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[Reelya]

BTW when the Family First guy (Steven Fielding I think) went to a climate skeptic meeting in America, it was hosted by the Heartland Institute, i googled them and found articles on their website claiming tobacco doesn't really have much risk of cancer, although if you do get sick you shouldn't be able to sue the companies, because you "knew the risks".

Another Heartland article called "common sense environmentalism" claimed that DDT, Dioxin, Asbestos and other chemicals were actually no more "toxic" than water. After all, you can die from too much water. So is water a "toxic" chemical too?? (scoff, scoff)

[Max White]

I'm pretty sure that the Heartland institute is just a front that companies pay to have their agenda promoted.
Also, common sense? Highly, highly over rated. Humans capacity for common sense is so bias on finding a favorable outcome, it is highly unreliable.

[Yoink]

I'm shocked and a little frightened that you guys managed to reach 7 pages of Australasian Politics.

[Reudh]

I'm shocked and a little frightened that you guys managed to reach 7 pages of Australasian Politics.

Most of it was wholly unnecessary gun control debate.

[Jimmy]

You don't believe gun control to be a valid political issue? What about the talk of gay marriage earlier, is that off topic too?

Face it, every person has their own political issue button they want to press, and there's probably a political party to match them. Or is the only purpose of this topic to discuss the political leaders themselves and not the positions their parties represent?

[Blargityblarg]

Mostly because gun control is pretty much a non-issue in Australia. We've got what we've got now, it's not going to change anytime soon, especially not while Port Arthur is still in the majority living memory. Gay marriage, however, is just one competent pollie away from implementation .

[Osmosis Jones]

Yup. Issues in Aus are things like climate, immigration and the NBN. Gay marriage should be, but most of our politicians steadfastly refuse to discuss it.
Finance occasionally crops up in the form of new taxes, as does workplace reform.

Our politicians are boring. At least in S. Korea they punch each other occasionally!

[Max White]

Still not sure why immigration is the issue it is.
I mean it is a simple matter. As long as there are people living in shit conditions and we have it pretty good, they will want to come here. Only way to stop this is to make sure they by coming here they are treated worse than in their place or origin or improve their living conditions to a reasonable state.
Clearly, clearly we can't torture these people. That would be about as immoral as it gets. Only reasonable solution is to try and help the nations that these asylum seekers come from.

Or your name is Paul Henry and you would be happy to watch these people shot on the beeches.

[alexandertnt]

Still not sure why immigration is the issue it is.

DEY TOOK ER JERBS!!!

[Max White]

And a fuck you too, conservative xenophobic fear mongers!

[GlyphGryph]

Clearly, clearly we can't torture these people. That would be about as immoral as it gets. Only reasonable solution is to try and help the nations that these asylum seekers come from.

Why can't you just... take them? I mean, from what I understand, Australia isn't exactly overpopulated. More people, especially the sort of hard workers that tend to fill up the "difficult and long immigration" category, tend to be overwhelmingly good for most economies. Hell, that's the biggest chunk of what made the USE the economic powerhouse that it is today. I'm pretty sure Australia is built in large part of the economic value of immigrants too.

I guess I just don't understand the hostility.

[Max White]

Well I don't mind them being here, and prefer them over here than in war torn nations, but from what I understand the trip is some what dangerous. Not every boat that sets off will make it, some will sink, others will kill the males and sell the females into the sex trade.

The reason life sucks for asylum seekers who get here by boat, yet much more reasonable for those that get here by plane, is because we don't want them taking the damn boat, even though in many cases it is their only option.

[alexandertnt]

We are the second most empty country on the entire planet, and people drive around with "Fuck off were full" stickers on their cars.

[Max White]

Well yea, the 'Fuck off we're full' attitude is pure, refined bullshit.

[kaijyuu]

Aren't large stretches of Australia uninhabitable desert? I question whether the "second most empty country on the planet" thing is taking that into account.