SWTK - What is your vision for Australia's future?

[Skut]

This forum being comprised of a fairly broad demographic, and a good proportion with strong opinions and an ability for robust debate: I propose an open ground, a soapbox even, for your vision of this nation's future. We have had debates on a carbon tax, immigrants, population issues, resources tax, everyday law and order issues, social reform et al. It would be nice to see some positives coming from a forum debate (although the conflicts are always entertaining)

So the question I ask is; what do YOU see as the best way forward for this nation? The politicians seem to only look at polls (not me personally ) or the agenda for re-election, so I am far more interested in the ideals of those not in office and their reasons why.

To start, we are a nation in one of the most advantageous and geographically pivotal parts of the globe, with complex links with the US, Europe (their experience we seem to learn little from), and the Asian region. Our manufacturing and service industries are in crisis but we are insulated by the mining boom which is also creating it's own problems. SO, how do we manage this?

[Cam]

Flying cars and meals in pill form.

[Skut]

Flying cars and meals in pill form.

That dream has disappointed me for quite some time...

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[agrid]

I listened to a podcast the other day that pointed out that mining was only about 10% of GDP, agriculture 4% the rest manufacturing, services, tourism and so on. The speaker was pointing out that the focus on mining as our saviour is overstated.

[Maxo]

Capital punishment and an all white liberal society that doesn't steal jobs and enough welfare for everyone aussie battlers to never have to work ever again.

[Cap'n James086]

I think we need to get into hi-tech manufacturing and online companies. We will be left behind as the computers begin to dominate worldwide. Think back 30 years, it would be rare for someone to have a personal computer although every big company used them. Today everyone carries more computing power in their pocket than a big company had available to them in 1980 (the sum processing power of all of their mainframes). Hi-tech products follow Moore's Law, halving the price every 18 months. This creates huge opportunities for companies to make profits. Look at credit cards, Visa and Mastercard originally charged a percentage fee per transaction to cover the enormous costs of running servers, these days the servers are not only much cheaper but they are far more energy efficient so the electricity (the biggest cost of server farms) cost is drastically less too. They charge the same percentage fee because they can, but now reap a massive profit.

Sure we can rest on our laurels of vast natural resources but how long will that last? I doubt it will last 50 years. I imagine the change coming in the next 100 years will be greater than the change of the past 100 and to rely on our traditional resources is foolish. Steel may not be a common building material in 50 years. Coal certainly won't be the fuel of choice for electricity generation in 50 years.

Edit: I don't think we will go this way however and I think we will be too slow to adapt causing an economic downturn at some point.

[Skut]

5 responses already make me hopeful! Cam, where is that flying car?!

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[sopheecat]

If it's ideals you are looking for, my vision centers around tolerance.

[Wedge]

Our future lies with getting off this rock...
Once a low cost effective way to lift mass into orbit is constructed, say a space elevator construction. It will begin a new boom time that will make all previous world bull markets tiny in comparison, Australia should be concentrating on doing what it does best: mining all the raw materials/precious earths that other more populous nations will make into a finished product which is then lifted into orbit and form part of the massive construction that will occur. This boom will never stop until all the resources of Australia are consumed as countless ships will leave Earths orbit taking with them the majority of the population. Over-population will be a thing of the past and the Earth will be part of a single governing body.

You laugh, but we are actually closer to this than many realise..

[Cap'n James086]

You laugh, but we are actually closer to this than many realise..

This. A thousand times this.

I think there is a good chance of people who are alive today "living" forever. I doubt it will be biological, but I think anti-aging medicine will mean that the young of today will survive until it is possible for a person's brain to be "scanned" and for their brain to exist within a computer. Laugh away, but if our current rate of growth continues, by 2065 a $1000 computer will have more computational power than every person that has ever lived. The exponential growth in computing power was noticed in 1965 and predicted to end by 1975 yet it continues today. Bear in mind that a government or large company spends far more than $1000 on a supercomputer so the computing power for artificial intelligence will arrive well before then, whether the software is possible will remain to be seen. Brain scanning is already possible although very basic today.

[R_UFO]

Start learning Chinese

[Speed Dealer.]

Speed Dealer wants to know why is there so much political debate on a motorbike forum?

[filbert]

Is this question regarding the direction I would like to see Australia move in or where I see Australia heading on its current path?

Current path I see us somewhere between Mad Max and a series of ads for world visions latest charity drive, where I would like to see is involves cultural diversity, tolerance and acceptance of our fellow man and society becoming generally less selfish.

[SpeedTrip]

A bit more to the right......

Ahhh, that's the spot

[jules_1972]

speed dealer wants to know why is there so much political debate on a motorbike forum?

rofl!!!!

[Griff]

Speed Dealer wants to know why is there so much political debate on a motorbike forum?

Lots goes on inside our lids, when we ride we are alone with our thoughts - it's like a zen thing...
We have this in common so we talk about stuff.

[Griff]

Re OP - I fear our future. I think we will end up buried in Nanny's cotton wool - and dissenters will be disappeared one way or another!

[Gippo]

No need to answer this OP.

Answer is here:

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1622016281/

[shan]

I see a utopia of nomadic war like tribs that have generated from a bogan culture, the main point of value will center on petrol.
The police will have all but lost controle and be largly just anouther war like tribe.
Most tribes will have a ilusionary dream to get enough petrol to make it to somewhere better .
Queensland
Oh , the irony

[devolved]