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The Forum > Article Comments > Australia needs a geographic revolution > Comments

Australia needs a geographic revolution : Comments

By Brad Ruting, published 22/4/2008

Geography is an essential tool in determining the future direction of the Australian economy.

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I wold include the understanding of cross-cultural and national, and even interpersonal boundaries, as the most important part of the list. And I don't mean war as a solution to differences where who has the biggest economy is the likely winner. Until then there's going to be those who don't want to be part of a global market (i.e.: globalisation) and say uh the economy.
Posted by Richard_, Tuesday, 22 April 2008 10:17:59 AM
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And your education (and jobs) for that matter!
Posted by Richard_, Tuesday, 22 April 2008 10:19:21 AM
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I know that to a hammer, everything looks like a nail, and to a student of geoscience, every problem can be solved through a more intimate knowledge of geoscience.

But I can't help noticing the weevil of reality worming its way through this particular logical biscuit.

The most geographically-challenged nation I have ever worked in has been the United States. Even the most intelligent among the professionals with whom I worked had little idea about any geography apart from their own. Yet they have become a pretty powerful nation despite this egregious blind spot.

Granted, a sounder understanding of geography might have helped them avoid some of their more obvious geopolitical (read: military) snafus of the past fifty years, but that's about where it stops.

"...geography can help companies operate more efficiently"

Lack of same hasn't prevented the US from successfully running some pretty big multinational companies.

"...geographical skills can be useful for those at the forefront of innovation and research"

Lack of such hasn't prevented the US from leading the world in patent registration. In fact, I'd venture to suggest that geography-awareness is the least required attribute of an innovator/researcher. The boffins I know don't know what day it is, let alone where they are or whether it's raining.

"The challenges of understanding and guiding human development and human experience are fundamentally and irreducibly geographical"

Pure hyperbole. Not credible. 3/10 Please stay back after class.
Posted by Pericles, Tuesday, 22 April 2008 3:03:32 PM
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Pericles is peeking beneath Brad's proposed programme mantle and spotting weak fibres. I would suggest we question the entire proposition of laying a mantle over a corpse.

Brad's suggestion is that we put geography back into education, clearly as it was three decades ago. But what we have now is an age of global diagnosis and prognosis, imposed by an equally global elite. Ironically, universities lead this revolution.

The direction chosen by Australian Governments since 1975 has been towards blind acceptance of global mantras; or as critics put it, dumbing down; political correctness.

Our leaders will ask themselves, do we need students, who will eventually make up the electorate, to develop a comprehensive knowledge base if their consensus is to be ignored in favour of omnipotent politicians and appointed elites; such as those who made up the 2020 Summit. Surely this would precipitate civil unrest; revolution even.

Personally, I support genuine curricula geography. However, cross-culturalism, as suggested, is too complex for very young minds; creating unresolvable conflict between relative values systems and their own concept of right and wrong.

Young students do, however, need to understand the relationship between land and water masses, and ecologies; and the impact these had on evolving cultures; including agricultural and technological development and application.

For example, the impact of the northern hemisphere's plentiful supply of carbohydrate and the implications this had for expending personal energy was a driving factor; and hence, evolution of technologies and agriculture; whereas the southern hemisphere is generally carbohydrate deficient, but protein intensive. This was inhibiting.

Through such studies students can understand why energy-rich people from the north call people from the south lazy; while those of the south regard the northerners as crazy, because wasting energy is a major threat to their survival; energy being so hard to replace.

But these kind of studies will inevitably lead to a new generation seeing the point of view of our enemies; making it impossible to persuade them to hate, and therefore kill, the people of Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela or Bolivia. Mr Rudd will never permit this.
Posted by Tony Ryan oziz4oz, Tuesday, 22 April 2008 9:22:29 PM
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“Young students do, however, need to understand the relationship between land and water masses, and ecologies; and the impact these had on evolving cultures.” (Tony Ryan).
Indeed, and that understanding be spread widely through the student body. The process needs to emphasise the fundamental point that humans are a component of, and interdependent with, those ecologies. And especially highlight the horrendous impact human numbers make upon geographical localities such as Darfur, East Timor, and our own landscapes.
Posted by colinsett, Tuesday, 22 April 2008 10:39:54 PM
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Wonderful vigorous energy you put into this paper Brad Ruting. I ask that you write this material over and over, so we get it.

I add philosophy too. Given this is about helping to galvanize greater understanding of ourselves and how we fit (time and place) in the world, I believe a history of human thought would assist in all underlying influence... rather than history (for itself-war!), as philosophy ought to explain some of the simply things about 'how we got here' (instead of there) … pointing to (scarcity on ) aspects and trends of thought… 'what and why"?.

It is a cross-over.

While I think it is good to aim this kind of material at school children, I am certain that it is the adults of today that need the greater projection. It saddens me to see how lazy, narrow and compliance our generations (long-out of school) have become and I partly blame the workings of government – administrations and the commercial media, who I believe, over a period of time, have each done their bit to dispirit a once innovative and thriving sense of curiosity and moral empowerment in Australia.

Notice how many of the caveat ordinary-civic thinkers had become de-clothed, be it the alternative health and life-style sets and original-critical thinkers. How bullied, having been hounded with obtrude labels, sidelined until many virtually dropped-out, became todays social fringe-dwellers, buggered in their many circumstances.

It isn’t good enough.

Given much of this appreciation is about design, about how we get the best out of technology and leant to share the elements offered to all, by the planet.

We have lost valuable human-sectors in our inter-generations, and now we place this revolutionary, new-burden of denial and transference onto the next generations, as if it is all a ‘new idea’.

My point:

With the tremendous shift toward health-mindfulness and wellbeing, via our nations wealth-and-capital-knowledge… I demand politician’s answer to their neglect and never-ever allow the drought on thought awareness to be used as a means to exclsively oppress or politically gang-up against its own citizens again.

http://www.miacat.com/
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Posted by miacat, Wednesday, 23 April 2008 2:10:06 AM
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