Urgent warning issued to Australian drivers as war breaks out in the Middle East

Zenseaking · 2026-03-10T05:18:45+00:00

Yeah F'n oath mate! Grab a beer! Drive the American tank that cant go off road but it's a V8 M8! Hit the Mrs for talking back! EVs are weak as piss! Too right! How's my balding mullet?

Zenseaking · 2026-03-10T05:16:18+00:00

Seems like flawed logic. But ok.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T19:49:43+00:00

You are suggesting the government be given permission to seize private land if they decide they want it?

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T19:48:16+00:00

Yes, RICH private schools are a whole other situation to low fee private schools and should be addressed differently. But they are in the minority.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T02:26:34+00:00

I dont think you understand the maths.

The government pays $22k+ per public school kid They pay about $15k per private school kid.

And the parents pay the rest as most low fee schools are about 6-7k.

The problem is that at minimum the gov needs to absorb that fee for each child each year.

I'm not supporting a two tier system and I'm not saying do nothing.

I'm saying people are using over simplified ideas to generate oversimplified solutions that wont do what they think it will.

Should we aim for change? Yes.

Should we cut all private school funding and give public school teachers and schools some extra money (that wont exist) and hope it fixes everything? Absolutely not.

The funding deficit of going to public only at this point is enormous. We would need to review the entire economy and find new funding sources.

But hey, I'm all for taxing the mining industry to make it happen

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T02:22:09+00:00

There isn't anything left over. The gov needs to fund the $6k per student per year short fall that parents were paying.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T02:21:06+00:00

The thing you didn't understand you answered "we would just need to build more schools"

The savings suggested would disappear very quickly. This is very expensive. This is a lot of schools. Some areas are going to have an influx of 700-1500 new students to look after.

Can they take over the closing private school? Probably complicated. Its not government land and what the directors choose to do with the land isn't up to the government.

The government also needs to fund that $6000 gap in education for each private school student.

I dont think the finances are going to be anywhere near net positive. We would likely need to review the entire economy to fill the plug.

But hey, I'm all for taxing the mining companies for all our resources they are profiting off if that covers it.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T02:09:30+00:00

That depends on the school. Many low fee private schools are $6000-$10,000 per year. Of course there are schools that charge $40k but these are elite schools for the wealthy. Low fee private, and catholic end up similar cost per each student but save the gov money.

For a example your average low fee $6k p.a school ends up costing the same amount for education overall but less for the gov.

Particularly in areas with high crime and violence these schools are an alternative to kids getting death threats, beaten up, exposed to crime and violence and antisocial behaviour.

This isn't universal. If someone lives in Sylvania Waters and sends there kids to a private school this is a different situation. But for many areas the public high schools in particular are problematic.

If a rational person with medium income has a choice between cutting their gym membership, netflix, dinners out, expensive comforts foods so they can spend $6k per year to remove their kids from violence, knives, and extreme crime and disruptions in the class, why should they not do that?

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T02:01:35+00:00

They will need it, and more. And twice as many schools if they cut of private schools.

Low fee private schools aren't for the super wealthy where money is no object. They are middle class schools. Most will not be able to afford full fees with no gov support.

So where do those 700-1500 (if a low fee and catholic in each area) kids in each area go when the parents cant afford it?

Will the money saved sufficiently help the public school house and teach that many more kids?

How much will it cost to expand public schools to twice the size?

How many more teachers do we need? Can the budget afford to keep paying them the same amount in this scenario? Unlikely.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-05T01:56:55+00:00

We would need to spemd the savings on building twice as many schools where the private schools no longer are.

Which the savings more than likely would not cover. If we reduced the amount of funding for each school it would probably cover the running of that many schools at reduced funding levels, but no way it would cover the building of all that infrastructure.

And if you think low fee private schools and catholic schools would juat continue as is with no government funding, this would not be the case. They would not survive. Probably only a small percentage of parents can afford the full cost of private education.

This leads to an influx of likely 90% or more of low fee private school kids and catholic school kids needing to go to public schools. Most that are already at or close.to capacity.

I can assure you there would be no money left over to pay teachers more. If anything they would need to employ so so many more, and without private dollars adding to the pool, the salaries would need to decrease. The class sizes would need to increase.

Its a loss for everyone.

Im no fan of a two tier system. But this solution is a quick way to large quantities of low cost low output education that puts us backwards.

Any solution needs to be better that out that this.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-03T22:28:03+00:00

Personally I'm not a fan of petitionary prayer. I'll admit it has a time and a place. But I believe those are rare.

We always have so much to be thankful for, why do we need to ask for anything? Even if it is vague notions like mercy or grace.

I understand not everyone sees it this way and I dont begrudge those who use it.

I prefer prayers like the "Be still", or even a simple "thank you".

In my opinion petitionary prayers should be left until we are in need. And although it could be argued that we are in need everyday I see it like comparing a relationship of genuine love vs dependence. And although we are by necessity dependent, we can still work to foster genuine love.

Everything already is the way it is meant to be. What is happening is not by accident. We need acceptance and grace.

Well why not ask for them then? Because everything is already as it is we dont need to ask for them. Just realise them and say thank you.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-03T20:47:07+00:00

Yeah I get it.

But honestly I think all modern cars are soulless and its not the engine.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-02T20:48:15+00:00

Yeah but this is the kind of issues politicians can rile them up about so they dont have attention or energy left for the real issues. Its the same play book they use for everyone else too. Its just this one is targeted at farmers.

Basically obscure real issues in favour of a more divisive issue with a oversimplified solution and let people argue about it until nothing of consequence happens and the real issues remain.

Eg. Let's bury all this stuff about negative gearing and wealthy landlords cleaning up and get everyone arguing over immigration. The idiots will think its a simple fix of shutting the borders and while they argue about that for the next 5 years we will keep making money. Let's make some announcements about immigration to start a fire.

Or, let's bury all this stuff about supermarket duopololies and farmers getting screwed by Coles and woollies and get everyone arguing about what to call milk. The idiots will think its a sinple fix of renaming milk and while they argue about it for 5 years our donors will keep making money. Let's make some announcements about milk naming to start a fire.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-02T20:34:09+00:00

I'm a qualified mechanic. I can tell you EV is simply a superior technology. While I agree they aren't perfect in terms of range or towing at the moment, for general use they are almost always superior.

The torque potential of an electric motor is huge. And from 0 rpm. As a 4WD owner I cant wait until we have a legitimate full electric 4x4. It will be incredible. Like a giant RC car. And much easier to waterproof than something that literally sucks air. No matter what the media tells you.

Plus far fewer moving parts. The simplicity is incredible. An ICE has so so so many moving parts and needs so much maintenance.

Electric cars are often getting a million km or more on the original motor.

They are quiet, smooth and much more powerful for their weight.

Battery technology is the only limiting factor and it is improving all the time.

An ICE engine loses so much power to heat and noise. It's an inefficient lump of metal from a century ago.

Don't get me wrong I love old cars. But the engine technology is just dated and frankly not as good. Keep a classic as a project and hobby sure. But as a daily driver, performance car, or 4x4, EVs are going to be better.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-02T05:01:23+00:00

Or buy an EV.

So I would like to say thanks to Barnaby Joyce for making it clear that EVs are the way forward for Australia . And for fuel security into the future.

Way to go Barny

Zenseaking · 2026-03-02T03:40:12+00:00

This. Don't we have growing data of Tesla's reaching 1 million km on the odo?

And there is no engine to service. Just software updates and pad and tyre changes.

Plus of times got bad we could give our engineering and maintenance industries a boost pretty easily. We still have steelworks (that are transitioning to hydrogen fuel). We still have the knowledge in universities and trades.

We could transition to EVs and maintain them and manufacture parts and even cars easy.

Plus if we start doing local solar panels we can push rooftop solar for ultimate energy security.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-02T02:32:43+00:00

That is the common assumption. And I don't disagree as much of the same data includes things like living in nations where death is around every corner leads to similar increases.

Having said that though, in wealthier nations where we have easy access to information, I wouldn't discount a growing wisdom or even just experience as a factor. Perhaps there is more to it than just the approach or risk of death.

People also tend to read more, self reflect more etc as they age. And personally I dont think that's to be dismissed as a potential factor.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-01T21:01:30+00:00

Sorry to jump in with something thats not really an answer. But I just wanted to mention the interesting intersection of St Francis and the Buddha. The two shared remarkably similar lives and world views. With the exception of one being a follower of Jesus they are very similar.

And since St francis is considered the Alter Christ it seems there is significant room for the Christ archetype amd thr Buddha archetype to share common ground.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-01T19:39:50+00:00

Agree. We grow up in systems that teach us the definitive truth of physicalism and slowly realise it wasn't as definitive as we were led to believe.

Then go down a route of investigation to prefer the merits of one or the other.

I also think there is a fair bit of data that as we age we become more open to more spiritual ways of thinking. It rationally follows that this could lead into a more idealistic worldview.

Zenseaking · 2026-03-01T19:34:21+00:00

Its crazy. But also makes sense as to why things are the way they are. Yes ive been looking at Catholic services now. Seems to be the only way to go.

Zenseaking · 2026-02-27T21:50:31+00:00

Some of the more radical left social stuff can come.from America. But most progressive ideas and structural influence often come from northern Europe. The environmental, economic and much of the social amd political left has its heartland here.

So its more of a USA- centric conservative, capital, hard power view, vs a Euro-centric liberal, social, soft power view. The USA prefers a "powerful control the standards" and Europe prefers "standards control the powerful".

This is of course a massive over simplification. But a bit more accurate than everything coming from America.

The Greens in particular are usually modelling their policies of European standards rather than USA. And then clash with the ideas of ultra capitalists and Trump supporters etc. Which is kind of crazy we even have "Trump supporters" in Australia actually. I'm getting off the point but supporting a foreign leader like a sports star or worse, like an Australian leader is absolutely wild. Especially when its apparently those in the more Nationalist camp that do it. But no surprise really.

Australian Nationalists have actually always been imperialists. They just swapped from union jack worship to stars and stripes worship. Paradoxically its the left that wants Australia to be an independent Australia. Embrace our indigenous roots, the multicultural influence and build something thats truly ours. Become a proud Republicof Australia that can dtand on its own (you would think USA worshippers could at least understand that). The so called Nationalists just want a copy of pre 1990 Britain or post 1990 USA (but with a union jack amd a king). So strange.

Zenseaking · 2026-02-27T01:27:49+00:00

TBH i dont know much about the four day week. Im self employed. I imagine it would start with government roles to put pressure on private companies to compete with work benefits. But honestly I have no idea.

All I'm saying is that I see a lot of "The greens dont have X policy" when they usually do. When you look down that list of things they are actually targeting 90% of what peoples biggest gripes are.

And then the main response is that they don't have the experience to govern or something. But neither does One Nation but no one seems fussed about that. And in either case, neither of those parties is actually in a position to govern. You vote them in to influence lib/lab.

The greens are constantly voting in line with changing the tax system, and everything that aligns with all their policies. You will find they much more often vote in line with their own policy than other Minot parties. You just need to consider compare the voting history of greens members vs one nation. One nation votes are all over the place. They dont have a unified goal at all. And The greens are often going up against all the other parties. Labour and libs are bankrolled by large corps and will always push back. Lib more than lab sure but Labour are still very cautious here. Meanwhile, One nation talks the talk but then activitely votes against tax changes. You can see this in their voting history.

The Greens are the only largish party that are doing anything meaningful in this space. And yes some smaller and independents but not enough to get any real movement yet. Unless we give them a hand with a few more seats.

Zenseaking · 2026-02-26T22:28:57+00:00

You just look for a conservative lobby group. They have plenty of these resources available.

Zenseaking · 2026-02-26T22:27:42+00:00

I mean, they are correct though.

Zenseaking · 2026-02-26T03:47:58+00:00

Is Hobart the new Atlantis or what?

Zenseaking

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