BL> I won't use *your* money if you'll give me a refund for *my*
 BL> money you pissed against the wall on Collins subs.

 PE> If you didn't want Collins subs, you shouldn't have ordered
 PE> them. I don't want tariffs, I'm not ordering them. 

  Decisions are made by elected governments for the good of all. No
one gives a shit what *you* think personally. It's not *your* money in
tariffs (especially when you are beating yourself to death dodging
fair taxes), any more than it is *my* money in Collins subs.

  Protected markets (of which tariff is just one implementation) work
for the benefit of all Australians overall, whether is is seen as
your protected workshop designing inferior software for submarines,
Ford Australia building superior cars under tariffs to keep the bastards 
honest, subsidising rail transport for wheat, or tax breaks for loonies 
borrowing money to gamble on the stock exchange. All of these are 
protectionism in different forms to disadvantage foreigners trying to 
compete equally in our markets. 

  I am in favour of these methods, plus superannuation kickbacks, 
apprentice training schemes, cheap loans, tax concessions, anything 
that advantages Australians against our trading partners. Tariffs are 
merely the most upfront and easily calculated way of doing that.  

  It is inconsistent for you to be in favour of the Collins program
and tax breaks to subsidise your gambling, but to oppose tariffs. Your
mindset is simply put, illogical.

 BL> A 22" TV for instance has been $600 since 1975... except for
 BL> the market variations I explained above.

 PE> Hey Bob, I actuall *bought* a TV in 1987. The CHEAPEST 34cm CTV
 PE> I could find was for $449 and didn't have remote control.

  CHEAPEST, my arse. The CHEAPEST set has *always* been Princess or
Palsonic. You should not say silly things like this, Paul; all I have 
to do is look up my old records.

  1987?  You bought at the wrong time, in the hiatus between Korean
and Chinese sets. In 1985 Korean sets hit a low of $299 (remote $60
extra). You got done, Paul.

  These variations are exactly the point I was making. Palsonic was
selling Goldstar Korean at $300 when Goldstar decided to go into
business for themselves. It took us a year to find an alternative
manufacturer in the PRC, during which time you got screwed. You should
have bought the Princess Model 3448 a year later. They were $349 with
remote: the first PRC Chinese sets. Thank you for confirming my point.
Without local manufacture, there is no reference price.

  But in any case I was discussing 22" sets at $600. The price I would
have put on 14"  1975-1995 is $400. In that period, the cheapest has
been $299 and the dearest $400. Christ only knows how you paid $459
for an el-cheapo 14 TV.

 PE> The other day I saw Coles selling 51cm CTV's with remote
 PE> control and teletext for $449. ROFL! And that's completely
 PE> ignoring the value of $449 then compared to now. After 10 years
 PE> of inflation! POOR OLD BOB. BFN. 

  Don't contradict an expert, you silly fuckwit. I get *paid* for
this, you dill. A 51cm screen is actually 20" (buy yourself a
calculator)... and in fact it is really a squared-up 48cm (19"). 

  FYI, there is a shift in technology at 51cm (20"). A 22" screen
(56cm and up) which is what I was discussing becasue that was the base
set made in Australia (we never made 14" here) is not the same as the 
34/48/51cm sets.

Regards,
Bob
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
@EOT:

---