Australian politicians need to be replaced.

If this is correct, then why does Indonesia need $500 million dollars from Australian tax payers to build their schools? You cannot have it both ways!!

 

How pathetic, you obviously have absolutely no idea wtf you are talking about. And yes I am Australian.

Our education system is not in a dire situation. 10th in the world isn't exactly "bad", but yes it could be better. How realistic is it that we're going to be number 1 in the world for everything? Not very. But there isn't some massive gap between us and the countries at the top. And when you consider we're placed above the UK, the US, most of Europe and most of Asia, then we're doing pretty dam good.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any country on earth, they are very poor with a very low HDI ranking and are our closest neighbour. Do you really want fundamentalist regimes from oil rich middle eastern countries building and funding schools in their country? Or should we, one of the richest countries in the world, frequently ranked in top 3 in the HDI, help to fund their education and health care? If you can't see how it is in our interests, then you're just a total idiot.

We have a budget of about $340 billion, if you think we can't afford to take care of our own citizens and give aid to Indonesia, then again, you're an idiot. Last year the govt spent $300 million on set top boxes for the elderly ffs.

This is not an either-or scenario.

How about we take 500 million out of the 25+ billion defense budget? Would that make you happy? Or, christ, we could you know, stop giving welfare to upper middle class families.

I'm all for raising education spending. I just completely reject that giving foreign aid prevents us from helping our own impoverished citizens. It doesn't.

"Fixing" outback Aboriginal communities is not simply a matter of money, it is much, much more complicated than that. To say that aid to Indonesia is preventing us from providing for our own citizens is plain stupid. We have plenty enough money to be doing both, and a stable, non-fundamentalist, healthy and educated Indonesia is most certainly in the national interest.

 

Instead of addressing what was put to you; just like the incompetent Labor party you try to focus on something else by digressing in to tangents raving at someone who is making more valid points and more common sense than yourself.

How many kids in Indonesia leave 'High School" NOT being able to read and write?

Instead of being part of the problem with your head buried in the sand; why not be part of the solution and wake up and smell the roses for a change?

Until every Australian has access to the basics like food, shelter, and medicine, then I am totally against my tax dollars helping others.

If you want to be a suck-hole, then why don't you sell all your belongings and donate all the proceeds to the UN?

Surely YOU and the rest of your Greens buddies should start putting your money where your mouth is, otherwise you are just starting to sound stupid!!

 

You still don't seem to understand.

There is absolutely no reason, at all, that we cannot give aid to Indonesia and also fund education, healthcare, etc, in this country.

Your idea that every dollar that helps to develop the Indonesian education system is a dollar taken away from our own under privileged citizens, is simplistic to the point of stupidity.

So it's okay that the govt spends 300 million giving people set top boxes, subsidising failing industries, giving tax breaks to upper middle class families, etc, because that's for our own citizens, but it's not cool that they develop infrastructure in Indonesia, one of the most impoverished countries in the world and our closest neighbour. Yes, that makes perfect sense.

Aid to Indonesia should be seen as an investment, it is completely within our interests, defense, counter terrorism, trade, political stability, immigration, etc.

Foreign Aid, especially to Indonesia, is a BIPARTISAN ISSUE.

So, I agree with the ALP, the Coalition and the Greens.

You agree with Pauline Hanson.

I'm pretty comfortable.

I've addressed all your... "points".

You think we should be able to "fire" politicians, and that Pauline Hanson is the epitome of political integrity. Just no.

 

.....and me

 

What on earth are you babbling about?

 

I don't think he knows, like his mate Tony, all talk but says nothing.

 

Sorry, I didn't realise you were an old fella who had the on-set of dementia and couldn't keep up with a conversation beyond a few catch-phrases.

May I suggest you read the comments again before posting comments that make you look silly!!

Can you keep up, or what?

 

Maybe you should read ALL the comments again instead of acting like a little terror dog and biting someones ankle just to make yourself look good!!

 

No you have not addressed all the points.

How many kids in Indonesia leave high school not being able to read and write?

Why should my tax dollars or other Australian's tax dollars to the extent of $500million dollars go to supporting Indonesians when their are 300,000 homeless Australians and Australians who will not have a meal today?

I invite any of you do-gooders to come out during our next food cycle (I will supply the milk crate) and tell these hungry homeless Australians why Indonesians deserve $500million dollars of Australian tax payers money to support Indonesians, but these people DON'T deserve the money instead.

I DARE any of you to come with me!!

Maybe its time you started feeling empathy for Australians for a change instead of foreigners. Go and do some charity work and see HOW MANY destitute Australians there really are in this so-called "wonderful" country we are living in before we start giving away $4 billion dollars in aid just so Australian politicians can "big-note" themselves on the international stage and to the UN - just one more suck-job to the UN so Australia can buy its seat on the UN council.

 

Woof Woof, there is only one dog here friend, and no one needs to be told who that is.

I have read all your bleating, if I am any kind of dog friend, it's a sheep dog so you better watch out.

 

You are just sounding really foolish. You agreed with someone who made an incorrect comment about me without even checking the comments first yourself, so what does that say about your character and about you as a person??

I suppose for me your picture was painted when you told me you preferred Australian tax payer aid money in the amount of $4billion to be spend on foreigners rather than on your own partners people and you own people?? Being from a "clannish" family, having your ideas of helping strangers especially from a different country over your own kind would have seen you driven out of our clan and village.

 

No, it is you who has made a fool of himself, I have read your bleating

 

This ridiculous post just confirms what I suspected: you don't understand the benefits (to Australia) of giving foreign aid to neighbouring countries. It seems as though you don't understand anything about foreign aid. It's not a case of 'give everything to the other countries and nothing to our own'. Your last sentence really was quite silly.

I'd strongly suggest that you do some research on the topic of forerign aid before making more silly posts like that one.

 

I don't expect "non-white" Australians like yourself to agree with me!! Of course foreigners like yourself would advocate giving away Australian tax payers money to other foreigners in favour of Australians - I didn't/don't expect anything different from the likes of you.

What I find rather sad and pathetic is 'true' Australians who have jumped on the do-gooder band wagon of supporting foreigners with Australian tax payer money in favour of their own homeless destitute people, because they are trying to compensate for all the bad and nasty things they have done in their lives, as they think going on these crusades will somehow atone for all those past mistakes. LOL LOL

 

That's just not true.

Your knowledge on foreign affairs is somewhat lacking.

You need to focus more on the big picture, and long-term advantages, rather than just the immediate outlay of money.

Foreign aid certainly does benefit "Mr & Mrs average or Australia's poor people".

______________________________

Ponder this, if you will:

You live in a million dollar house with two cars and a boat and your kids all go to private school. You have a University education and a high paying job as a result.

Your surrounding neighbours, however, live in dingy rented apartments, are broke and unemployed, and their kids hang around in the street all day instead of going to school.

Now, how long do you think it will take before the neighbours start throwing rubbish over your fence and breaking into your house while you're at work?

 

Ahh, agenda revealed. Was obvious from your first post on this forum but at least you are now out of the closet.

Tax payers money is available to any homeless or destitute person in Australia so not sure what your point is here other than a lead up to some more nasty ethnic bashing and whinging.

 

Not sure what you're on about.

I'm a white Australian. Born in Australia. Live in Australia.

It doesn't have to be one or the other.

The money can be, and is, used to help Australians as well as foreigners.

 

You know people should not talk about things they know nothing about, and you my dear friend seem to know nothing about more then most people so maybe you should learn some things before you let your mouth loose.

Firstly, 4 billion is chicken feed, don't think so, well its about how much Aussies gamble in 4 months.

Secondly, Ian, Uncle Meat and I are all as white as snow, all true blue Aussies, and I would say, care for, and know about Australia and Australians as much if not more then you do, that is very apparent.

Thirdly, I do not live in a tent, but I have sold all my possessions and am trying to be part of the solution. For 2 many years I was like you, part of the problem.

My wife passed away many years ago at the age of 36. This woke me out of my dreamworld and I realised that we have such a short time here, that whilst we can we should do all we can to ensure that others get "A Fair Go"

The I raised and educated my two children. My son now a television director and my daughter a mum. My grandchildren have made me look closely at myself and the part I play in helping create a better world for them.

When every one else ws busy with their own greed, a young aboriginal woman offered me a place to stay. She and her sons all work full time. She has for over 20 years and one of her sons has been in full time employment since finishing his apprenticeship nearly 8 years ago. The other is studying.

Do not preach to me about my so called "non-Australian" attitude, Australia has always been about a fair go.

A country giving aid to another country, especially a neighbour is no different to you sending over some food to your next door neighbour if they are in need, but reading your last few posts (see I do read your drivel) I see you most probably wouldn't help out a neighbour unless they were white anglo-saxon and Christian.

Way to go ... lol

 

Classic case of a straw man argument.

Last year we spent about 336 billion dollars on ourselves, are you seriously suggesting that within that 336 billion dollars we do not have the means to provide basic food and shelter for our homeless?

It's a case of failed policy and cultural issues, not a lack of money.

Foreign aid, particularly to Indonesia, is WELL WORTH IT in political capital even if you completely disregard the humanitarian aspect. Not to mention long term economic and political benefits, of which there are many. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, they are going to be extremely important to us in the future.

We live in a global community, deal with it.

And the number of homeless people in Australia is more like 100k.

 

Well said Zig, but don't confuse him with FACTS, I don't think he has any idea what "political capital" is, nor global community, nor HUMANITARIAN.

Maybe he was one who missed out on an education and that's what has his feathers ruffled

 

Foreign aid is extortion dressed as a bleeding heart. Countries who suppress their own people can`t be helped by throwing money at the oppressors.

 

Nor does he understand the concept of simply doing business.

Having spent time myself directing aid projects - it is amazing how many people don't realise that most of the money actually ends up being paid to Australian companies to do work overseas - and hence never actually leaves the Australian economy. And by providing infrastucture where it is needed - lo and behold - we have a whole new set of happy customers ready to buy more Australian goods and services.

While aid certainly does provide humanitarian benefits - it also makes good plain business sense. Giving away free samples to get more customers is a pretty old business strategy.

 

Its so sad to came across Aussies with such poor intellect. Individuals like you are the reasons why Indians are being trained and educated that Australians are dumb and backward, and why we have Nigerian con men coming to this country on a regular basis

The only reason your pathetic Government is sucking up to these clod throwers in Indonesia is that Australia wants a Free Trade Agreement with them, and is buying that agreement instead of negotiating fairly on the merits of what Australia can offer in return.

Australia doesn’t even own the $4 billion in foreign aid it gives away every year; its borrowed money from China - the last $20billion dollars given away for nothing has been borrowed money.

You clowns want to discuss business methodologies. Well, venture into any public business sector and explain you want to borrow money so you can give it away to strangers for nothing and see what “anyone” tells you in return.

Maybe you would like to offer some example of WHAT Indonesians have done for Australia and Australians for the last 20 years?

The last massive floods in Queensland and Victoria the Indonesian Government send Australia and Australians an insulting $1millions to help.

Maybe Australians should have done the same when their people were struck by the tsunami.

“Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”

 

Maybe you could direct my/our attention to these "Australian owned building companies" that provided the materials and manpower that build the schools in Ache? Who were these so-called Australian Aid companies?