retail is in decline thanks to taxes to support "climate change adaptation" which WILL come and there is nought you or I or any world government can do about that. Pollution control and "global warming" maybe and the greatest contributors to "greenhouse gases" are humans...so what are you suggesting??