Captain Sand Dune, please don't tar me with your misguided high levels of anxiety. Despite our massive continent Australia is airspace poor because we are regulation rich. Loosen up the airspace and things will flow much better. It seems to me all Dick is trying to say is that we could do more to make it easier to fly.
Through extensive personal experience, I am intimately aware with what goes on in our military restricted areas and have an in depth understanding of how other more crowded countries manage airspace more efficiently.
Maybe you need to get out more? It's not all about RPT, airways and air traffic control...
BTW, I would whoop with joy if I were allowed to be put in a position to see a 4 ship of F18s whistle past my wing, although I am also savvy enough to know I probably wouldn't see all 4 if they were flying a proper tactical formation. My occasional callsign means F111s sometimes do whistle past the wing. It's awlays good to see my tax money being well spent. I certainly blew enough of it off during my service years...
On oxygen, it's not just America and the Rockies. Pretty well everywhere other than Australia allows flight up to 12,500 feet without oxy. The "but we don't have to because our terrain is flat" argument misses the reduced cost benefit point being made. For simple flight above 10K the resulting hypoxic symptoms are easily manageable. Let's face it, some people live their entire lives up mountains above 10K without oxygen enhancement. All most GA folk will be doing is just sitting there. Those with anxiety about it probably shouldn't fly because a high proportion of glider types are out there in thermals every summer week end, and you can be sure not all of them have taken oxy along.