Marketeers are buccaneers
Do you see those people on TV who watch monitors, look frantic, make tense phone calls and gesticulate a lot?
Their images often accompany stories about regional, or even global, economic collapse.
The implication of the image seems to be that these folk are doing what ever is necessary to save the world from rack and ruin. But are they?
What do these people actually do for a living? In whose interests are they buying, selling, hedging, borrowing, future contracting or whatever?
The poor old worker, the small business person and the consumer are nightly bombarded with economic doom and gloom stories. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. When was the last time you can remember anyone saying something like, "Well good news folks, the economy is bubbling along nicely, you are all entitled to a well-earned pay rise or perhaps a bit more time off and the outlook for business is equally rosy". Can't remember? It doesn't happen, that's why.
Recent events in 'south-east asia' (south-east of what?) are a prime example of money managers flexing their muscles.
It all started with Dr Mahathir in Malaysia. He's a nationalist and he challenged the international money community to stop fooling around with his country's economy. They took up his challenge and pulled the plug on him completely. They put Indonesia and Thailand down the plughole as well. Kicked their butts so to speak.
There is a huge disaster happening up north. Especially worrying for us is the economic destabilisation of Indonesia. How galling it must be for a people who, while doing nothing out of the ordinary, wake up one morning to find that their jobs, food and basic livelihoods are fast disappearing through no fault of their own.
There are warnings that Australia too will suffer from this 'rationalisation' of the region. More news reports with footage of those trading floor wallies running amok.
What I would like to know is: if those traders are continually buying and selling goods or currencies with the object of turning the greatest profit at the close of trading, out of whose pocket does the money come - and in whose pocket does it end up?
It's not their salaries (and commissions) to consider, but the sometimes extraordinary profits they make for their clients. I might be barking up the wrong tree but I don't think so.
Communism and socialism in excess were discredited in countries where the people saw the system no longer functioned in their best interests. There is one more 'ism' left to go.
Keep a close eye on capitalism. International big brother is coming to a megacomplex near us. It needs us as consumer/customers to make profits for its shareholders. Nothing more!
Paul Cockram

First time voters
Drinking and voting is quite OK once a person turns
eighteen. In fact it may be that having to vote is what causes
some of us to drink. New voter Gemma explains ...
For some, going to the polling place every three years is a drag, but for first time voters, it's a whole new, exciting step up in the world!
This election was a particularly interesting one for young people as a lot of the campaign was centred on issues which will inevitably affect our lives.
Those issues which were relevant to younger people were the GST, University funding and the impact of Statehood on young Territorians.
I think with the increasing impact of politics on the lives of young Australians, something that needs to be addressed in schools in the Territory and particularly in rural areas, is the teaching of politics. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of first time voters in Tennant Creek didn't bother to vote because they didn't understand what was going on.
I think politics and the teaching of the taxation system of Australia should be included in the school syllabus, so that young people grow up through school with more of a sound knowledge of politics and are more able to develop their own opinions when the time comes for them to vote for the first time.
This point can be emphasised even more just by looking at the issues of politics which are seen to be increasingly effecting young people.
For most first time voters I think it's seen as an exciting time to finally be able to have a direct (or indirect) say as to where the country is heading. But it would be even more exciting if we had grown up with a sound teaching of politics at school.