The election thread - Medicare Vs cost of living Vs OMG China! Vs housing Vs I'm not Trump! Vs prehistoric fish Vs nuclear energy Vs tariffs Vs AUKUS

[Asininedrivel]

A US fascism expert warns: Australia is not immune and undoing the damage is âvery, very hardâ

The US’s slide towards authoritarianism is part of a global trend, says professor and fascism expert Jason Stanley

www.theguardian.com

IMO a rise easily arrestable if we had Governments that could actually articulate why such large volumes of immigration were necessary. Or given we're probably past that point find ways to increase our GDP that don't exclusively rely on it. But instead people read about "record" immigration levels, see housing prices continue to skyrocket and their weekly grocery bill go up and up (and up) and the bulk of those new arrivals go to areas that are already chronically under resourced and under funded (the outer suburbs) and it's not exactly hard to use one to blame for the others. And the anti-immigration far right agenda finds more and more support as a result.

 

[johnny]

IMO a rise easily arrestable if we had Governments that could actually articulate why such large volumes of immigration were necessary. Or given we're probably past that point find ways to increase our GDP that don't exclusively rely on it. But instead people read about "record" immigration levels, see housing prices continue to skyrocket and their weekly grocery bill go up and up (and up) and the bulk of those new arrivals go to areas that are already chronically under resourced and under funded (the outer suburbs) and it's not exactly hard to use one to blame for the others. And the anti-immigration far right agenda finds more and more support as a result.

I think a huge amount of problems in a politically polarised society would be fixable if we had governments that were better at communicating. I don't know what the problem is, because the hard right (Nampajimpa Price, Hanson, etc.) all seem to be able to communicate effectively to their base, but the sensible centre can't.

My biases argue it's because politicians are politically risk averse (don't want to have difficult conversations), on the narcissistic spectrum (bad at empathising so can't communicate in a way that resonates with the target audience), or just straight out of touch (buffered by a political class of advisers and tacticians). However I know a bunch of former advisers and none of them seem out of touch with normalcy.

 

[beeb]

IMO a rise easily arrestable if we had Governments that could actually articulate why such large volumes of immigration were necessary. Or given we're probably past that point find ways to increase our GDP that don't exclusively rely on it. But instead people read about "record" immigration levels, see housing prices continue to skyrocket and their weekly grocery bill go up and up (and up) and the bulk of those new arrivals go to areas that are already chronically under resourced and under funded (the outer suburbs) and it's not exactly hard to use one to blame for the others. And the anti-immigration far right agenda finds more and more support as a result.

The bit that's always puzzled me with this is how many immigrants (including quite recent immigrants) get behind this rhetoric.

 

[johnny]

The bit that's always puzzled me with this is how many immigrants (including quite recent immigrants) get behind this rhetoric.

The way I've had it explained to me (and I don't know the accuracy of it) is that the people that are here don't want the boat rocked. They get worried that if there is a strong backlash against immigrants they and their families will become a target. So they support any measure that may help protect their families.

I'm sure that there are many reasons why, they are all individuals who will have their own reasons for their actions. That's just one that I've been told of.

 

[The Duckmeister]

I'm against high levels of immigration for the simple fact that our continent cannot support a large population. The habitable & agriculturally viable areas vital for food production comprise a very small portion of the place, and we need to balance that against conserving natural heritage as well.

On a wider scale, the planet as a whole is unsustainably overpopulated by humans. EVERY country in the world needs to take some action in limiting population.

 

[Oddjob]

I'm against high levels of immigration for the simple fact that our continent cannot support a large population. The habitable & agriculturally viable areas vital for food production comprise a very small portion of the place, and we need to balance that against conserving natural heritage as well.

On a wider scale, the planet as a whole is unsustainably overpopulated by humans. EVERY country in the world needs to take some action in limiting population.

Soylent Green! Can we start with the boomers and bogans first?

Sent from my 24069PC21G using Tapatalk

 

[Freediver]

I'm against high levels of immigration for the simple fact that our continent cannot support a large population. The habitable & agriculturally viable areas vital for food production comprise a very small portion of the place, and we need to balance that against conserving natural heritage as well.

On a wider scale, the planet as a whole is unsustainably overpopulated by humans. EVERY country in the world needs to take some action in limiting population.

We export about 70% of the food we produce, I don't think it makes much difference which country people consume it in.

 

[The Duckmeister]

Exported or not, we need to have enough land to produce that food. Accommodating higher population encroaches on the limited land area usable for food production.

 

[johnny]

Exported or not, we need to have enough land to produce that food. Accommodating higher population encroaches on the limited land area usable for food production.

We are so far away from that particular outcome that it's hard to take that approach seriously.

 

[pink poodle]

Australia is a spacious land, with plenty of room and food supply for people.

Our city/town/housing design/planning could use some rethinking.

Scarcity of drinking/irrigation water would be more of a concern. Endangered animals and plants as well.

Planning...that's a scarcity issue.

 

[Haakon]

We can grow food to feed a much much larger population, but we’d have extend cropping a lot more too. And wipe out a lot of habitat and ecosystems.

I’d prefer there to be fewer people and more critters personally….

 

[beeb]

I feel this thread is vastly under-performing on the prehistoric fish news, so here's some from back in March:

A fish frozen in time: ancient fossil reveals colour, last meal, and a parasitic hitchhiker

A stunningly detailed fish fossil from McGraths Flat reveals its last meal, a hitchhiking parasite, and even its original colours.

www.csiro.au

 

[oldcorollas]

We can grow food to feed a much much larger population, but we’d have extend cropping a lot more too. And wipe out a lot of habitat and ecosystems.

I’d prefer there to be fewer people and more critters personally….

some inneresting stats ere.

Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2025 - DAFF

Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2025This Insights report describes the current state of Australian agriculture, with the aim of providing key information and statistics in one place.

www.agriculture.gov.au

 

[Flow-Rider]

The Problem with population growth in capital cities is that they've had to build out from the centre of the CBDs in the past few decades. All your decent water sources and rich soils are where they considered populating 100s of years ago, and now they removed the top soil and built over the top. So it's pushed agriculture to less desirable land, where the transport costs also rise and the price of the end product. When water becomes expensive because of its limited access and transport costs are high due to distance, some cropping isn't even feasible anymore.

 

[mike14]

I'm against high levels of immigration for the simple fact that our continent cannot support a large population. The habitable & agriculturally viable areas vital for food production comprise a very small portion of the place, and we need to balance that against conserving natural heritage as well.

On a wider scale, the planet as a whole is unsustainably overpopulated by humans. EVERY country in the world needs to take some action in limiting population.

As always, we find our way back to Dictator for Life* Mike's plan where everyone over 65 gets a visit from Dr Shotgun....

* or until he's 65 anyway

 

[Dales Cannon]

Accommodating people would need a shift to higher density housing and the infrastructure associated with that. Assuming of course increased populations in the main cities. Speaking of infrastructure that highlights the need for decent public services like transport which are woefully inadequate in general.

I am cynical and sceptical about all three layers of government having been fucked around by politicians of all persuasions and their minions. We were invited to a city council meeting here to hear tributes to my late bil who was a councillor and former mayor and county councillor. It was worth seeing how the council effects its affairs and I have to say the same bullshit is apparent. Housing is at a crisis, roads are in poor repair, litter and garbage are issues yet the sitting council ignored all questions and used double speak and faff to gloss over their failings. I won't bother with larger political issues here, that is another matter that neither major party can be seen as worthy of election.

 

[pink poodle]

We can grow food to feed a much much larger population, but we’d have extend cropping a lot more too. And wipe out a lot of habitat and ecosystems.

I’d prefer there to be fewer people and more critters personally….

We could also change the way and what we farm.

 

[Haakon]

We could also change the way and what we farm.

That too. I have some exposure to water management policies in Australia and it’s …. dire. The cotton growers are the obvious example.

Water is massively overstretched as it is and things need to change anyway. And probably won’t…

 

[pink poodle]

That too. I have some exposure to water management policies in Australia and it’s …. dire. The cotton growers are the obvious example.

Water is massively overstretched as it is and things need to change anyway. And probably won’t…

Cotton

Rice


Two crops that quickly come to mind as not particularly Australia friendly.

 

[LPG]

I'm against high levels of immigration for the simple fact that our continent cannot support a large population. The habitable & agriculturally viable areas vital for food production comprise a very small portion of the place, and we need to balance that against conserving natural heritage as well.

On a wider scale, the planet as a whole is unsustainably overpopulated by humans. EVERY country in the world needs to take some action in limiting population.

I would like to see Australia and similar 1st world economies change their foreign policies to help foreign countries to improve the life for the basic people so there is less pressure from immigration for economic, political and people fleeing war/danger. If you don't have massive populations trying to flee their home due to war, poverty, corruption etc then we wouldn't have so much influx from the troubled parts of the world at the time.

Of course we are more likely to be trying to help secure areas where western businesses have interests while we leave the problem spots to fester.