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The Forum > Article Comments > How the growth lobby threatens Australia's future > Comments

How the growth lobby threatens Australia's future : Comments

By James Sinnamon, published 9/2/2009

Common sense, not to mention the evidence, tells us that a larger population cannot possibly be in the interests of Australia.

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“Cheryl” states that “bigotry and racism can get into bed with those who advocate saving the trees…” But her remark is more evidence that willful ignorance of the blatantly obvious---Australia’s severe overshoot---can get into bed with social justice and use it as a cover for insatiable greed.

Like so many PC growthists, rather than deal with Ms. Newman’s thesis she attempts to put her neo-Malthusian opponents on a psychiatrist’s couch. The substance of an argument is much less important than the imputed motives behind it. “Penis envy”? “Psychological dispositions”? Where is the science behind this armchair psychoanalysis? Upon what empirical foundation does she rest this assertion? And yet she rails against “mindless” and “anti-empirical apocalyptic commentary”.

The salient attribute of a scientist is her power of observation. And if a resident of Australia cannot observe and be alarmed at the water shortages, pollution, urban congestion, soil depletion and dizzying population growth rates of the country then she is visually impaired. Unfortunately in this handicap she has much company, highlighting the one falsehood that James’ introduction contains. The “common” sense of which he speaks is clearly not common, either in Australia or in Canada, the mad house that I inhabit. Both countries are stocked with demographic bulimics who look in the mirror and see a big, fat land of opportunity when in fact it is a Twiggy with a quite limited carrying capacity. This delusion is a mark of the ‘intellectualism’ that she says is the hallmark of her mindless growthism.
Posted by Melkontent, Monday, 9 February 2009 4:56:05 PM
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Well, you couldn’t accuse successive Australian Governments of having any “common sense”; they have all been hell-bent on increase population, and the current idiots are still going for a 300,000 increase for the current year, despite the economic situation and the parlous state of our environment.

“Little, if any of this wealth trickles down to ordinary Australians…”

True. In fact immigration and the sell-off of real estate to foreigners, costs Australians big time.

While it is true that the developers, builders and other big business are always pushing for higher populations, the blame for our unsustainable population growth lies fairly and squarely with our rotten, self-serving politicians. In pandering to the growth lobby they are either (a) stupid or, (b) being paid off- i.e. they are corrupt. No sane or honest person would be allowing our population to grow the way it has/is.

It is ‘greed’ not “capitalism” that is driving growth, however.

As Tim Flannery used to say, before he lost his bottle and accepted the politically inspired gong, Australian of the Year, 13 million is Australia’s ultimate population.
Posted by Leigh, Monday, 9 February 2009 6:05:16 PM
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You cannot speak of population without speaking about consumption. You cannot speak about growth without speaking about consumption and you cannot speak about either without speaking about a political and economic system that labours under the bizarre and dangerous delusion that infinite growth in a finite system is possible.
Posted by next, Monday, 9 February 2009 9:52:34 PM
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If calling people who want to limit population growth 'racist' is the only thing that growthists can come up with against the overwhelming evidence of unacceptable impacts on the environment and on democracy from growthism, that really shows them up for the moral and intellectual weaklings they are. As Malkontent says, the growth lobby's humanitarian disguise gives humanitarianism a bad name. And now the biggest plus the growthists had, that people could make money out of land and asset speculation, has also fallen down (you know, the sub-prime crisis and the world depression - spell it with an 'r' if you prefer.) I blame the growthists for the global economic crisis and think that they should be brought to justice.

Wolami mentions the Property Council of Australia's powerpoint about how they are saving their members billions of dollars in taxes and their ambitions for more political influence etc etc, but he says he can no longer find it on their site. You can find most of it summarised half-way down in this article on candobetter.org
<a href=“http://candobetter.org/node/628”> “Melbourne 2008: Life in a destruction zone”</a> http://candobetter.org/node/628

Two other articles which follow on from the Newman thesis to which James Sinnamon alludes but are easier to read are this really interesting one linking the growth lobby and famous politicians to the multicultural foundation and the Brencorp now Scanlon foundation:

<a href=“http://candobetter.org/node/431”> “Scanlon report underpins threat to Australian democracy”</a> http://candobetter.org/node/431

Finally, here is a very recent one about Ziggy Switkowski on population numbers in the Australian (I think it was). A link is made here between exploitation of the Climate Change concerns by growthists as an excuse to promote nuclear power in order to enhance the values of land and infrastucture around proposed plants and create demand. Hard to believe? Have a look anyway.

<a href=“http://candobetter.org/node/1026”> "Ziggy Switkowski, Population Numbers and Nuclear in the Australian"</a> http://candobetter.org/node/1026

Have a look.
(Sorry about the way I have posted the URLs; I'm not sure how this site integrates them)
Posted by BiancaDog, Monday, 9 February 2009 11:07:45 PM
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Go for growth, and try to produce a better example of yourself and you partner, for the next generation of thinkers. It beats talking to machines or hugging trees, at least you get some personal attention and affection and thereby satisfaction which you can touch and feel happy about.
Posted by Dallas, Monday, 9 February 2009 11:56:20 PM
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Christopher wrote, "While I disagree with James Sinnamon on some other topics, ..."

Like telling me to 'get help', or words to that effect, six times on the forum "Scrutinising our counter-terrorism laws" of 6 November 2008 at http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=8120&page=0 and at again on the "For the sake of OLO ...rule changes?" forum at http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2479#55802 ?

Anyway, if you choose now not to us such put-downs and, for a change, argue the issue constructively, that's fine, but please don't expect me to fall over myself to express my gratitude to you.
Posted by daggett, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 2:18:42 AM
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