[talaniman]

You didn't look like you needed a Marshall Plan to me, and I am sure you could never adapt to corporate capitalistic ideology, though many of your businesses have. Not a personal knock you understand, as I think you and I share that trait. With all that uranium I bet you have the best medical technology facilities in the world though.

https://antinuclear.net/2017/09/06/h...eration-risks/

You drive a hard bargain, but don't fret, your military has been trained very well over the years and frankly you don't need us to supply you with anything. I bet you knew that already so back to BUTTER.

[paraclete]

I bet you knew that already so back to BUTTER.

Are you telling me you need butter? I thought you were happy with that piosonous substitute.

As to your question about medical technology, we have very good medical technology, and our doctors are not quite as entreprenurial as yours. Yes our military is very experienced at playing deputy sheriff and helping you train yours

[talaniman]

I never doubted your skills, but would imagine training works both ways to be an efficient working force. I am also very aware of the treaties you have signed with the people you sell your dirt to. You have the capitalist part down pat, no matter how your products may be used.

[paraclete]

I never doubted your skills, but would imagine training works both ways to be an efficient working force. I am also very aware of the treaties you have signed with the people you sell your dirt to. You have the capitalist part down pat, no matter how your products may be used.

Yes training does work both ways, but apart from piloting new aircraft I haven't heard of many of our troops training in the US however we have two large centres here that are used by the US for training purposes, often in collaboration with Aussie forces. We also train the forces of other nations.

While we operate in a capitalist paradigm we often find its focus on shareholder value runs counter to national interest, particularly where multinationals are concerned and they have to be incentivised to keep our industries going. Right now there is debate about closing aging coal fired power stations because capitalists have failed to seize the opportunity for replacement. They have the vague idea that it should be with renewables but the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine to order. We had the wonderful idea capitalists should build a broadband network, no takers, so a national corporation is doing it at great cost and much delay. Our next wonderful idea is they will build an inland railway, no takers, so limited progress. Once again government will have to do it and let us not speak about high speed rail, the very idea lowers air fares to ridiculous levels

[talaniman]

Same here Clete, corporate interests are often not in line with domestic interest. Finding the sweet spot to balance both is difficult. New technology is expensive and not always labor intensive, and multinationals drive very hard bargains. Government can only spend what the electorate will bear to pay, and want their own bargains at cut rate prices.

You may have to raise the price on dirt if you want the latest cable TV.

[paraclete]

You may have to raise the price on dirt if you want the latest cable TV.

The price of dirt isn't up to us, but it has risen recently, we need to raise the price of exported gas to domestic levels. I don't want cable TV, Tal, but it is getting so it is the only way to escape the advertisers. We can sell plenty of coal even if iron is a bit slow but the real money will be in food