Teaching maths in 1970: A fisherman sells 80 kilos of prawns for $1,000. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
Teaching maths in 1980: A fisherman sells 80 kilos of prawns for $1,000. His cost of production is 80 percent of the price. What is his profit?
Teaching maths in 1990: A fisherman sells 80 kilos of prawns for $1,000. His cost of production is $800. How much was his profit?
Teaching maths in 2000: A fisherman sells 80 kilos of prawns for $1,000. His cost of production is $800 and his profit is $200. Your assignment: Underline the number 200.
Teaching maths in 2005: A fisherman catches 80 kilos of prawns because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the marine resources or the preservation of our ecosystems. Your assignment: Discuss how the fish and crabs might feel as the fisherman rapes their environment for a measly sum of $1,000.
Teaching maths in 2009: A fisherman is arrested for trying to sell a shark that might have been offensive to any religious group not referenced on his fishing licence. He is also fined $100 as his gill net is in breach of environmental legislation as it could catch an endangered or threatened species.
He has used the net for over 20 years without incident however he does not have the appropriate certificate of competence and is therefore considered to be an offender and habitual criminal. His DNA is sampled and his details circulated throughout all government agencies. He protests and is taken to court and fined another $100 because he is such an easy target.
When the fisherman is released, he returns to find a band of refugees have occupied his waterfront land, house and fishing shed. He tries to throw them off but is arrested, prosecuted for harassing an ethnic minority, imprisoned and fined a further $1,000. While he is in jail the refugees tear down the shed and use the wood for a farewell BBQ of wombat, dugong bacon and turtle eggs. They then depart leaving behind several tonnes of rubbish and asbestos sheeting.
The fisherman on release is warned that failure to clear the rubbish immediately at his own cost is an offence. He complains and is arrested for environmental pollution, breach of the peace and invoiced $12,000 plus GST for safe disposal costs by a regulated government contractor.
Your assignment: How many times is the fisherman going to have to be arrested and fined before he realises that he is never going to make $200 profit by hard work. How long will it be before he gives up, signs onto the dole and lives off the state for the rest of his life?
Teaching maths in 2010: A fisherman does not sell 80 kilos of prawns because he can't get a loan to buy a new net because his bank has spent all his and their money on a derivative of securitised debt related to sub- prime mortgages in Mississippi and lost the lot with only some government money left to pay a few million dollar bonuses to their senior directors and the traders who made the biggest losses.
The fisherman struggles to pay the $1s200 licence fee on his boat however, as it was built in the 1970s it no longer meets the emissions regulations and he is forced to scrap it.
Some Indonesian fishermen buy the boat from the broker and put it back to sea. They undercut everyone on the sale of fish and send their cash back home, while claiming unemployment for themselves and their relatives. If questioned they speak no English and it is easier to deport them at the government's expense.
Following their holiday back home they return to Australia with different names and start again. The fisherman protests, is accused of being a bigoted racist and as his registration numbers are still on the side of the boat he is forced to pay $1,500 payroll tax.
The Government borrows more money to pay more to the bankers as executive salaries are not cheap. The parliamentarians feel they are missing out and claim the difference on expenses and allowances.
Teaching maths 2020: The first Australian fisherman to be licensed in 20 years went to sea for the first time this week. He caught and sold 80 kilos of prawns for $1000. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
