Some "Debt Perspective"

I can imagine that the only reason is that the high speed railnetwork and associated infrastructure is so fully developed in Australia already that we have billions to spare (waste) on non productive things.
Admittedly I am biased against the high speed broadband network because of my distaste for Conroy and his henchmen.
Internet use:
Mine as a business operator involved in that dirty word manufacturing. We rec've orders and inquiries and invoicing by email and most banking by internet. Dialup speed was fine. Majority of internet use is on Seebreeze and associated websites.
I have my last schoolage child at what is arguably an elite private school. All the students must have a laptop (leased is most popular) and the whole school is wirelessly enabled to the intranet and internet. I still look critically at the teachers role in education of the students and guess what. The very same skill set for teachers makes the class room work as it did back in my day as a student. The majority of internet usuage in education seems to be instant messaging between the kids to organise their social activities.
Internet in medicine... if I suffer a heart attack I am hoping like hell that the surgeon does not have to keep refering back to procedures or following instructions that are relayed over the internet (super high speed or otherwise).
I think our billions could be better spent elswhere.

An interesting thread, shame there's no way to educate the world that unless we introduce population control globally we will eventually cause a catastrophic demise of the human race in as little as one life time.

Needing population growth to support an aging population sounds like a Ponzi scheme. So what will happen in another 50 years when all the 20 and 30 year olds working to support our seniors end up being 70 and 80? Do we need more people to support them? All well and good till eventually the system collapses.

Perhaps it would be better to get older people to support themselves and try to be as healthy and active for as long as possible. If demographics keep moving the way they are we are approaching the first time in human history where there are more people over the age of 50 than under it. This will mean society has to cater for oldies more and its already happening.

Perhaps this is nature's way out of our population explosion and resultant environment destruction. An aging population is less fertile and less materialistic, ie if the 10 year old TV or car is working, then why replace it?

Select to expand quote

Needing population growth to support an aging population sounds like a Ponzi scheme. So what will happen in another 50 years when all the 20 and 30 year olds working to support our seniors end up being 70 and 80? Do we need more people to support them? All well and good till eventually the system collapses.

The arithmetic behind the rate of population growth is understood by very few. I count myself as being one of the ignorant up until I watched the lecture posted by Zippyblue which starts with a grain of wheat and a chess board.

Anyone who cannot understand the equation, which is beautifully explained along with the consequences of everything that is increasing on an exponential basis given by a 74 year old professor of maths at Boulder Univeristy, cannot fathom the tradgedy and likelihood that will occur if the problem is not dealt with.

Once explained it is simple to understand the inevitable mathematical and potentially catastrophic consequences of growth to every facet of our existence.

It never ceases to amaze me how little of what our true scientists know gets through to the population. Well worthwhile watching. Some of the examples he gives of manipulation of data by politicians is downright propaganda.

Makes one ponder. If really smart people know this stuff then the illuminati do for sure. Reason for wanting the population cut drastically at one minute to midnight?

Makes you think! A cull of the slaves may be in order

^^^^
errm not being a smart arse but I would assume that most of the zeros in that number are in the ground or in the clouds depending on your religeous out look...unless you have a thousand year old nanna or something..?

If Australia's growth rate sits at 2.1% annum ( Wikepedia) then the population will double in 33 years.

44 million

That should put some pressure on boat people!

Yes, they'll arrive and it'll be standing room only...