Controversial Discussions

[cluckcluckluke]

Quote from Tony Abbott: "Maybe Australia has too many national parks."

Maybe Australia has too many politicians actually capable of executing antiquated, irrational and short-sighted thought processes. And then we vote them into power.

(Although the alternative was Kevin Rudd

)

Critical thinking, multiculturalism, Asian languages and Aboriginal history are being discouraged or removed altogether from the curriculum. I don't assume maths and science have been attacked in the same way, because the government needs its future minions to be able to design and build its weapons of war, so it can invade other countries under the guise of peacekeeping.

He will get voted out. (At least many are saying, although the opinion polls don't show Labor doing any better). Dissatisfaction with Tony Abbott is rising. Labor seems to be getting its act together under new leadership. Many people are infuriated by some statements from Tony and his henchmen. They're not going to be able to stay in power with 1% of the votes come 2016.

MAYBE!!! So he's not sure. That's what all his decisions seem to be om, maybe. He has NO qualifications for anything wildlife based, he has no qualifications for any school curriculums and I am seriously wondering if he has any qualifications as a politician!!!

( I don't know much of Kevin ) ( What was wrong with 'the guillard gov'? )

I think Tony could be slightly racists.
I learnt Japanese for 2 years and I can honestly say, not a fan. But you can't just scrap it! I mean Asia is becoming such a dominant force in the world that I think we should probably all learn it.lol.

So all this time he has put in ( trying to kill the Barrier Reef, destroying the curriculum, minning etc ) is just going to be washed away? AWESOME!!!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Controversial opinions, eh? Kinda thinking "who has time for debate for the sake of it", lol... The debates I've gotten into on this site have been because someone has attacked my statements or opinions, not because I go around soliciting pointless arguments or attacking people for the funzies.

If I was debating something with someone, somebody else stepping in and arbitrarily telling us it's not to be spoken about anymore, would definitely just provoke me to quit the thread and/or take it to PM. So this wouldn't wash:
Quote:

I prefer the old fashioned method, i.e. both debaters keeping at it until the mods delete the whole conversation. >

Ok, seriously, I don't, I prefer to reach some sort of mutual understanding in the middle, or at least agree to disagree, but generally this is not something anyone who debates with me has been open to. Being into what I'm into (natural alternatives etc) is an unforgivable insult to some sorts; it doesn't mean I actually want to engage in pointless b*tchfests with them.

Well then this thread is for those who "go around soliciting pointless arguments or attacking people for the funzies". If that's how you would like to look at it?

Looking back now I would rather call this thread something along the lines of "Intellectual Discussions", perhaps. It doesn't have to be controversial or heavy debating, just discussing the world, views etc in a friendly way.

You are welcome is any case though. ( I did PM you after all

).

 

[Fierlin1182]

I think Tony could be slightly racists.

Slightly is an understatement. He doesn't like refugees either.
Although he's the leader, it's not Tony who's in charge of education though, it's one of the other guys in his Liberals team. I forget his name. It might be Christopher Pyne. The people doing the review of the curriculum were hand-selected by the Liberals to reflect their own values, and then they peddled it to everyone else as an objective unbiased assessment. I and many others don't believe a word of it, but what's new there.

I can't answer your question about Gillard. I wasn't interested in politics until mid last year, and by that time Gills was well on the way out. I still don't know a lot of the details about what happens in Canberra but at least now I pay attention when politics comes on in the news. I think Labor was just becoming a massive cat-fight between Gillard and Rudd though, and they weren't actually doing anything useful.

And everyone hated the carbon tax.

Admittedly, maybe an emissions trading scheme would've worked better, but what do I know of these things. All I knew was that the day after I bought my fake Onesteel shares, the carbon tax was announced and they fell, like, 10% in a day and 65% over the rest of the year. Never recovered.

 

[Fierlin1182]

I learnt Japanese for 2 years and I can honestly say, not a fan. But you can't just scrap it! I mean Asia is becoming such a dominant force in the world that I think we should probably all learn it.lol.

Kevin Rudd speaks Chinese, lol. He's landed a flashy job which is partly based in Beijing. Neat...

I think with so many of the world's emerging economies there, and because Australia is geographically a part of this region, we need to strengthen ties with Asian countries for future trade and collaboration. It would be beneficial. Australia has a lot of resources to offer the world and other countries have products and people to offer us, for skills and culture and lots of other things.

Donnelly says "We speak English, we should teach that in classrooms". Perhaps he doesn't want to admit we're part of a global economy now, and despite the fact that it takes, like, ten hours flying time to get out of national waters, we are no longer isolated.

 

[Farmer Mike S]

I do have to laugh sometimes when people talk about how good things were in the "old days". I guess maybe some people would have to live in the old days to see they weren't really that great at all. Medicine was rudimentary. People lived short lives. No air conditioning. No heat. No cars in many cases. I think people take a lot for granted these days, and really don't know what they have until they lose it all. I know I very much enjoy all the comforts of modern life, even if it means I have to shop at a grocery store instead of raising my own food.

I do think it would be good for people to learn how to plant their own veggies and fruits and how to keep some animals for food - even if its just on a hobby scale. I would love to see chickens in every yard.

It's very true that a lot of things in life are way over glamorized. This is mostly because of the entertainment industry, like music and television. Country music over glamorizes country life, makes it look easy and fun; but doesn't really bring up the reality of waking up early and working full days with little time off. I don't even think a bunch of these county singers have even experienced farm life. Rap music makes street life look fun and easy, but in reality, I don't think anyone enjoys walking out their door with a risk of being shot everyday, I get scared just driving through the hood. A lot of these rappers don't even have ghetto connections either. The same kind of deal happens on tv too for many other lifestyles. You got stuff like westerns that make the "Wild West" look a lot more exciting then what it really was. Of course the point of the entertainment industry is to "entertain", it can't always point out the hardships of life, but what I don't like is people lose appreciation for certain things because it's so over glamorized. If farming is so fun, why should we appreciate farmers?

I have a buddy who wants to be a farmer, and of course he's all into country music and trucks, etc. He plans to go to college for agriculture. I worry about him though because he can't wake up early, he can't take care of his little garden (has to invite people over to fix it when it's overgrown), he has to have people help him cut a quarter acre of grass, he had chickens but doesn't raise them properly or really care for them. He also complains about working 4 hours at a produce store and sometime hurts from "working too hard". He used to always brag about how much of a hunter he was, I went out once with him and he complained the whole time after being about an hour in. This is an example of over glamorizing the lifestyle, I could be wrong but I don't think he can handle it.

I feel like I can handle a self sufficient agricultural lifestyle because I already live part of it to a degree. I wake up at the break of dawn 7 days a week, and often work 10-11 hour days on the weekend. I also don't rely on a lot of modern conveniences like air conditioning and tv for example. I do obviously rely on the internet thought . I also enjoy my gardening/chickens and practice a lot of self sufficient practices. It's obviously not easy, but I feel I enjoy it and it's something I can handle

 

[newfoundland]

It seems to me that your friend is certainly not cut out for the farming life. If he thinks 4 hours of work is hard he should try getting a harvest in. Around here the farmers work from about 5 in the morning till midnight and it is often noisier in the night with the combine harvesters than during the day at other times of the year. Sunday, Christmas day, as we know it makes no difference if you have livestock. They must still be tended. Farming is not a job but a way of life. Many farmers round here are 4th or 5th generation on the same farm and have known no other way of life.

We have the added complication of living and farming on salt marshes, so in the winter it floods and livestock are kept inside. It then becomes a complicated balancing act of getting the animals, particularly sheep, who don't tolerate wet ground, out as soon as possible to enjoy the spring grass, but not too soon to pose a risk to their foot health. The same juggling act applies to the planting of crops which must often be delayed as when the water table is high, the water recedes slowly, delaying the sowing. And then, as if by magic, it all comes right and everyone is out sowing like mad to make up lost time. Once again working for maybe 15 hours a day. No, not a job for the feint hearted at all!!

 

[Bens-Hens]

and I tip my hat to all those men and women around the world that live that kind of life!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Clones?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Don't be too concerned about your friend just yet. There are many, many types of farming and farmers. Having people over to help may actually prove to be a useful skill. About to head out myself to help a member of our co-op build a goat shed.

That said, animals not being cared for is a big issue, farmer or not.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

That said, animals not being cared for is a big issue, farmer or not.

This irritates me so much!
If you want a pet, then be prepared to look after it no matter what it is from a mouse to an elephant.
Also circus's are horrible places for animals and animal circuses should not be allowed!