Indeed, anything is possible. We "humans" may not be as in control of all this as we like to perceive. Check this out, if it doesn't blow your hair back, I don't reckon you thought hard enough about the implications; http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_slavin_how_algorithms_shape_our_world.html
Is Australia facing an economic downturn/recession?
- Thread starter hobo-jo
- Start date
Indeed, anything is possible. We "humans" may not be as in control of all this as we like to perceive. Check this out, if it doesn't blow your hair back, I don't reckon you thought hard enough about the implications; http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_slavin_how_algorithms_shape_our_world.html
1. Scrapping the whole space program (do we really want to live on another planet like Mars?) for a start.
Yes, there are important science studies conducted as well while they play around up there, but...they could trim a fair bit off spending in that area.
3. Every conflict region they are involved in currently. Afghanistan, Iraq, wherever else they are fighting - tell me there is any other real reason they are there other than to protect their economic interests such as oil.
If they really wanted to target terrorist groups, they could use their enormous electronic knowledge and surveillance capabilities and send in smaller, elite groups to monitor and target these idiots at a far smaller cost.
Do they really need 300k of troops over there along with all the associated equipment needed to mobilise that many troops? Of course not.
I'll confess to having a selfish reason for watching the exchange rate at the moment. I'm heading to the US for a month of holidays in a few weeks and need to pick up some cash. I'll probably head in today and get a few thousand bucks, as the rate is about 1.085 this morning. I was just curious as to whether the debt ceiling negotiations would cause a significant change in the next few days (I don't think it would be more than a couple of cents either way at most).
Wow, have a great day mate !
yes we are in recession because the RBA hasn't lift up the cash rate 4.75%
Thanks mate!
It will be even better in about 5 weeks when I'm sitting with my family in an A380 taking off from Sydney airport!If they are there for their economic interests, it's not in their economic interest to not be there.
What parts are you going to visit VY?
A few days in LA, then 2 weeks in Florida (Orlando and Miami), then a week cruise in the Caribbean.
Should be good fun (and I suspect a bit stormy on occasion).
what about all the jobs that will go when the above goes?
have a look at govt expenditure in terms of GDP and defnce in like 3%, NASA even less. The biggest issue with expenditure is health and education. Privatising both gradually would go a long way in reducing debt and at worst case a lot of useless bureaucracy.. but you are right there is no need for the US to still be subsidising Europe with them being the major military force on the Euro continent, middle east is another issue..
More funding (even just a quarter of their space program) for more schools (and teachers), health care (nurses, nurse educators etc), police for a beginning.
These are what I regard as essential service workers, and in the US (and Aus) they are paid terribly considering what they contribute to the community.
In the States there are very few nurse educators because they can earn more money as an "on the floor" nurse than as a teacher, so no-one will do it.
They have to resort to pulling in OS nurses due to their own Country's under-supply.
Where's the incentive to be one of the above, when you can earn twice, three times their pay in IT, never getting your hands dirty, or facing danger on a daily basis?
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Privatising health will create more healthcare facilities that require a healthy profit.
The biggest cost of any business is staff, and in these facilities they operate on shoe-string levels to achieve that end.
Heatlh care will deteriorate - higher patient to nurse ratios, $100 for boxes of tissues etc. I've seen it first hand..
Not saying they shouldn't make a profit, but a public hospital doesn't need to please shareholders and pad director's play accounts. They only need to be slightly in the black.....more staff levels can be achieved.
It's a good point re privatising health and education (since they basically can't afford to pay for it themselves).
However the figures I found on defence spending looked a bit more than 3% and fairly similar to health and education:
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Here's better graph:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Federal_spendings.png
Yep, defence is up there. Although NASA costs nothing in comparison.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Federal_spendings.png
Yep, defence is up there. Although NASA costs nothing in comparison.
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If they just showed their true colours and nuked those sorry buggers and took their oil (which was what they wanted any way), they'd save so much $$$. But alas, can't reveal true colours. Not yet.
LOL!
Whaddabout the new South Rwanda. Loads of oil apparently.
No doubt they'll be needing some "protection" from the US of A soon enough.
Hahahaha "we are er.... here to protect you. Now gimme that barrel!!"
This can't be good. 85 Aussie construction firms go bust in one month, in NSW and Victoria alone.
Eighty-five building and construction firms go under in a month.
Eighty-five building and construction firms go under in a month.
There's definitely economic pain being felt around the place. Also, I believe new home starts are down. Given that population is still increasing, it will be interesting to see how much time it takes for supply to be constrained (where it isn't currently).
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