Are We Running Out of People? Birthrate concerns in numerous developed nations

[SC Maintenance]

If your interested in this - note this is not a 3 minute endeavor, a guy named "Chris Hamilton" has studied this extensively. I like his stuff, because for him this is a hobby - he does not make a living, or any money on this stuff - ie no horse in the race.

Here is a great interview from maybe a year ago - 90 minutes.

 

[ecotourist]

Why do the [boomers] hold 70% of the wealth. Did their wealth appear like magic or did they work and save and invest?

Yes the boomers worked hard, saved, invested and accumulated wealth. I'm one of them. But we've lived in fortunate times. [We also lived in a society where it mattered.] The PE ratios were very low (maybe 8:1) and interest rates were very high (11% mortgages) when I started investing. "Normalization" of PEs and interest rates were a tremendous boost.

If we invested in anything sensible we accumulated wealth. It's much harder today.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Constant growth requires constant increase in consumption.

We're not running out of people, but the current system requires more consumers year over year...

This, the world economy is built on a pyramid scheme but people get uncomfortable when you tell them that the emperor is naked.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Stop blaming the boomers. Word war 2 was literally an apocalyptic event. We dropped 2 nukes and the worlds industrial base was bombed into dust. USA enjoyed virtual monopoly on EVERYTHING for decades. Boomers didn't ruin the economy we were forced to compete as the rest of the world recovered.

 

[FowVay]

The 3rd world does not lack for intelligent, resourceful, hard working people. But when you have to scrape to find every meal, you're a bit preoccupied. Then a poor education (or no education) and having a whole bunch of kids to feed doesn't help the situation.

In virtually every prosperous society or even transitioning to modest prosperity, the first thing that happens is most people stop having so many kids.

Have you ever wondered why, if they are so intelligent, resourceful and hard working then why do they scrape to find every meal? Most intelligent, resourceful and hard working people tend to make things happen.

Sorry, I simply don't subscribe to the idea that they're victims of the world. They're victims of their own culture.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Have you ever wondered why, if they are so intelligent, resourceful and hard working then why do they scrape to find every meal? Most intelligent, resourceful and hard working people tend to make things happen.

Sorry, I simply don't subscribe to the idea that they're victims of the world. They're victims of their own culture.

You are very much correct in many ways. If we do some paper napkin math the russians should be close to saudis and rolling in money and having great quality of life with gas and oil money. Instead they have extreme poverty and a few oligarchs who crap on a solid gold toilet studded with rubies.

There ARE exceptions. Listen if you are on an island somewhere you are just straight up screwed.

 

[supton]

Stop blaming the boomers.

I agree. At the same time we should stop blaming gen x/y/z. This is not an either/or situation. There are many factors involved. No one controls when they were born.

 

[alarmguy]

I look at this as a good think for the people who are concerned about the planet. Population control uses less resources, less pollution.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

I look at this as a good think for the people who are concerned about the planet. Population control uses less resources, less pollution.

Oh dont get me started on that double standard!