martin1978

4 years ago it was the other way round when it was 2.5$. You came with a few pounds and you were rich. :-)

Almo

You're right that to get an accurate understanding of costs people need to compare apples with apples, but those apples don't always exist in each country. We moved here from Exeter. Is there a comparable city/town to Exeter in Australia? Maybe, maybe not. Melbourne certainly isn't comparable to Exeter in most ways, but it was the only city I would have considered, so we had to look at comparisons between Exeter and Melbourne. As long as people understand that they're not always making fair comparisons, I think it's fine to make them.

commonwealth

i dont see it returning to such levels in the next 4 years or so.

martin1978

I suppose anywhere thats 200 miles from Melbourne. Wodonga maybe. Aussies do the same thing the other way round. They go straight from the likes Orange to Central London and think its bloody expensive. Because it is.

Zen10

If you like mythology read more here published by the OECD that backs up everything I have just said in Chapter 5 "A Family Affair: Intergenerational
Social Mobility across OECD Countries".

http://www.oecd.org/tax/publicfinanc...y/45002641.pdf

commonwealth

victorian-era in-denial syndrome

commonwealth

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...?newsfeed=true

Living standards report shows bleak future of a divided Britain

Independent study suggests rich will get richer and the poor poorer as chancellor plans further £10bn of welfare cuts

Living standards for low- and middle-income households will fall until 2020, even if the country enters a golden period of steady economic growth, according to an incendiary analysis of deepening income inequality in Britain.

Beoz

That could spark another interesting discussion. Is it right to take from the rich to give to the poor?

lesleys

Social mobility works in both directions, as this report shows. It doesn't necessarily mean a chance to earn more.

commonwealth

but unequal society breeds crime.

lesleys

I was pointing out that mobility in both directions may tend to reduce inequality.

Beoz

It does, but there are ways to deal with crime. Check out Singapore

commonwealth

impose the death penalty and physical punishment! 30 lashes fro robbery, 80 for rape.

commonwealth

Neil51

Better to impose this on the bank managers, and the career-politicians (especially Thatcher) who have betrayed our ancesters who fought for peace and freedom.