Is Australia the first First World Nation To Collapse?
266 ViewsSOARING costs in groceries, housing, fuel, power and childcare have put a staggering strain on household budgets. Families Budget Soars $175 Per Week
Already beset by severe drought, Aussies will be suffering more as costs spiral totally beyond their limits. Will Australia be the first First World nation to collapse? Maybe, as power costs jump 100%.
Could Americans manage as well? Doubtful. Get ready for the domino effect, coming to a city near you.
May 15th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
My wife’s sister and her family live in the surburban outskirts of Sydney, in a new house in nice upper middle class neighborhood. We visited last Christmas for several weeks.
They were broken into and robbed last week while they slept. Crime, violence, and an undercurrent of despair characterize Australia presently. Food is incredibly expensive, and of poor quality.
The drought is worsening there, average temperatures are rising, and there is already talk of actually abandoning Perth due to lack of water.
Australians are even deeper in debt than Americans and, use more energy per capita, drive more miles per capita, and even their newest home construction is shamefully inefficient by 1970’s US standards (unventilated attic space, single glazed windows, etc). It is also running out of natural resources, especially energy.
Isolated, cutoff, and I can definitely see and agree that Australia could easily be first of the first world nations to collapse.
May 15th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Wow! That’s tragic. I’ve read reports that Australia is in serious trouble, NZ isn’t going to be far behind (imo). A world that was once awash in cheap energy cannot survive long without it.
And did anybody notice that this was post #666? What a coincidence (it wasn’t planned).
May 16th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
As a New Zealander I am kinda suprised by your comment that our collapse is not far behind. Isolated and with a weak economy I can see why we might be vulnerable but we dont have the problems with drought a large population and widespread water shortages Australia faces. Anyway a bit of clarification as to why New Zealand is in such trouble would be greatly appreciated.
May 16th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
It’s not just because of drought. Drought is only one variable that contributes to the collapse (but big enough to be a collapse factor all by itself).
NZ will be affected because of the cost of goods, primarily fuel. As the cost of transportation goes up, the economic impacts will be felt by the more distant, remote parts of the world, especially those that fit the First Nations status (high standard of living). Both imports and exports are affected.
Alaska and Hawaii are already experiencing significant price increases. What I’ve read about New Zealand is the same. For example, milk is already $7 a gallon in Alaska from what I’ve read.
Isolated, First World nations will suffer the most because they have much farther to fall, impacting their populations more severely. I would expect New Zealand to go for ’subsistence living’ far sooner then the U.S. for this reason.