Sheesh … as I scroll through this thread I find it difficult to believe you are not one sided … of course I only read a few posts here and there so perhaps you have indeed asked questions of the "other side", or not. "
I am on one side and one side only, and that is the side of factual veracity.
And I feel that the simple questions that I have asked on this thread bear full testimony to a desire to establish the facts. To wit:
1. The demand of the striking protesters to cancel all gas projects, what do you think will be the the impact on gas prices in Australia, gas being a significant source of energy for Australian industry?
2. The demand for of 100% renewal energy generation in 10 years' time.
Do you understand some of the practicalities around that demand? For example, what happens to the hundreds of thousands of homes that have gas stoves and hot water systems, and the thousands of businesses that are gas powered?
3. And then the demand about jobs to be created for all fossil fuel workers and employees.
Can you explain how that will be brought into being? For example, how many workers - direct and indirect - are employed in the fossil fuel industry in Australia that will need transitioning to other careers?
Each of those questions is of a fact seeking nature.
"I take it you're not a fan of capitalism then. "
Not unbridled Capitalism, no.
I have an ethical predilection for certain elements of Capitalism, Socialism, Qualified Enfranchisement and Sustainable Development. In fact,I find certain (limited) aspects of Communism have a place in contemporary society.
By way of some demonstration, one of my family's longest-held shareholdings (~20 years) is in a company called Reece Limited.
Reece demonstrates, in my mind, the emblematic optimal trade-off between profitability, corporate conscience, and excellent environmental, social and governance practices.
Reece has been rolling out installation of solar panels on all of its company-owned store for more than a decade and has a proud history of both creating significant shareholder value for the owners of the company, as well as making significant investments into community projects and contributing to philanthropic causes.
By way of some cursory demonstration of this, below follow some salient take-aways from recent Reece Annual Reports:
I expect this sort of balance between profits and socially responsible business practices from all of my investee companies and , as an engaged shareholder, I make this known to the directors and executives who manage the companies I own, whenever I feel the need arises.
"You must be disgusted then by the behaviour of most on here when discussing the students. Or perhaps you don't get that easily offended ..."
Yes, I don't care for name-calling and personal insults when people are unable or unwilling to conduct debate in a civil manner.
As you can see, I take a somewhat dim view of it when it happens to me:
