Lord Herbert wrote on Jun 30^th, 2015 at 8:14pm:

Australia in 20 years?

Given the educational standards of the last 20 years:

BOGANS WILL RULE!

Why should Marla not be interested in this forum? Welcome Marla. It is pleasure to have you. Your opinions and perspectives are appreciated.

As for the theme of this thread, my guess is as good as anyone's. Though, judging by the poor state of our 'secular democracy' and incredibly poor governance, I don't hold out much hope for this nation. We have no pride, no direction (other than towards China) and no ambition. The day before yesterday we were part of Britain, then we wanted to emulate the US (that proved too much hard work). Some Aussies want Australia to be part of Europe, but mostly we are crawling up China's backside.

There are lots of intelligent and engaging people in this country, but for some inexplicable reason they don't find their way into politics. We used to have good politicians a few decades ago, however, they've been bred out. What we now have are smart arses and opportunists (90% of our pollies).

The way I see it, we are currently going through the integration and assimilation process with our geographic region. In other words and 20 years hence, Australia will resemble many of the nations of this region economically, socially and politically. Our current government says that Australia is open for business, but in reality they have turned this nation into one giant bargain basement where everything is up for sale, including our politicians.

Very soon our governments will micro-manage all of us. There will be no privacy, no civil rights, no freedom of expression other than what is prescribed by government.  Dissent will not be tolerated and treated as home-grown terrorism. Most Australians will be part of the current emerging class of working poor. They will be under-employed, asset poor and dependent on government handouts.

America will have affordable health care and Australia will not. Just as we already don't have affordable housing, energy, food - you name it, everything in this country is already far too expensive for most Australians and expected to become even more so. We are bleeding jobs to  developing countries and our government is implementing policies that import cheap labor from these same countries, to directly compete with Australians for employment.

For many Australians full-time employment is very much a thing of the past. The middle-class is contracting as opportunities and incomes keep shrinking. Australia 20 years from now will have nothing to do with the Australia that was envisioned at Federation. 

That is my prediction based on what I observe today. However, I sincerely hope against hope that I am wrong.

valleyboy wrote on Jul 1^st, 2015 at 12:07am:



My own short-sightedness has always seen Australia more independent of becoming Americanized than say a lot of Europe. That's not to say you have (for better or worse but mostly for worse) have embraced American corporatization and paid a price for it in terms of health and economic woes.  Then again, that's what many American corporations do, paralyze the world with unhealthy trends but I digress.

America's dealing with China has destroyed the middle class. Advancements in employment are no longer and that alone has made us dependent of so much worthless and unnecessary (plastic) junk that their slave labor manufactured crap now exist in just about every American household. I would hate to see that happen to Australia although I fear it already has.

Americans have a limited view of Australia and especially their politics which do influence the world. Many Americans see the continent as a vacation destiny due to tourism propaganda of a land full of kangaroos and endless "G'day" greetings rather than an independent country with its own social and economic woes.  Of course, Men At Work are playing at the airport 24/7 doing their 'Down Under' tune because there is nothing like an American suffering from an Australian stereotype.

In 20 years time who knows what will become of Australia. It may drift into becoming a bigger satellite of America providence - especially since that Pacific Trans-Partnership bills seems to have passed which means (American) corporations will have the power to sue your country if they don't like the policies of your government. So much for Western democracy.

Scary.

You're mean.

UnSubRocky wrote on Jul 1^st, 2015 at 12:58am:

What a creep.

Seriously.