Australia 8th-richest nation: IMF

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Hey, I'm earning a decent salary here and have very liberal work hours. So for me the deal is quite sweet. I was able to obtain an ivy league equivalent education for next to nothing and have family and cousins that have done extremely well for themselves.

When I say various people on here that are blue collar workers and cheering on Repub policies, I have to laugh. No names in particular but I know they are not earning anywhere near what their equivalents would earn in AUS or even Canada. Are actually happy with their $20 an hour salary. Last time I earned $20 an hour was when I was 18. Someone doing their same job in AUS is probably earning well over $45 an hour, living in a house worth over $500K, probably has a few fishing boats and gets a good 6 weeks of pad leave. But nope, they prefer the US one up from a trailer park lifestyle.

Actually, I already quote it in USD. In comparison, the household median for Texas is $50K. Whereas, they are earning $51K per person.

Is that why you have 60 million living in poverty? Maybe you can enlighten us how someone on minimum wage gets ahead.

You still didn't answer my question. What does Aus do that gives everyone access to "wealth" that the US doesn't?

[JohnSmith2007 353]

It seems that the "wealth" access you speak of is a whites only club.

Aboriginal Poverty Statistics

Indigenous Community Dysfunction, Facts and Figures

Share Article | Jul 22, 2006 Woorama

72% of Australia's Aborigines are living in poverty. Remote Indigenous communities face particular economic disadvantage, despite so-called benefits.

From the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

In Australia the average income is $585 per week.

The average for Aboriginal people is $364 per week.

Aboriginal income in cities is $435 per week.

Aboriginal income in remote communities is $267 per week.

The most frightening thing about this is that groceries in remote communities cost up to four times more than in the city.

Indigenous Substance Abuse

It is almost impossible to sustain adequate nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in this situation - a problem which leads to despair, and of course the addictions that accompany despair. Alcohol and drug habits are even more difficult to support in such poverty. Mainstream people, earning an average of $315 per week more, are economically better enabled to manage their habits and maintain basic health, therefore living an average of twenty years longer than their Aboriginal peers.

The alcohol problems in these impoverished remote Indigenous communities are being used to justify all kinds of additional human rights violations, all in the name of protecting the children who are suffering abuse and malnourishment. "Tough measures" is a term that is being bandied about by the government and the media, in relation to the inequalities facing Indigenous people.

Indigenous Poverty Solutions

In a 2006 speech one of Australia's ministers expanded on part of the "tough measures" that are always being suggested as part of the Australian Government's victim-blaming rhetoric, with the following comments about the quarantining of welfare payments for all Aboriginal people (regardless of Individual spending habits and history):

"Few people begrudge parents receiving financial assistance from the taxpayer for genuine need. However many resent seeing the money wasted while children go without. I believe that it is reasonable for an amount in the order of 30% of the welfare payments to be directed in this way for welfare recipients who are identified as failing their children. The adoption of this proposal would have a dramatic and positive impact on some indigenous communities. It could have an equally positive impact if applied more widely."

Read more at Suite101: Aboriginal Poverty Statistics: Indigenous Community Dysfunction, Facts and Figures http://aboriginalrights.suite101.com/article.cfm/aboriginal_poverty_statistics#ixzz0lsHt5SBJ

[Ali G. 37]

You still didn't answer my question. What does Aus do that gives everyone access to "wealth" that the US doesn't?

You have not been around long so I will not bore everyone else with 500 posts, or the 30 or so direct comparisons. But I will give you a hint.

Minimum wage here is $7.25 an hour, minimum wage there is $13.31 USD per hour. $861 USD NET per month is the indefinite unemployment benefit per person, without children people receive there. Someone working a 38 hour week on minimum wage here would earn $1,102 GROSS.

Are you starting to get the idea yet? No, Okay. First homes owners received a $29.7K USD grant - tax free. Medical for students or the unemployed is 100% free, with no deductions. Anyone qualified can attend college by means of direct government loans, something the US just implemented, and only starts to pay it back (over time) once they start work. As such, the best and the brightest go to school rather than just the wealthiest.

How about blue collar workers? Well, I don't know one of my cousins of friend that as a blue collar worker earns less than $93K USD. With one cousin who works for a mining company, earning well over $250KUSD, yes as a blue collar worker. So you tell me, how many blue collar workers earn that sort of salary here? Perhaps, the infamous Joe the plumber does. Fat chance as Joe is probably earning about $15 an hour - if that. Whereas, with the current skills shortage over there, Joe doing the same work in AUS would be on $40; possibly $80 if he worked for himself.

That my good friend is what you call equal access to prosperity (wealth); where no matter what career or business path you take, as not everyone is cut out for school, you are able to live a good life. Even a checkout chick at Kmart earns enough to live a decent life.

[Ali G. 37]

It seems that the "wealth" access you speak of is a whites only club.

They have the same access to this prosperity as everyone else. What they decide to do is their choice. After all, they can receive up to three times the benefits of everyone else and have similar affirmative action programs to get into everything.

[Ali G. 37]

You still didn't answer my question. What does Aus do that gives everyone access to "wealth" that the US doesn't?

But wait there is more.

The Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual ranking developed by the Legatum Institute of 104 countries, according to a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, personal wellbeing, and quality of life.

2008 Ranking

1. Australia

6. USA

PS Post #18 needs correcting as the $1,102 gross is per month

Edited April 23, 2010 by Ali G.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

You have not been around long so I will not bore everyone else with 500 posts, or the 30 or so direct comparisons. But I will give you a hint.

Minimum wage here is $7.25 an hour, minimum wage there is $13.31 USD per hour. $861 USD NET per month is the indefinite unemployment benefit per person, without children people receive there. Someone working a 38 hour week on minimum wage here would earn $1,102 GROSS.

Are you starting to get the idea yet? No, Okay. First homes owners received a $29.7K USD grant - tax free. Medical for students or the unemployed is 100% free, with no deductions. Anyone qualified can attend college by means of direct government loans, something the US just implemented, and only starts to pay it back (over time) once they start work. As such, the best and the brightest go to school rather than just the wealthiest.

How about blue collar workers? Well, I don't know one of my cousins of friend that as a blue collar worker earns less than $93K USD. With one cousin who works for a mining company, earning well over $250KUSD, yes as a blue collar worker. So you tell me, how many blue collar workers earn that sort of salary here? Perhaps, the infamous Joe the plumber does. Fat chance as Joe is probably earning about $15 an hour - if that. Whereas, with the current skills shortage over there, Joe doing the same work in AUS would be on $40; possibly $80 if he worked for himself.

That my good friend is what you call equal access to prosperity (wealth); where no matter what career or business path you take, as not everyone is cut out for school, you are able to live a good life. Even a checkout chick at Kmart earns enough to live a decent life.

Yeah, I get the idea. Everything there is inflated or paid for by the government. That doesn't constitute better. It also doesn't explain how your country has better access to wealth than we do. All it tells me is your government handouts are better. Sorry, that doesn't cut it.

They have the same access to this prosperity as everyone else. What they decide to do is their choice. After all, they can receive up to three times the benefits of everyone else and have similar affirmative action programs to get into everything.

I get it. Prosparity is for the whites only. The aboriginies are lazy. Good to know.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Face it dude, Australia is doing well only because they are a tiny population that plays no role in the world. If we withrew from the world stage like you we could be doing better also. Australia does nothing for anyone but its own white population while ignoring its own native people. Fine example, you can keep it.

[Ali G. 37]

Yeah, I get the idea. Everything there is inflated or paid for by the government. That doesn't constitute better. It also doesn't explain how your country has better access to wealth than we do. All it tells me is your government handouts are better. Sorry, that doesn't cut it.

You wouldn't happen to be from Chicago now would you?

Face it dude, Australia is doing well only because they are a tiny population that plays no role in the world. If we withrew from the world stage like you we could be doing better also. Australia does nothing for anyone but its own white population while ignoring its own native people. Fine example, you can keep it.

What part of eighth richest does your brain fail to grasp?

[JohnSmith2007 353]

You wouldn't happen to be from Chicago now would you?

What part of eighth richest does your brain fail to grasp?

No, what does that have to do with anything?

You wouldn't happen to be from Chicago now would you?

What part of eighth richest does your brain fail to grasp?

What part of "white only" richest does your brain fail to grasp?

[Laveau 67]

I'm interested to know what a typical public big city high school is like in Aus NOW (now years ago). I love USA but the public schools (big city...I have no knowledge of small districts) needs reform. 1st step: hold parents accountable for their children. I should start a new thread on that topic.

[Ali G. 37]

No, what does that have to do with anything?

A number of questionable characters come from that city.

Actually Asians and Indians are doing quite well in AUS, as they are here. So what does that tell you?

Edited April 23, 2010 by Ali G.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

A number of questionable characters come from that city.

Actually Asians and Indians are doing quite well in AUS, as they are here. So what does that tell you?

That asians and indians are smart people that do well just about anywhere. What does that have to do with it?

[Ali G. 37]

I'm interested to know what a typical public big city high school is like in Aus NOW (now years ago). I love USA but the public schools (big city...I have no knowledge of small districts) needs reform. 1st step: hold parents accountable for their children. I should start a new thread on that topic.

The public schools generally have between 600 to 1000 students, and that's k 7 to 12. Last time I checked as I was challenged, Australia is ranked first in the world in terms of the education index.

Don't get me started on the clown azz parents here, with inner city being by far the worse. My favorite segment when watching the news is seeing a teenager arrested for something like a double homicide, yet the mother always and I means always claim their child "done no wrong and is a good boy". It's like, ###### he's ###### charged with homicide.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I have to admitt something, I never paid much attention to Australia before talking to you. Not much there that really caught my attention. But now that I did a few google searches it has really opened my eyes. There are two Australias. One white, one native. I wonder, those numbers you keep trumpeting about. The ones that show your country in 8th place. Do they take into account the abject poverty of your natives? I would guess they don't.

[Ali G. 37]

That asians and indians are smart people that do well just about anywhere. What does that have to do with it?

Um you implied it's a white only country, with only whites doing well and I told you that others of ethnicity are doing well. The aboriginals there have their own set of problems, which is discussion beyond the scope of a forum. Rather than trying to find extremities, if you are going to have a discussion, you should focus on the norm (the majority).

You are not the first to try this tactic. It does seem to lead me to the conclusion that certain people here are indoctrinated to believe that the USA is (by default) the best at everything. Another poster on here does the same thing regarding crime. He seem to think that if he finds an article of two illustrating crime in AUS, it somehow negates the reality that the Australia has seventy-eight per cent less murders (per capita) than the US. Actually, ninety six percent less than African Americans.