Showing posts with label wealth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wealth. Show all posts

Is Australia More Equal Than Other Countries

SOCIOLOGY
Class in sociology is based in income - low, middle and high income earners, plus wealth. This is in conflict with assumed class by the ordinary person who believes that class is based on status. In England, for example, one's position in society can be inherited. An English earl will remain high class even though he has little income and lets the paying public into his home to pay for its upkeep. Anyway, let's get back to the issue, "at large", which is how income and wealth inequality has changed in Australia.
Income and wealth equality in Australia
Egalitarianism is an Aussie "thing". There is a strong belief that all Australians are equal, in daily interactions at least. An Australian can have a drink with the CEO of the business where he works. In England this is unthinkable. It simply will not happen because the boss will not allow the lowly employee into his/her circle.

In the 1950s income in Australia was relatively level. It was far more equal than in other Western countries. It even got more equal until the late 1970s. There has been a widening gap in income since then.  The Gini coefficient which measures income differential rose from 0.27 per cent in the early 1980s to 0.34 in 2011 (when one household has all the income the coefficient is 1.0).

Wealth inequality has, unfortunately, not been tracked over time. This is an unfathomable situation. After all, this should be a thing of great interest for sociologists. We do know the present state though. The wealthiest 20 per cent have A$2.2 million dollars in assets. The poorest 20 per cent have an average of $31,000. Of course, some people do not have any real assets at all.

How does Australian stand in regard to other nations? Of the 34 OECD countries, Australia is number 23 on the measure of income equality. On wealth Australia does much better. The Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report puts Australia as the second most equal country of 34 "advanced" nations, after Japan.
 Sociology by Ty Buchanan 
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Heat Kills

Everyone knows that Australia is a hot country, perhaps not as hot as Africa. Nonetheless, it can get "stinking hot" here. In the past, some regions have experienced 10 days or more with temperatures close to 40 degrees Centigrade (100 Fahrenheit).

We are going through a cool period now with La Niña. However, this winter has been the warmest on record. There seems to be rain along the coast, hardly any inland. This is an odd situation. La Niña should make it wet everywhere.

Australians treat heat as a way of life, knowing that the cool will end and the scorchers will soon arrive. Most do not know that heat is the country's greatest killer. If asked in the street, most would not believe this.

Combine deaths caused by bushfires, storms and cyclones. The number will not be near as many who die from heat. Research has shown that most heat related deaths occur on January 27. This is a day after Australia Day, a bank holiday where people celebrate with too much alcohol. Could this be a factor? No, Australians drink all year round. Being outside around the barbecue could contribute though.

With electricity prices going through the roof in Australia staying in an air conditioned room is now a luxury. This is why more of the poor will die. The elderly are next on the list and those with preexisting illnesses not being adequately treated are last. It could be said that death from heat is a wealth problem - take note politicians!
 Society by Ty Buchanan 
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Australian Prime Minister Totally Wrong Saying Australia Was "Empty"

There isn't much doubt that we have the most "out of touch" prime minister in Australian history. He goes oversees and visits world leaders and says absolutely stupid things. It makes you wonder if he lives in the same world as everyone else.

He blatantly believes that he didn't lie about what he would do if he won office. He has gone full circle and made cuts to areas he said he would not change. He takes voters for granted thinking they are as stupid as he is.

Again, he has made a statement that the majority of Australians know to be untrue. He said Australia was unsettled when Europeans arrived. Color blindness seems to be one of his flaws.

Suggesting that British investment made Australia what it is today is applying modern theory to times when economic theory was in its infancy. There was little understanding of investment in those days. Anyway, Britain's investment was really more people, unwanted in their homeland. The only real investment was in the police force that did cost a great deal.

Admittedly, white people brought industrious ideas with them and they were responsible for growth in the economy by hard work and toil. Australia is a harsh land and back breaking effort was required to survive. They just applied European ideas to a land that had the Aboriginal culture which was not economically based. Given time, Aboriginals would have caught up if they had continued to have the land to themselves.
Economics by Ty Buchanan
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Who Do We Owe Money To? It isn't Real!

Everyone is in debt. That seems to be the case. But if we all owe money to whom are we indebted? Who are these fat cats who spend their days on the beach having cool drinks brought to them while they while away the time sunbathing?

If truth be known the money does not actually exist. It has been created in the books of independent and national banks. In centuries passed the local blacksmith acted as the bank. Gold, silver and promissory notes were left in his safe. He soon became aware that the "goods" left for safe keeping would not be taken out by the owner for a very long time, if ever. For storing the valuable minerals and promissory notes he gave promissory notes in return. This meant that he could create money. He could also give loans, a large part of which would return directly back because the debtor opened a new account.

When large private banks started, governments gave an assurance that a run on an institution would be protected by public money. We have seen how silly this concept has proved to be by the US and European governments bailing out private banks. Private debt has become public debt. This on top of the mushrooming private debt worldwide.

Much of Western debt is owed to China which buys US bonds. It is a mistake to believe that it wants the money back any time soon. If it did the world economy would grind to a halt. Then, who would buy its exports?

The real problem is economics. This social science is just theory. There are complicated models that do not apply to the real world, with demand and supply curves, meeting long term average costs and so on. Real business doesn't operate that way. There is not one model for cost plus 10 or 20 percent, or get it cheap and sell high until demand stops then throw the stuff out. That is how business really runs.

Note the supermarkets, they don't cut the price of everything that doesn't sell. They would rather throw it away than sell it. After all, they make the supplier take the loss. Economic advisers have not helped one government to balance the books. And the advice they are giving now to raise taxes and cut spending will surely prolong the recession. Cutting debt is like turning the water tap down - someone has to go without! Let's be honest much of this debt will never be paid. It doesn't really exist.
Economics by Ty Buchanan
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Society by Ty Buchanan
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Capitalism Is Bad for Us

Research shows that capitalism is bad for us. Since the 1970s there has been an increase in mental illness of adults and children. Indications are that it is due to capitalism because the rise has been noted in English speaking capitalist countries and not in non-English speaking non-capitalist nations.

About 23 per cent of Americans, Britons, Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians suffered in the last 12 months, but only 11.5% of Germans, Italians, French, Belgians, Spaniards and Dutch.  Could language itself be a factor? Selfish Capitalism has massively increased the wealth of the rich, robbing the average earner to give to the rich. But there is no "trickle-down effect" despite what politicians say.

Real wages have decreased in the US over the last three decades. Governments have reduced tax payments of the rich, placing responsibility for payment on low income earners.  Nothing is being done to reduce "middle class welfare".  Many people use the term middle class when they are really speaking about the wealthy upper class.  There seems to be an odd taboo about saying the words "upper class". 
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Economics by Ty Buchanan
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We Have Never Had It So Good - Maybe

According to the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey we have never been able to buy so much with our income. Over the last decade income inequality has hardly changed, Wages have risen faster than inflation. Of course, we know that announced inflation is lower than real price rises.

Although Australia's debt is low compared to other developed countries, less than half of Australians believe this. Despite the good times, many are feeling down and depressed feeling that the country is not doing well economically. This is probably due to the negative political arena at the moment with any bad news being blown out of proportion, with political blame and counter denials being kept uppermost in people's minds.

We should be happy but the minority, politicians, are pulling us down. Things are certainly changing now with Chinese demand for primary products falling as well as prices producers receive. The new government, in September, will have to deal with rising unemployment. There isn't much doubt about this. Pressure to reign in national debt will mean job cuts in the public sector, and reduced government spending will push up unemployment.

The job market has structurally changed over the last 10 years. More people are in part-time and casual employment, good for business bad for job security. Welfare is being cut and will fall further as politicians take larger income rises for themselves and a "couldn't care less" attitude to the poor. Charities are feeding more of the less well off than they ever did before.

While incomes have remained the same, wealth inequality has risen. This continues as wealth is solidly held and increased by a few. The top 1 per cent have assets of $5 million. The bottom 10 per cent enjoy less that $10,000. Some of these have no assets at all.

Good times are not for everyone apparently.  We should be laughing or at least smiling.  If you are poor and without a job or assets you have to grin or grimace and bear it.  No help for you mate either today or in the future.
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Conservation
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