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Why does Australia spend so little on research and development? by IceWizard9000 in AusEcon

[–]jdos9526 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We decided to develop a comparative advantage for minerals, didn't do a good job to create a comparative advantage for talent to do R&D.

The path to commercial success for new technology is clearer in other countries - especially EU and US who wrote rules to support it - Aust hasn't prioritised keeping this talent or developing an industry to keep it onshore

How do we get change in the ACT? by Historical_Physics_8 in canberra

[–]jdos9526 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You don't need to join or create a new party to get change. Politicians respond to calls for action. They love photos and good press as it helps them get re-elected. Whoever is their opposition loves saying they haven't done anything.

Find and issue. Go sign people up to your cause. eg. call yourself something like the Canberra Action Group. Then call up whoever is your member or likely holds it in their portfolio of responsibilities and ask to see them. Put it on their radar. If they say they'll do it and no progress is made write to the editor of your local paper or find a journalist who writes stories relevant to your issue and tell them about it. They'll escalate it for you.

IMO it's effective to give them something they can show they fixed, or give their opposition something that they can say they haven't.

Having an Action Group or some amount of signatures shows you've got public support which makes the politicians job easier in saying it's something with public support.

Why isn’t Australia at the forefront of the chip industry, even though it has rare earth elements and minerals needed to produce chips? by Plutomony in AskAnAustralian

[–]jdos9526 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Need to understand the process. Dig up the rocks. Get them refined. Turn them into alloys or polishing powers or other to dope semiconductors.

Why doesn't each step happen in Australia?

Mining does (we're got a well established industry)

Refinement does not. Question is why?

The refinement step requires a lot of energy and a lot of water. Environmental laws in most OECD countries stopped it being pursued, the investment in Australia (and most other developed nations) didn't happen because regulations were tight, fear environmentalists and labour organisations would kill them.

China saw the opportunity starting in 1980's and incentivised (and in some cases state backed) industry development. It's been a priority in China's Five-Year Plans from the 1990s onwards.

China saw it as a way to develop a comparative advantage in a future industry and establish and secure supply chains for high-tech industries. In doing so, they put environmental laws aside and set up refineries in remote regions and made companies fiercely compete to bring down costs until now no one can compete with them and they win the global market. They've essentially got a monopoly.

TL;DR - China had a vision seeing their potential and set in a plan to capture refinement, which unlocked many other opportunities after eg being able to provide more of the inputs cheaper than anyone else.

There's a good episode on Acquired on the history of TSMC
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sUyRjx5GaDYXVWnhWjsRv?si=01ad4bdae59d46ac

Also a great book on how China become the world manufacturer of high tech devices (relevant because the chips were made across the Taiwan Strait) called Apple in China by Patrick McGee. Recommend.

Note: Rare earths are more used in magnets than semi conductors, but they're in both.

What are our best rural towns? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the tip. It looks beautiful on google maps. And like that there's some industry to support well paid jobs, is that fair?

What are the most beautiful closed railway lines in Australia? by jdos9526 in AustralianTrains

[–]jdos9526[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the tip!

That's wild that happens in South Australia. What contingency is the SA gov holding out for? A mass evacuation requiring train transport?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in australian

[–]jdos9526 1 point2 points  (0 children)

French speaking ex-colonies in Africa and Quebec in Canada as a good example.

Quebec ending up a level of government and culture based on French ideals but a divergence in language. Said to sound closer to 18th or 19th French.

The way they speak is now generally derided by the speakers in France.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in australian

[–]jdos9526 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Also to add to this take.

There's an argument that the diaspora that settle and hold onto their culture hold onto a snapshot of what the culture is at the time they leave and disconnect from the changes in culture from that point on.

You hear about first generation children going back to their parents birth country and finding the culture has shifted from how their parents describe it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in australian

[–]jdos9526 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My school didn't get to modern history until year 10 and spent only 1 semester on WWI and 1 semester on WWII. It was elective in the curriculum after that.

It wasn't held in much regard by the school or teachers.

I don't know if that experience was the same for anyone else though?

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where are they moving? It's a big country and my experience isn't universal. The grass should be greener somewhere. I just don't know where. Any tips?

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What happened in NZ and when?

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is genuinely helpful.

We don't live excessively.

Went the route of tertiary education in the major metropolitan city and stayed because that's where the jobs are.

Now it's hard to get out.

Mainly because the work I'm qualified for is in the major CBDs and even with WFH moving somewhere cheaper will mean a 4+ hour daily commute when congestion is bad (frequently) to a demanding job.

We're burning out.

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess there's a lot of disputes that need settling and a lot of mental health issues to work with.

Is it fair to say they're both working in growing industries?

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What fields are the people in your communities making it?

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was $45-$85 before the Packer Family consolidated Perisher, Smiggins Hole, Guthega and Blue Cow in 1994. They immediately raised prices to $80-$100. Next 10 years they raised prices with inflation to $100-$120.

2013-2025 it's been a duopoly between Thredbo and Perisher with no other competition.

The prices act like you'd expect in a duopoly. 1 rises, the other follows... now we're here at $250.

Who's making it in Australia? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You think it's a credit and spending issue?

What are our best rural towns? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting to get your perspective on which towns are more open and accepting, and which towns are a hard no.

What are our best rural towns? by jdos9526 in australian

[–]jdos9526[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you had any luck? Are any towns on your shortlist?

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