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The Forum > Article Comments > Population does matter in our security stakes > Comments

Population does matter in our security stakes : Comments

By Peter Curson, published 22/9/2014

In part it reflects the overriding concern for the physical manifestations of insecurity rather than unravelling the causative processes involved.

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< …population dynamics play an important role in our overall security. >

Of course!

And as it affects Australia, surely the achievement of a stable population that is not too much higher than the current level is surely totally in line with the best defence strategy.

The fundamental reasons are:

1. If we don’t achieve a stable population, where the demand for everything can stop forever increasing and can be within our means to supply it all, then we will have a greater degree of financial capability to properly develop our defence systems. Whereas if we keep going on as currently are, we will be forever financially nobbled by the enormous demand for basic infrastructure and services to cater for the ever-rapidly-increasing number of new residents.

2. If we keep going on as we are, all manner of stresses will manifest themselves to an ever-greater extent. Dealing with internal conflicts will largely consume the energies and financial capabilities that should have been put into developing our national defence systems.

3. Even if we were amazingly successful in growing our population and developing the north, we would still have a TINY population compared to that of Indonesia and China… and we would probably only succeed in making ourselves look like a more attractive target for invasion.
Posted by Ludwig, Monday, 22 September 2014 9:28:55 AM
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Well yes, but not as even greater expansion of our already over populated overpriced capital cities!
We need to decentralize, and nothing would assist that more than the roll out of rapid rail, which would pay for itself, when some of the resumed and rezoned land, were later sold as urban housing development.
And then only to individual home builders, with all their fiances fully secured; if only to deal the usual medley of price gouging, profit demanding, do nothing middle men,(robber broker barons?) out of the deal, thereby restoring affordability!
The successfully tendering builders could double as project managers, and only receive partial payments, for material; [around one third of the total,] until the building was complete and satisfactorily delivered.
After that, a significant increase in our population requires the still missing vision and with it, the development of our arid inland!
And only by building a multi-purpose shipping canal, which would carry all the product out/raw materials in, and double as an endlessly reliable source of usable water!
All powered by solar thermal or cheaper than coal thorium.
That said, it's just not population that is the final arbiter of genuine security, but manufacturing capacity as well!
And we seem to be shoveling that out the door as fast as we can, and in most cases, for the traditional forty pieces of Judas's Quisling silver!?
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Monday, 22 September 2014 12:14:21 PM
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Yes, population is a security issue although perhaps the author doesn't stress enough the critical issue of rapid population growth and how it impedes 'development' (at least the climbing out of poverty aspect). Poverty, especially hunger, is a catalyst for civil unrest. Ten million young Ugandans will be in search of jobs before long and goodness knows where they'll find them - it's another recipe for civil unrest. Why so many? Because Uganda has a youth bulge, the result of excessive population growth a decade and more ago.

It's time the UN Security Council treated population growth (AND climate change) as security issues.
Posted by popnperish, Monday, 22 September 2014 12:43:01 PM
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Peter, this is a good article outlining the myriad issues surrounding population growth. You and many other authors seem to assume that world and Australian population will continue to grow with no end in sight.
Perhaps you should explore ways in which population can be contained? The world and Australia are full up, we don’t need any more people.
Australia could set an example and cease all immigration from any sources.
Posted by Imperial, Monday, 22 September 2014 1:49:48 PM
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Excellent comment, Ludwig. Among the main reasons that our state and federal governments are scrabbling for money, cutting back on services, and privatising everything in sight are the enormous costs of the extra infrastructure and public services needed for a rapidly expanding population. See

http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2014/05/kohler-soaring-population-killing-budgets/

and Jane O'Sullivan's article in Economic Affairs

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0270.2011.02125.x/pdf

Rhrosty, of course Australia could support a much bigger population if the interior desert could be made green and fertile, but it is really silly to just go on boosting our population in the hope that something will turn up. Technologies can't be whistled up to order and often have deal-breaking side effects. What seems simple and obvious to people outside a field may not appear so to those with greater knowledge.
Posted by Divergence, Monday, 22 September 2014 2:59:52 PM
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Not hoping for something to turn up Divergence, just already existing and already tried and not found wanting technology, which you seem unaware of?
Moreover, because you personally are unaware of these simple but extremely successful technologies, doesn't mean,we don't have them; just that you personally, just don't know about them. [Which probably explains the lack of this alternative growth system, the length and breath of the country?]
Like the system of burying membrane covered agpipes that then allows various crops to directly drink osmosis created fresh water, from an endlessly circulating salt water supply.
Some plants have better suction/water extraction systems, than the most powerful pumps! Follow?
And given wind and or sunlight is generally plentiful in our arid interior, plenty of power to pump the newly introduced salt water supply; or treated effluent, to suitably high storage, so as to allow continual day and night circulation/supply.
Initially I would only envisage intense under glass production, to maximize actual (out of season?) production numbers, and provide maximized income streams, to further widen and broaden this salt/waste water reliant crop production; and expand it or regional population numbers, using collected pristine evaporate.
And here I hear you say, if it's that good why aren't we already doing it? Simply put, we are!
The latter we do already, just by placing endlessly topped up/recharged trays of salt sea water, around the floor, in glass houses, where the evaporate dependent crops are sown/grow out in suitable trays.
Already done in SA!
Can't died in a corn crop over a century ago!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Monday, 22 September 2014 4:53:18 PM
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