Education & Work Have a job and yet living in poverty

Is this a joke?

 

Reference to another thread where I was told that there is no real disadvantage in Australia compared to billions of people in the world. This thread is talking about Australian's who are working, which is so much better off than the billions referred to previously. I find the subsequent reference to these people as "victims" ridiculous. Working Australians are not "victims" by any international measure. The hypocrisy in this thread is breathtaking.

 

PG, poor is relative. Here in Australia, poor is struggling to afford Netflix and an internet connection. Somewhere else, poor is struggling to get at least one meal a day. In Point Piper, poor is having only 20 Ferraris. In the Druitt, poor is owning only one fully shick Commodore, mate.

 

Yes, I take your point. I think that distinction is lost on some posters depending how high their horse is.

 

Of course it's relative but not in the OTT way that you claim. Cost of living is not the same in every single location so that would obviously need to be taken into account when you're trying to determine this. Some places are very expensive even for the basics, other places are very affordable.

Also, claiming there is no poverty or real class distinctions in Australia shows ignorance of a very high order. The kind of living in a bubble thinking that would say a household income of 200k is "average" in Australia (was mentioned of a previous thread on this forum).

 

I don't disagree and it wasn't me making that claim. I believe the criticism levelled related to someone living in Australia claiming disadvantage. That person was told in no uncertain terms to get into the real world. The implication was that real disadvantage doesn't exist in Australia compared to billions of more disadvantaged people around the globe.

Incidentally, I have worked with high school students who were struggling academically due to inter-generational disadvantage. I can confirm this is indeed a real issue in Australia and it does impact the lives of people living here. Claiming these people don't experience disadvantage because they are far better off than a homeless person in a 3rd world country is ignorant, I agree.

 

I think everyone has a different definition of "standard of living" and I think location plays a big part in it too.

I'm in my mid 20's and have a good professional job that pays above average for someone my age, got a decent company car and paying off an investment property. But I don't really feel my "standard of living" is as good as what "I would like it to be". I'm still living at home with my parents in Sydney and I only have 4 realistic options:

1. Continue to live with parents and have a high standard of living, but sacrifice being independent.
2. Move out of home and rent a property in Sydney and make heaps of sacrifices (I.e. don't go out with friends as much, cut back on holidays, work more overtime, cut back on my hobbies) and live just above the poverty line.
3. Move out of Sydney to a regional area (assuming that I can get a job that pays similar) and have a reasonably decent standard of living as less of my income will be locked into putting a roof over my head.
4. Move to the USA.

Currently I'm applying for jobs in regional NSW and in the USA.

I might sound like a stereotypical entitled gen y, but I sometimes compare myself to my dad and my Grandpa.

My Dad when he was my age, was a blue collar worker, paying off a large 5 bedroom house (in Sydney) which only cost 3 times his yearly income, owned a brand new V8 Holden Kingswood Panel Van, owned a boat and went on numerous holidays (both overseas and in Australia). There is no way a blue collar worker in that age group could afford to do that in Sydney these days.

My Grandpa when he was my age, he was a blue collar worker, had a wife (who was a stay at home mum), had 3 kids and was paying off a house (in Sydney) which only cost twice his yearly income.

Here I am, a white collar worker earning above average income, and there is no way I could afford to do the things my Dad or my Grandpa did when they were my age.

 

Even now I can’t justiy foxtel. Not including the basic package (which has crap all content), you’re paying what, over $50 a month?

Netflix is what, like $10? I was just barely able to justify that lol. And even then I still feel guiltly about it from time to time if I’m not using it enough.

 

There are people struggling with war and poverty in other countries who can do nothing except try to survive. Australia is full of abundance and opportunities and anyone who chooses to be wealthy actually can be.
I’m hearing you George and I’ve seen those very same circumstances.

 

Here is a question for the accountants, assuming robots are self owned and paid (probably with cryptocurrencies but that’s an aside), they could pay tax so there should be very little shift in the overall economic position of the country. I’m I correct on that assumption??

 

Reading through the article the great divide appears to be the cost of housing not education then again, it could just be mindset.

If you're coming from privilege, then taking that first step down can be daunting - married to single parent with little reliable parental support, having been out of the workforce or taken on a less demanding job etc ends up at less pay but I still need........ and it's all expensive.

I know that I could easily spend $1000/week in mortgage or rent in Sydney's inner ring for a 3 bedroom house but that'd get luxury in all other states though wages aren't much different. In most instances you need two solid incomes to cover it and live.

At your age, your grandfather/father had already been working for 10 years including doing their time at an apprentice. Bought a house on the fringe of the city (it was a lot smaller back then), got married/had kids everyone married early, had two incomes early etc and there was plentiful land on the fringes. That equivalent house is somewhere between Emu Plains & Lithgow

 

The irony is that there are other threads on this forum where people say that they would struggle to live 'comfortably' as a couple on 60k per year...

One drug dealer, two corrupt cops and a risky FBI sting

The same people that say we don't have poverty in Australia would argue that the USA doesn't have poverty either. It's a bit rich to argue about 'opportunities' when the people your preaching to are literally working multiple minimum wage jobs just to put a roof over their head. Apparently unless your starving to death you should be grateful and have nothing to complain about.

 

I would say no due to the robot not being a legal entity. A significant law change would be required and even iff treated as a corporate or business entity, taxation rates would still be lower than for individuals.

 

Right now I'm in Cambodia and i've been seeing kids (they look to be around 5 years old) trying to sell souvenirs to foreigners. Not sure they are also getting a school education....

 

Those kids are incredible.. most of them speak all the main touristy languages i.e. English, French, German, Italian.. and very street smart. Savy negotiators

 

Very persistent, they don't give up, if they can't get a yes after asking several times they'll move on the the next tourist!

Was also in the Angkor Wat temple and it looked like a local guide was telling a group of Germans all about the temple. I'm amazed with his German language skills and i'd bet he'd never been to Germany.

 

If you want to see the pre-Angkor Wat Cambodia, head to Kampong Thom. Far less touristy & the people a bit more genuine, very friendly & helpful.

 

Thanks for the tip, I'll ask my tuk tuk driver about it

Edit: just googled it and it's a 2 hour drive away. Probably wouldn't be such a comfy ride on a tuk tuk! I can still go there though

 

Sydney undoubtedly, Melbourne for well located houses sure but there are plenty of affordable-ish apartments.

Canberra cannot be mentioned in the same sentence, that's an outrageous claim.

Median incomes in ACT are 20% higher than in Victoria but Melbourne house price median is close to 30% higher than Canberra's

There is no statistical basisnor evidence of any kind to support the claim that Canberra is as unaffordable as Syd or Melbourne

 

Um yeah... so all of us average people on PC are from the "unthinking, exploiting, parasite class". LMAO. The philosophy and agenda your kind ascribe to is nothing short of an ugly, socialist, chaotic reality which would destroy Australia.