Interesting things too

.

"Wages growth did go backwards during those years at a faster rate than at any time in recent history and in real terms this translated to a negative impact on living standards ."

The drop in wage growth in 2008/2009 was caused by the GFC. You can't blame that on Labor. You might notice that the recovery was rapid. This was a direct result of Labor stimulus policies which were opposed by the COALition at the time.

" I find your opposition to recognising the impact of immigration confusing. "

I have no problem with the hypothesis that immigration lowers wages. The problem is that, last time I did the research, the evidence for this was weak and contradictory. About the only thing the studies agreed on was that, whether or not it did impact wages, immigration was not the fundamental cause of low wage growth.

Yet we still have the highest minimum wages in the world and jobs still going offshore.

https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/australia-now-has-world-s...

Not complaining though my job can't go offshore and my money goes as far as possible in Indo and prices of many things like electronics and bikes etc are now cheaper than when i was a kid in the 80s (a few times cheaper when take inflation into account), and we can all buy as much useless cheap Asian made crap as possible..yay!.

The graph you provided illustrated the downwards trend in wage growth as a result of the GFC ( 2008-2010 ). A seperate and unrelated downward trend in the graph (2012-2014 ) illustrates the effect that the ALP’s immigration policies had on the rate of wages growth of Australian workers. This trend was as impactful as the global financial crisis on the living standards of workers whilst under the federal governance of a party which purports to represent those same workers.

Please bear in mind that the intermittent upswing between the two periods is more illustrative of the resumption of regular wage growth, after the fear inducement and subsequent wage freeze by employers caused by the GFC , than it is of any political accomplishment by the ALP with regards to rate of wage growth.

I’ll leave you do provide evidence to the contrary if you choose to ignore the reality of excess immigration within a closed loop of labour supply. Most experts contend that your position is more fanciful than evidence based. Maybe it’s time to review your sentiment ?

Also worthy of consideration is the fact that during the years of ALP federal power , the rate of wages increase didn’t just trend downwards in isolation, it did so in contrast with a rapid rate of inflation. Wages didn’t just go backwards in real terms , they did so at quite a clip.

The increase in the rate of inflation was a direct result of the same immigration policies the ALP elected to pursue. Increasing population leading to increased demand for goods and services which drives prices upwards in virtually any example save the cost of labour. This created a situation whereby Australian workers were being persecuted with a double dose : retreating wages growth experienced during a period of lessening purchase power in real terms.

Obviously the LNP would have employed the same policies or similar in order to achieve the same result. The question is therefore: Why would the ALP choose to follow a course of action which is detrimental to their voter base ?

"Why would the ALP choose to follow a course of action which is detrimental to their voter base?"

It's the neoliberalism three-card Monte that's been going on for decades, the old bait and switch which appears to look after the voters but of course looks after the corporate masters to an infinitely greater degree.

Blowfly was essentially correct the other day when he defined Labor as right wing and the LNP as far-right.

The only question left to answer is why the fuck does the average Jo vote for either of them, especially with a view to the longer term.

With regard to Blowfly, I suspect that it's because he prefers to deal with black and whites, absolutes, the "which side are you on" school of thinking.

Can make you look righteous (to the uninitiated) when you're having a discussion but in reality it's counter-productive.

Dude, I am not responsible for disproving your various hypotheses (as stated below) until you provide some evidence beyond your confident opinion. Sorry but that's how it works. Correlations are a good starting point for research but on their own prove nothing.

"The increase in the rate of inflation was a direct result of the same immigration policies the ALP elected to pursue."

"A seperate and unrelated downward trend in the graph (2012-2014 ) illustrates the effect that the ALP’s immigration policies had on the rate of wages growth of Australian workers."

"With regard to Blowfly, I suspect that it's because he prefers to deal with black and whites, "
As opposed to the infinite shades of grey that can be used to avoid accountability for ...well anything at all really.

That’s the real news, who’s fault a Covid outbreak is means fuck all really.
And if picking sides is in, neither the coalition or the labour party can be on my team.

Would I be racist if I said the Chinese are rapacious scum with no moral compass, that’s their nature and culture.
Check out what’s happening off the Galapagos with the Chinese fishing fleet before answering.

Just asking for a friend.

Well, what would you call a 200 strong fishing fleet of Chinese origin sitting just off a foreign island ready to strip it’s waters of life?
No not for that dude, Just wondering why they can’t be called out.

After looking at ivory figures maybe not all Chinese can be stereotyped by their country’s global business practice.

Exactly Blowfly, what we're dealing with is good and evil, right and wrong. You're either with us or you're against us.
I love that you share the same sort of absolute thought processes as the fellas that were responsible for those quotes, you're in good company.

And in case you missed my point, if your thinking revolves around "LNP bad, Labor good" and Labor is still fucking you over in the broader picture then that rigid, binary way of thinking is counter productive.

Don't you think?

I mean, you yourself called Labor right wing so surely progressing beyond a good/bad mindset is necessary in this case and also many others.

How should a country react where an armed militia masquerading as part of a fishing fleet continue their incursions in to another countries EEZ (because they illegally claim it as their own) and deplete the previously managed fish and squid stocks by 80％ within 5 years?

And ignore the ruling by the international court of arbitration but then claim the international law is broken when the countries (Japan and North Korea) want to assert their territorial rights?

Zen, the Incursions by China into the EEZ’s is an extension of their constant harassment of Japan’s air space, there is an obvious military intent.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/28/asia/japan-china-fighter-jet-scramble...

There's that Distracted but attracting less attention is the hundreds of (armed) Chinese fishing trawlers stripping the Japanese sea to the north-west of Japan and east of North Korea of squid and sanma (Pacific saury) which are a staple in these two countries. So much so that the fishery is collapsing (believe it or not the Koreans and Japanese managed this fishery well with quotas and a strict season) with the overall catch down 80％ in 5 years. I'll try and find a link.

The Chinese have no regard to managing the catch and basically their strip-mining of the Sea of Japan amounts to wholesale theft.

So not just the Galápagos Zen. They want everything from the ocean?

Illegal shark finning and giant clam in the Torres Straight. They're everywhere mate.

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/china-issues-new-sustainability-rules-...

So let me get this straight, they fuck it for everyone, yet if I say “the Chinese are rapacious see you en tee’s” I’m the bad guy ‘cause that’s racist?
It’s a confusing situation.

“China can act fast- if they wish to do so”............it would appear they do not wish to do so.

Not really soggydog. It is more of a sexist insult than a racist one. On the other hand if you start calling them rats....that is racist. One issue is to do with credibility. More people will pay serious attention to what you are saying if you cut out the abusive discriminatory language. Another issue is the chances of getting a positive response to your complaints. As the link shows there have been on going negotiations which look like resulting in more sustainable fishing by China. That was not achieved by insults.

The new rules are being introduced over the course of this year. it is too early to know how well they are being followed. By all means remain skeptical, their record in this area is poor.

Whoa! The conundrum is greater than first expected.
So if I just said that their policy is rapacious lacks any vision for future sustainability and is a threat to the fish stocks globally. As well their new sustainability policy appears to be little more than some feel good clap trap as they continue to clean out the oceans.
And this same approach is used across many extractive industries, mainly to do with the collection of wild animal products.
That would be ok, but if I use the c word as a description that becomes sexist and/or possibly racist.
Oh yeah I’m no foreign diplomat either so just commenting on what I see. And it would appear that they really don’t care for diplomacy if they’ve already decided what the goal is.

Today's Google memo.
Scomo allows Rupert to audit Google in order to up rank NEWS (Ad) credits.
Rupert ordered Scomo to trawl our search history to police NEWS copyright crimes.
Also means Google must Rank Murdoch credits prominently in search results...

Dutto scans yer history & then cordons off yer searches toward News Subsription.
So Largest Corps Rule Top 100 search Results by banking off credit compliance.
All Govt Alerts on Facebook + Govt news behind Rupert's Paywall...(Not suss!)

Oh! Ok! So the crew kinda thought that was already happening! Fair call...
Well, Dutto just twisted the knife a little more, then put the boot in & spat on them!

All said! Corona Nationalism is rationing the www into isolated Corp Paywalls.
We all see Covid morphing www into Big Brother SPORTSBET for CEO's.
Team Oz is on top of the Social credit Table with China a far distant 2nd.
This week NEWS (vs) Google search Engine...played on Scomo's level playing field.

You wake to find China has more www freedom than yer dark side of the Paid Wall.
Simpletons drooling over Chinese Tickety Tockheads...Gimme some of that shit!
https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en#/@elektrobotz_/video/6859788723907808518

soggy your first paragraph is good and I am happy to discuss Chinese fishing, particularly if you have links that show the progress (or lack of it) with the new policy. Beyond that the question for me is, why do you want to use sexist or racist language?
Most peope seeing that language will make the reasonable assumption that you are sexist and racist and for a majority of people these days that's a problem. It lowers you in their eyes. Racist and sexist language were common as I was growing up and racism and sexism were acceptable. No doubt in some circles they still are, but those circles are ever diminishing. These days I make an effort not to use a lot of the words I grew up with. You might like to give the same approach some thought.

Soggydog your not the bad guy you say it how it is and its about time the
rest of us do the same. China has declared war on the world just because
they didnt use a missile nobody wants to say it. But its a fact.
They have no humane rights they overfish the worlds oceans they want every
endangered and exotic animal caught tortured and eaten or used in some other
absurd manner they are making a big move on the worlds economy they are on
the move in a very cunning rat like way to control the world and the world should
stop worrying about Me2 over the top rubbish and black lives matter protest and
concentrate on protesting and boycotting China.
Because soon it will be too late. Then see how all your political correctness works.

That’s what I don’t understand about left politics Blowfly. We all agree on the issues in principle but language and political correctness causes us to canabalise those that would happily stand shoulder to shoulder.
Why not just call a spade a spade and move on.

"Why not just call a spade a spade and move on."

Indeed, but that was not what you were doing. The relationship between Chinese fishing and female genitalia used as an insult is not one that is immediately obvious. My basic point is...well stick to the point. Put forward the evidence. A clear description of whatever abuses you are complaining about is much more persuasive than gratuitous sexist insults and has the added benefit of not being labelled an anachronism.

"If we aren’t willing to make that sacrifice, then America is already over and we might as well just fold our tent and see if Canada will take the non-racist, non-homophobic, non war-mongering ones of us who have manners and get satire."

Hell of a treatise by Moore, tempted to TL;DR, but did read the whole damn thing and can expect we're in for a wild old ride.

Facto, yeah seems a bit OTT, but Moore's description/predictions of the game of silly buggers Trump is playing is probably pretty accurate.
I'll add another prediction: Trump will announce and roll out a SARS-CoV2 vaccine in the weeks leading up to the election (whether they've got a safe and effective one ready or not by then; hopefully they do...)

Whilst I appreciate Michael Moore’s passion , I wonder if he’s any longer aware that Donald Trump was elected as the result of a fair and equitable democratic process ? It bothers me that such an obviously clever individual would find themselves subject to the conspiracy theories and spurious conjecture regarding the President’s intentions for the upcoming elections.

Which part do you assert is 'spurious conjecture'? Trumps been pretty clear as to his motivations regarding the postal service and has refused to commit to accepting the election results.

I wouldn't really describe US elections as fair and equitable either.

So Dude still struggling to accept the findings of 17 different investigations into the influence of Russia on the election? The ones that revealed that 126 million Americans saw Facebook material promoting Trump. Material generated and paid for by the Kremlin. Not to mention that he lost the popular vote by 3 million votes.
"...a fair and equitable democratic process ?" Not by any reasonable standard.

facto, I will see your Michael Moore and raise you a Michelle Obama.

Good evening, everyone. It's a hard time, and everyone's feeling it in different ways. And I know a lot of folks are reluctant to tune into a political convention right now or to politics in general. Believe me, I get that. But I am here tonight because I love this country with all my heart, and it pains me to see so many people hurting.

I've met so many of you. I've heard your stories. And through you, I have seen this country's promise. And thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, I've been able to live that promise myself.
That's the story of America. All those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times because they wanted something more, something better for their kids.
There's a lot of beauty in that story. There's a lot of pain in it, too, a lot of struggle and injustice and work left to do. And who we choose as our president in this election will determine whether or not we honor that struggle and chip away at that injustice and keep alive the very possibility of finishing that work.
I am one of a handful of people living today who have seen firsthand the immense weight and awesome power of the presidency. And let me once again tell you this: the job is hard. It requires clear-headed judgment, a mastery of complex and competing issues, a devotion to facts and history, a moral compass, and an ability to listen—and an abiding belief that each of the 330,000,000 lives in this country has meaning and worth.

A president's words have the power to move markets. They can start wars or broker peace. They can summon our better angels or awaken our worst instincts. You simply cannot fake your way through this job.
As I've said before, being president doesn't change who you are; it reveals who you are. Well, a presidential election can reveal who we are, too. And four years ago, too many people chose to believe that their votes didn't matter. Maybe they were fed up. Maybe they thought the outcome wouldn't be close. Maybe the barriers felt too steep. Whatever the reason, in the end, those choices sent someone to the Oval Office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3,000,000 votes.
In one of the states that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct—two votes. And we've all been living with the consequences.
When my husband left office with Joe Biden at his side, we had a record-breaking stretch of job creation. We'd secured the right to health care for 20,000,000 people. We were respected around the world, rallying our allies to confront climate change. And our leaders had worked hand-in-hand with scientists to help prevent an Ebola outbreak from becoming a global pandemic.
Four years later, the state of this nation is very different. More than 150,000 people have died, and our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long. It has left millions of people jobless. Too many have lost their health care; too many are struggling to take care of basic necessities like food and rent; too many communities have been left in the lurch to grapple with whether and how to open our schools safely. Internationally, we've turned our back, not just on agreements forged by my husband, but on alliances championed by presidents like Reagan and Eisenhower.
And here at home, as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and a never-ending list of innocent people of color continue to be murdered, stating the simple fact that a Black life matters is still met with derision from the nation's highest office.
Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy.
Empathy: that's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. The ability to walk in someone else's shoes; the recognition that someone else's experience has value, too. Most of us practice this without a second thought. If we see someone suffering or struggling, we don't stand in judgment. We reach out because, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." It is not a hard concept to grasp. It's what we teach our children.
And like so many of you, Barack and I have tried our best to instill in our girls a strong moral foundation to carry forward the values that our parents and grandparents poured into us. But right now, kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. They're looking around wondering if we've been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value.
They see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. They see people calling the police on folks minding their own business just because of the color of their skin. They see an entitlement that says only certain people belong here, that greed is good, and winning is everything because as long as you come out on top, it doesn't matter what happens to everyone else. And they see what happens when that lack of empathy is ginned up into outright disdain.
They see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protestors for a photo-op.
Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation. A nation that's underperforming not simply on matters of policy but on matters of character. And that's not just disappointing; it's downright infuriating, because I know the goodness and the grace that is out there in households and neighborhoods all across this nation.
And I know that regardless of our race, age, religion, or politics, when we close out the noise and the fear and truly open our hearts, we know that what's going on in this country is just not right. This is not who we want to be.
So what do we do now? What's our strategy? Over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me, "When others are going so low, does going high still really work?" My answer: going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that's drowning out everything else. We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very causes for which we fight.
But let's be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we've got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.
And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth.
So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.
Now, I understand that my message won't be heard by some people. We live in a nation that is deeply divided, and I am a Black woman speaking at the Democratic Convention. But enough of you know me by now. You know that I tell you exactly what I'm feeling. You know I hate politics. But you also know that I care about this nation. You know how much I care about all of our children.
So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don't make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.
I know Joe. He is a profoundly decent man, guided by faith. He was a terrific vice president. He knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country. And he listens. He will tell the truth and trust science. He will make smart plans and manage a good team. And he will govern as someone who's lived a life that the rest of us can recognize.
When he was a kid, Joe's father lost his job. When he was a young senator, Joe lost his wife and his baby daughter. And when he was vice president, he lost his beloved son. So Joe knows the anguish of sitting at a table with an empty chair, which is why he gives his time so freely to grieving parents. Joe knows what it's like to struggle, which is why he gives his personal phone number to kids overcoming a stutter of their own.
His life is a testament to getting back up, and he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up, to help us heal and guide us forward.
Now, Joe is not perfect. And he'd be the first to tell you that. But there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president. And his ability to learn and grow—we find in that the kind of humility and maturity that so many of us yearn for right now. Because Joe Biden has served this nation his entire life without ever losing sight of who he is; but more than that, he has never lost sight of who we are, all of us.
Joe Biden wants all of our kids to go to a good school, see a doctor when they're sick, live on a healthy planet. And he's got plans to make all of that happen. Joe Biden wants all of our kids, no matter what they look like, to be able to walk out the door without worrying about being harassed or arrested or killed. He wants all of our kids to be able to go to a movie or a math class without being afraid of getting shot. He wants all our kids to grow up with leaders who won't just serve themselves and their wealthy peers but will provide a safety net for people facing hard times.
And if we want a chance to pursue any of these goals, any of these most basic requirements for a functioning society, we have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored. Because right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. They're closing down polling places in minority neighborhoods. They're purging voter rolls. They're sending people out to intimidate voters, and they're lying about the security of our ballots. These tactics are not new.
But this is not the time to withhold our votes in protest or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning. We have got to vote like we did in 2008 and 2012. We've got to show up with the same level of passion and hope for Joe Biden. We've got to vote early, in person if we can. We've got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they're received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same.
We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too, because we've got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to.
Look, we have already sacrificed so much this year. So many of you are already going that extra mile. Even when you're exhausted, you're mustering up unimaginable courage to put on those scrubs and give our loved ones a fighting chance. Even when you're anxious, you're delivering those packages, stocking those shelves, and doing all that essential work so that all of us can keep moving forward.
Even when it all feels so overwhelming, working parents are somehow piecing it all together without child care. Teachers are getting creative so that our kids can still learn and grow. Our young people are desperately fighting to pursue their dreams.
And when the horrors of systemic racism shook our country and our consciences, millions of Americans of every age, every background rose up to march for each other, crying out for justice and progress.
This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another. And it is well past time for our leaders to once again reflect our truth.
So, it is up to us to add our voices and our votes to the course of history, echoing heroes like John Lewis who said, "When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something." That is the truest form of empathy: not just feeling, but doing; not just for ourselves or our kids, but for everyone, for all our kids.

And if we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States.
Thank you all. God bless.

Video here if you prefer
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/17/politics/michelle-obama-speech-transc...

I’m afraid that without any evidence of causation to back up the assertions that some media on Facebook altered the outcome of the election, I’ll continue to rely on the accepted truism that it reflected the will of the US democratic system as it was designed.

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber/russian-interference-in-2016-u-s-elections

Not enough evidence for DSDS, but enough for the FBI to indict 12 russians. You sure have a high bar DSDS. You know, you really remind me of someone.

Quite a lineup for the Democrats in support of a Biden . Do you think that the word of Bill and Hillary Clinton still holds currency since Bill was established by eye witness as a participant in the Epstein sexual trafficking exploits ? Particularly as it builds on his reputation as one who abuses his power over subordinates in order to satisfy his sexual urges with the Monica Lewinsky debacle.

Biden has already been accused of sexual assault by his own VP nominate . I’m not sure that enough clear air has been provided on this topic for those voters who find sexual crimes appalling. Which you’d hope would be the vast majority of the voting public !

Even Michelle Obama carries the stain . Her last glowing character reference was for Harvey Weinstein.

I’m sure that some Russians were found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of the election. This is not evidence that the election was influenced in any way whatsoever. If you can provide evidence that the election was not fair and equitable I would greatly appreciate it . Perhaps you could also forward it to the FBI .

Thanks JQ, beat me to it.

"Michelle Obama did indeed once describe Weinstein as a “wonderful human being.” The footage and remarks included in those social media posts were authentic and unedited. However, many posts did not include an important piece of context — Obama made those remarks in 2013, four years before dozens of women first publicly accused Weinstein of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and various other sexual improprieties. As a result, her praise of Weinstein should not be interpreted as an endorsement of his offenses. "
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/michelle-obama-harvey-weinstein/

I’m assuming you also found no issue with Tony Abbott providing character witness for George Pell ?

Perhaps you just have more tolerance for those guilty of sexual assault than myself ? I can’t imagine providing a good faith reference for anyone who had a decades long history of sexual assault regardless of how influential they may have been for my career . I’m sure Michelle Obama assumed that Weinstein’s open secret of sexual impropriety never came to light as public knowledge just as neither did the dozens of high profile actors who accompanied him prior to the public exposure of his true nature.

Either way , it doesn’t sit well when viewed in context of the sexual indecency of both Clinton and Biden. Not to mention Hillary’s shameful behaviour when she cast doubt on the veracity and besmirched the characters of the unfortunate women upon whom Bill Clinton predated.

If, as in Michelle Obama's case, he had done it before any accusations were made, not only in the court case, but also in the matter of Pell's handling of abuse allegations by other priests, then I would have had no problem. From memory that was not the case, so yes there is an issue.