"I have the highest regard for the quality and balance of your site. I am a previous (and intend to be a future) subscriber.

"I was mildly disturbed by your comment today in relation to a measured defence of the Australian mining tax: "social equity is difficult to achieve unless we make the middleclass poorer"; which I regard as unfortunate and hopefully out of character.

"My first reaction was to ask how the American middle class feels about their level of social equity now, having been "made poorer" over the last thirty years. I am as big a fan as the next man of Winston Churchill's sayings; I recall he also ensured the front line troops received all their beer rations before the rear echelons received a drop. That inclusive leadership is sadly not in evidence in the US today and I believe the hollowing out of the middle class will lead to trouble.

"Then, in my view you compounded the dismissive nature of your response with your observation that Australia is better off for the boom than without it, as if it were an all or nothing choice.

"Whilst I agree with you I believe the nature and delivery of this response is out of character, certainly with the tone of the site which I highly commend.

"I am sure you have greater insights to share with us than this and I look forward to reading them.

David Fuller's view This is why I try to avoid politics in Fullermoney these days - it's too controversial, although an important subject, not least for investors, if you share our view that: "Governance is everything."

To my Australian correspondent above I say: Shall we switch the subject to the forthcoming Ashes series? I trust it will be as hotly contested as your election and proposed mining tax.