Comments on: We’re kidding if we think the GFC scars won’t last

By: james mcdonald

james mcdonald — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:42:35 +0000

If “neo liberals” are people who kind of like the sound of liberalism without really knowing what it means, then yes maybe neo liberals did cause the mess, failing to understand that there is a difference between regulating the market — to uphold competition and transparency — and giving it a bit of a shove once in a while to where you want it to be.

By: Mark Duffett

Mark Duffett — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:42:14 +0000

…whereas of course, Rory Lusher, all socialist regimes have been paragons of environmental virtue, haven’t they.

By: Rory Lusher

Rory Lusher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:13:24 +0000

I don’t agree that the old left/right arguments are irrelevant. It is precisely the neo liberal policies that have gotten us into this mess in the first place. It is also neo liberal parties that support capitalism, which in turn supports the constant growth mantra and the exploitation of the environment and people.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:30:53 +0000

As for the concern about running ‘a promo’ for the ABC I don’t buy that. It’s good news value here.

But there is a media meta analyis worth making. The ABC are reaching out into otherwise commercial online media big and small and that’s a hot topic as per Marg Simons piece same day on crikey blogs.

Where it ends, or is defined, regulated re public v private one can only imagine or guess but it’s happening and some of it will be good, some probably bad. Like p*rn I guess I will know when I see it.

(Speaking of “lifestyle porn” which was another great term from the show last night.)

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:25:35 +0000

Glad I stumbled on the show first 5 minutes last night. If this has run earlier episodes I will have to seek it out. Youtube? (where by the by I watched a clunky version of Bourne Identity made 1988).

I thought the drug addiction metaphor was a stretch to begin with, but then I found it compelling.

Also being an Irish-Italian-Australian anglo I loved the continental jumps putting us humans generally in the frame.

We ecologists in Sydney have howled about the dredging/expansion of Port Botany all for gigantism (talk about literal not metaphor) of container ships from China or say Korea. This monster expansion was to disrupt by one calculation 50 suburbs of Sydney with tunnel/smog stack truckways in an already congested fug.

Growth, growth. It’s mindless. Ross Gittins, economics editor of the Sydney Morning Herald gets it and doesn’t buy this mindless spin. About 15 years ago I wrote to him very annoyed and said he knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. If it was harsh then he is a real moral leader these days from deep within his discipline.

The take out line about predatory overlord masters of the universe Investment Banks buying themselves out with our money. Just wonderful. You deserve a medal for that one line. Made of coca cola bottle caps perhaps.

By: Sexual Lobster

Sexual Lobster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:51:18 +0000

Enjoyed the show, but the drug metaphor got really old.

My sympathies lie with the rest of the animal kingdom before you humans (I’m a squid). I’d like to see the cashmonies of the top bankers appropriated and directed towards conservation of endangered species and reclamation of natural areas.

By: Bill Thompson

Bill Thompson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:05:05 +0000

The planet today is in the situation that Britain faced in 1940, a state of siege. The island nation was surrounded by hostile naval and air forces, and just over the Channel, an aggressive and successful land force had captured most of Europe. The War Cabinet included Churchill as the Conservative Prime Minister, and Attlee the Labour leader. The former dealt with prosecuting the war and the latter with domestic issues. Appalled by the record of profiteering industrialists in the First World War, Atlee was to ensure that this was not to be repeated in the Second. War time regulations were imposed to maximise the production of war materials and the wherewithal necessary to sustain the population, was rationed. Income was taxed at the rate of nineteen shillings and sixpence in the pound, that is, the taxpayer retained one pound in every forty earned. The sacrifice was shared in treasure and blood.

Planet Earth is in no less danger today than Britain was in 1940.

Every nation on Earth need its leaders to take note of the urgency of countering the anthropomorphic sources of global warming, and to emulate the boldness of those in Britain in 1940. With no one seemingly prepared to sacrifice anything, I fear that greed will succeed.

By: Mark Duffett

Mark Duffett — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:07:09 +0000

This is all very interesting (I really mean that) but I’m curious: Did the ABC or anyone else (e.g. the producers) pay Crikey to run this piece? Or did it run despite rather than because of it being an overt promotion for one of their programs?