We live in a town that was incorporated 140 years before the First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay. Annapolis, the capital of the state of Maryland, is steeped in American history, it abounds with it. For one year, 1783-1784, it was the capital of the US. The architecture bears witness.
That building on the right: George Washington really DID sleep there.
But back to observations on Oceania. Australia had an election since we left. I'm aware of some positive developments that resulted: deeper engagement with Indonesia, particularly regarding asylum seekers but also on a wide range of issues; new ideas on how to help lift Australia's indigenous population out of despair; and some pro-business economic policies.
Being in the space business, and a space enthusiast, I found it disappointing that Australia sees no advantage to having a space program, or a space agency. Nations that are smaller, poorer, and less technologically advanced than Australia are getting into space in ever-increasing numbers. It's a strange phenomenon. People explained it to me as resulting from "fear of failure," or being the "lucky country" that gets sufficient space data from other nations' satellites at little cost. Australia needn't try to support an entire space industry; it certainly can't support a car industry. But engaging with other nations via a space agency, and developing some space-related technologies in Australia itself, would have enormous economic and workforce development benefits. Australia should be positively embarrassed at its backwardness in this sector. Perhaps the new government will take another look at this.
Having no qualifications as a futurist, I will nevertheless speculate on where Australia will be in 20 years. It will be a Chinese colony. An early indicator of this came to light in the 2011 Australian census, which found that Mandarin was now the second most-spoken language.Chinese businesses continue to show interest in acquiring Australian properties. The population pressure within China is an inexorable force for emigration, and Australia will not be the only nation to be affected. But Australia is more attractive, one would think, than many others, with its strong economy, plentiful land (but not water), and low level of corruption. A country of 23 million, Australia can probably support 40 million. I would expect the first-generation children of Chinese immigrants to begin appearing in local, state, and Federal governments in increasing numbers, where they could facilitate Chinese purchases of property and businesses. A Chinese takeover of Australia would have no military component; like Hong Kong, it will just happen.
I miss my friends in Australia. But I'm hoping for visitors. I'm only one hour from Washington, DC by car, so if you are going to be a tourist there, stop on by. I'm a great tour guide, too.
