What's the plan - Virginia?

The thing that continues to amaze me is why Australian's aren't curious? Why don't we pay attention to what is going on around us? Why aren't our eyebrow's raised - even a little bit?

Given that we are near the beginning of some rather large and fundamental shifts in the way the Australian economy works you would have thought that Australian's would be interested to understand what is going on - and what the impacts on their families might be.

Nope - apparently not.

Few have picked up on the message that is contained in the recent words of the reserve Bank Governor. Fewer still realise what is happening with the housing market and with the jobs of the old industries that we have relied on for decades. Particularly manufacturing and retail.

Nobody that I know is trying to get ahead of the curve - to be positioned for the new opportunities. Everyone thinks its business as usual - as usual.

No-where is this more obvious than the disaster that is state government. Their business model is nearly as broken as the newspaper industry. I once thought that the abolition of state government would not happen in my lifetime - now I am pretty sure it will. The toxic revenue grab that characterises most of the states is going to bury them. That and the complete absence of trust within their constituency. It's serious stuff that won't change until we get a new generation of state politician - who understand. By then it may be too late.

But the influence of the consumer is declining and with it the things that consumers lust after. In truth *consumerism* was always driven by the ATM that is impersonating the house that many people live in. When house values are going up - it's easy to withdraw some spending money. When prices decline then we become shy with deep pockets. Get used to it.

I imagine that Australia's *billionaire* index will move away from retail and housing and media toward other things. Not sure if that is good or bad. But what it will do is create lots of new opportunities for those who are paying attention.

Are you?