[DrBang]

Here in Australia, families and pensioners are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living. A large number of low income pensioners can't make ends meet.

The Australian public finally started discussing this in the mainstream media. Someone put forward the idea of the community of helping the elderly financially if the government won't.

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/articl ... -pensioner

[web]http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/3509827/money/adopt-pensioner[/web]

and

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/ma ... pensioner/
[web]http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/may/27/adopt-pensioner/[/web]

and

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/sunrise ... -pensioner

Australian corporations have been encouraged to participate. Some of them have stepped up.

http://moruya.yourguide.com.au/news/loc ... 78704.aspx
[web]http://moruya.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/businesses-urged-to-adopt-a-pensioner/778704.aspx[/web]

As an State Emergency Services volunteer I have found his most heartening.

I also know full well that this is the beginning and the vast bulk of the Australian population has no idea what peak oil is or what it means. What I took from all this is that the community spirit is alive and well. We are prone to help each other in an emergency. We have a history of doing this. Complete strangers giving each other help.

When peak oil hits for real, I hope a small portion of this spirit survives and we face the inevitable together. I know this is early days but I thought this was a positive sign for how the Aussie public will meet SHTF.

Dr Bang

[alokin]

This is why I like Australia.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

It's good to see people not looking to the government to provide charity, but by doing it themselves, I think there is hope for Australia. The government is the worse at providing help, it is much more effective for private volunteers, private charities and private charitable giving and more sustainable, although I wouldn't be surprised the government seeing the community doing a good job, the government would probably want to intervene and provide the services.