Originally Posted by Expatriate
You don't understand the cultural differences. Andrew Johns or Shane Warne will never make anything approaching a US athlete's salary (from endorsements) for several reasons. Foxtel has chosen to gouge the consumer in exchange for fewer commercials. We pay $90+/month for commercial free crap. In the US, it's more like $30/month (mostly same crap). Sucks for the advertising industry. Why endorse a celebrity if there's no mass advertisements with his image? Even worse, with less than 1/10th the market size, you can't possibly justify paying someone to pitch your products to so few people. I'm kind of rambling here on my soapbox, but I get very frustrated by the fact that we get the very short end of the stick as far as price and selection. The government here gives away too much money, taxes too much, and doesn't do enough to promote commerce. I'm not saying the US is a better system, just that I don't see any incentive for business here. One day I will move back to the states, and make a very good living shipping stuff to Australia. I'm actually cutting this short before I really go off.
I understand perfectly the 'consumer cultural' differences between the US and Aus. However, you'll be proud to know we're doing our darnest to catch up, and soon we'll have levels of personal debts, no health care system, and civil litigation levels just like you guys!
You're wrong about the celebrity endorsement point - most Australian sports people can only do what they do because 1) Of institutions like the AIS, and 2) Corporate sponsorships and product endorsements. In fact, many sportspeople make more money from their sponsors than they do from wages.
I agree taxes here are too high and there is no incentives for small business though. Two things that constantly infuriate me about living here. ( or trying to ).