as have Australian fashion designers, architects and performers. Finally, let's not forget finance. As much as we critique its shortcomings, Australia's financial services industry has many world-class players... and our banks, after all, are some of the biggest in the world darkly...teh problem with recessions is that the burden always falls on the few. The rest of us continue our lives as if nothing is going on. Goods and services get cheaper so the rest of us are better off and we learn absolutely nothing. As soon as we can pump ourselves up with a bit more debt..it's off to the real estate office while houses are 'cheap'. Aside from the very privileged perch this commentary comes from, my take is that statistics and official data can be and is in fact skewed, spun, manipulated or whatever to promote a picture that is quite false to reality. Hidden away from citizens is the truth and the real facts of the situation which of course prevents attention being drawn to often unpalatable but necessary remedies. With that deception achieved , status quo remains the game and ideal for Govts bent on borrowing in order to woo votes. Yet they dig OUR hole deeper. And the Debt heads to where? In particular, the charts at 18.05 and 19.39 on World money and "Malpractice" strike a chord for a perspective. "my take is that statistics and official data can be and is in fact skewed, spun, manipulated or whatever to promote a picture