Science/Environment Could Australia become 3rd world?

[Bombermania]

Quite possibly, if we continue ignoring the growth in inequality that capitalism is causing.

That so called inequality has much to do with the generational wealth being created by the improved access to education and jobs being created to cater for that growing part of society, social disadvantage is not new, we just don't hide it as well as we use too partly because the once slum suburbs are now far better off so the poorer people who remain in those suburbs now stand out more, then there is the legacy of the dismantling of the mental health system.

 

[Bombermania]

The U.S has more chance of becoming 3rd world than we do.....In fact, it's already well on the way, by coming last in so many first world estimate criteria for standards of living.

All empires inevitably fall....Lets just hope these insane maniacs don't take us all down with them.

I'm pleased someone made this comment because the U.S. does seem to be in decline with large parts of the country already being close to being classed as third world which for a country with its wealth should be causing alarm in the corridors of Congress and the White House.

The worst thing we could do is try and implement many of the worst policy excesses we see in the U.S, such as its woefully low minimum wage and its health system.

if people want to see the evidence then you only need to watch some of those bogan shows shown on Foxtel, the conditions look crappy yet many of these communities are just a few hours away from some of the wealthiest places in the world, sure Australia has a few crappy places but we are not the wealthiest country in the world wheres the U.S. is.

 

[Procrastinator35]

I'm pleased someone made this comment because the U.S. does seem to be in decline with large parts of the country already being close to being classed as third world which for a country with its wealth should be causing alarm in the corridors of Congress and the White House.

The worst thing we could do is try and implement many of the worst policy excesses we see in the U.S, such as its woefully low minimum wage and its health system.

Who in the hell do you imagine are the main culprits behind the current malaise in the first place?

 

[Bombermania]

Who in the hell do you imagine are the main culprits behind the current malaise in the first place?

They are which is what I find troubling, its like Congress and the WH is full of Nero's.

 

[Procrastinator35]

They are which is what I find troubling, its like Congress and the WH is full of Nero's.

Benedict Arnold's was more the term I had in mind....I'd spare Tulsi, Bernie & Rand Paul, but the rest I'd hang for treason.....They've sold their countrymen out to line their own pockets....Human scum & excrement are too noble a terms for these side-winders.

 

[Run n Spread]

Australias unbeleivable net external debt problem and lack of investment in high tech and new industries is damning for our future. I really do think we are a big risk of being the next Greece. Sure we arent quite as corrupt as them but our debt is staggering.

The collapse could come if we get a simultaneous recession in China combined with rising interst rates in the west. If this happens we are stuffed.

Not only new we seem to have not kept pace with our primary industries. Or in other words stopped producing. Now fine if you want to get rid of an outdated noncompetitive car industry but a certain part of an economy has to have manufacturing at its base.

Not only have we got into debt we seem to just want to sell property or what is non productive, be a service economy or just base whole business models on outsourcing and subcontracting.

Not only that with sinking wages workers no longer seeing fruits of their labour will up and leave and join the above class if they can.

Our brick backed investments have melted into a house of sand and it could easily collapse. Literally what then? Do we just go back to a depression era, go Ireland and no tax or just implode somehow Zimbabwe or Greece style.

 

[Admiral Byng]

We are never going to end up like Greece. Nobody is going to suddenly offer us membership of a currency union we don't deserve, along with a credit rating and access to massive loans we also don't deserve. We aren't going to have people retiring unfunded at age 55 and drawing state pensions. We aren't going to give tax exemptions to our biggest industries which are more or less enshrined in the constitution. A whole lot needs to go wrong before we end up even on that path let alone get there.

 

[Pessimistic]

Some politicians here are behaving in ways we would frown on if it were some tinpot nation. But they are exactly the same

 

[Puddy]

The average wage is such a unrealistic number. For example, in aged care the average wage is over 60k. How are you supposed to earn that much when your on $19 per hour?

 

[Reynolds Number]

Average wages are heavily skewed by the values at the top end. A few head honchos earning ridiculous money whilst many are barely cracking $50K.

I read that the average wage for warehouse employees is $81K. the heck. Apart from a few supervisors/managers employees in the warehouse I recently worked at earn $45-60K.

 

[strung_out7]

I hope so. Those welfare cheats need some competitive competition

 

[Total Power]

Australian homelessness figures are staggering, per capita way way way higher than the US. What is the reason behind such massive numbers?

https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/a/39505439/aussie-homelessness-on-rise-report/

On Census night in 2016 more than 116,000 homeless people were counted as homeless in Australia.

In the five years from 2011 to 2016 homelessness in Australia leapt 13.7 per cent, according to data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing.

This works out at a rate of 4.6 people homeless per 100,000, taking into account population growth, the data shows.

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

Australian homelessness figures are staggering, per capita way way way higher than the US. What is the reason behind such massive numbers?

https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/a/39505439/aussie-homelessness-on-rise-report/

On Census night in 2016 more than 116,000 homeless people were counted as homeless in Australia.

In the five years from 2011 to 2016 homelessness in Australia leapt 13.7 per cent, according to data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing.

This works out at a rate of 4.6 people homeless per 100,000, taking into account population growth, the data shows.

And from what I understand, those figures don't take into account people sleeping on friends' couches etc

 

[Total Power]

And from what I understand, those figures don't take into account people sleeping on friends' couches etc

Usually homeless means people living in supported accommodations too. Still the number is exceptionally high even.


EDIT : The ABS defines someone as homeless if their current living arrangement is in a dwelling that is inadequate, has no tenure, and does not allow control of and access to space for social relations.

Paul Jelfs, the general manager of population and social statistics at the ABS, said people living in “severely” crowded dwellings – defined as requiring four or more extra bedrooms to accommodate the people who usually live there – was the greatest contributor to the national increase in homelessness.

“In 2016, this group accounted for 51,088 people, up from 41,370 in 2011,” he said.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

It its ORIGINAL Cold War context, in that the pro-U.S nations were the 'first world', the pro-Soviet ones the 'second world', and the 'third world' being the nations who joined the Non-Aligned Movement pledging co-existence but not allegiance to either party, I honestly hope/d Australia became and still DOES become 'third world'.

In its current meaning, where first world are the rich, developed nations, second world are developing and the third world being purely economic basket cases I'd rather hope we didn't.