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Japan is often held up as a warning of the dangers of a falling population. However, Japan currently has record low unemployment because of the shrinking labor force, has deflationary property prices unlike most of the developed world, making it easier for young people to start out, and enjoys a prosperous and peaceful society.
What is so wrong with a shrinking population? Japan doesn't sound all that bad right now. The only cogent argument I hear against declining populations is that they will cause the collapse of welfare states. I see that as a positive since the PAYGO nature of welfare states is immoral and environmentally destructive since they depend on constant population growth to function.
We can't grow forever. And in fact life is becoming so stressful and expensive that a lot of people all over the world are choosing smaller families, if they have a family at all. I think the world would be a much better place if the population were cut in half or more. The people who would be born would enjoy more space, nature, inheritance, and parental love.
Japan is often held up as a warning of the dangers of a falling population. However, Japan currently has record low unemployment because of the shrinking labor force, has deflationary property prices unlike most of the developed world, making it easier for young people to start out, and enjoys a prosperous and peaceful society.
What is so wrong with a shrinking population? Japan doesn't sound all that bad right now. The only cogent argument I hear against declining populations is that they will cause the collapse of welfare states. I see that as a positive since the PAYGO nature of welfare states is immoral and environmentally destructive since they depend on constant population growth to function.
We can't grow forever. And in fact life is becoming so stressful and expensive that a lot of people all over the world are choosing smaller families, if they have a family at all. I think the world would be a much better place if the population were cut in half or more. The people who would be born would enjoy more space, nature, inheritance, and parental love.
In before the chaos theories and how inhumane your post suggests...
*grabs popcorn*
This one's going to be good.
Just to be clear I'm not advocating killing people or forcing them to have fewer children. I think the population will fall through a peaceful, voluntary process of declining birthrates.
It's going to happen, though I doubt it will be peaceful or gradual.
The worst part is that many people will be the end of their lines. There will be a psychological burden, a sense of meaninglessness and anomie. However, people will come to realize that is a better fate than a constantly growing population competing for resources.
I think it will be more peaceful than the doomsayers make out. In Japan, Korea, Italy, Germany, etc. people are not lashing out because they don't have families. If anything modern life provides enough comforts that families can be burdensome to a lot of people.
The biggest problem seems to be radical Islam, which is using birthrates as a weapon to settle old scores. But even this is passing, as the decline in the Muslim birthrate has begun and Saudi Arabia is moderating.
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