Foxy, compared to the majority of countries we are so far out in front
in that we have a great basis on which to build the future.
Our biggest problem is to get the public and the politicians to understand
how difficult it is going to be to negotiate the wind down in cheap energy.

The latest knowledgeable opinion seems to be that we are approaching
Seneca's cliff, which is the theory that it takes a long time to build
a system but that it collapses very quickly.

Our ability to manage a big increase in world population, major
increases in energy costs with the resultant increasing cost in food
will be tested to the limit.
Some will try and write in here climate change, but the reduction in
fossil fuel use will remove that problem.

The struggle to maintain living standards, handle massive immigration
problems, Islam trying to take advantage of the opportunities would
seem to present military challenges of great magnitude.

Of course if energy is too difficult even armies will be restricted.
If ever it was time for up drawbridge that time is coming.

Dear Bazz,

I agree with you. There are quite a few problems
that we need to solve. There's the water
problem. We are one of the driest continents on
earth. Scientific, economic, and engineering reform
will be essential to fix this problem. We are also
an ageing society, we need to rebalance - hopefully
not just rebalance but have a larger population,
one though that is sustainable, and one that is not
divisive, so we do have to be selective in our choice
of immigrants. This will be of enormous importance
to Australia's future.

Then there's also the problem of lifting our indigenous
people from the margin to the mainstream. Many have
tried - many people of goodwill have tried, and there
has been no shortage of resources, this is not a
question of spending. How to fix this problem is
something that will have to be dealt with in the future.

Dearest Foxy,

Perhaps your statement needs to be slightly re-phrased". ".... Indigenous people lifting themselves from the margin to the mainstream."

With more than fifty thousand university graduates, clearly many Indigenous people are doing just that. If they can, so can others, with the right supports, and co-ordinated efforts of parents, community, education departments and Indigenous support and recruitment programs at universities. The low-hanging fruit, those finishing Year 12, mainly in the cities, are already going on to university, so university support programs can't keep dipping into that pool, claiming credit for people simply going through the turnstile: they still have the far bigger job of reaching communities and parents in rural and remote areas.

Being hopelessly naive, I've always thought that Indigenous 'self-determination' meant that people do as much as they can for themselves. Surely that meant that education departments, communities and parents put standard pressure on children to go to school and put some effort in. Education departments and school systems seem to be doing the best THEY can, so - as it happens, again and again - the onus comes back to communities and parents. Why do they seem to be so gormless ? Are they really, or are they consciously practising some cack-handed form of oppositionalism, that their children's education should be stuffed up for yet another generation in the name of 'resistance' ?

Pity the children.

Love,

Joe

Dear Joe,

That's exactly what my family has been telling me
all along. And I have to bow to your knowledge on
the subject. What I would still want to know though
is how do we inspire those who are not successful
to succeed. To do something about their various
situation? Is there an answer? I certainly don't have one.

Loudmouth, I have to pick you up on a point you made.

'50 thousand (abo) university graduates'? There aren't that many abo's left.

I hope your not referring to the 'wannabe' generation that abo elders have refuted again and again.

On the question of Oprah for President. I can believe she would think she was Presidential material because she has been so full of herself for so long she has lost the plot, like Clinton, years ago. She is far from someone who I would sing her praises. She is no different than, a con-man, comes to mind.

She has created nothing, (nothing worthwhile) she produces nothing, (nothing worthwhile) and she has absolutely nothing to offer. When you compare her to Bill Gates, he at least produced something of real value that has enriched and made life better for the whole world.

Now he deserves all the wealth that has befallen him. He did not stand there day after day spewing bullsh!t and ingratiating himself at the expense of the public.

I can only say that thank God people like Presidents and Prime Ministers do NOT actually run the country. They are mere messengers of the parliament and deliver final outcomes of the parliament through one person such as Presidents and PM's.

It still beggars belief that she can be so arrogant and stupid to even think about running.

Boy politics have fallen through the floor. Where are the honest people or are they too smart or wary of getting into the snake pit for fear of attack.

Altrav, life's too short to argue with morons.

Joe