In thinking about why the rich nations procreate below the replacement rate, I imagine people are somewhat selfish. They don't want the responsibility of children nor the costs of them nor the restrictions on their personal lifestyles. I personally have found great joy in my children and those concerns never really entered my mind but I can imagine the concerns are quite valid. I don't know about polling on the topic. I do know that somehow we have convinced women that they ought to become business leaders and that having children will mean given up their careers. That assumes of course that we all ought to aspire to have a career.
It is true that we respect growth in most things and even count on growth in our economic models. As growth declines the assumptions behind things like Social Security show up. Mr Obama was hit hard by the first wave of FDR's time bomb - seniors retiring as we entered a huge recession. And that obligation plays out for many years to come. Looking forward those obligations loom large if growth stagnates.
Unlike xenophobic Japan the US and EU are a beacon to many parts of the world to help sustain the growth model, but assimilation of larger numbers becomes an issue. We have not developed a suitable apprentice model for training of these arrivals placing a strain on the welfare system until we do.
I agree about the sex drive but we have more and more same sex couples and they cant produce children. Just a small factor in the decline of the population.
Having spent a glorious day entirely by myself in the woods and at the range, I heartily endorse a world with fewer people.
In thinking about why the rich nations procreate below the replacement rate, I imagine people are somewhat selfish. They don't want the responsibility of children nor the costs of them nor the restrictions on their personal lifestyles. I personally have found great joy in my children and those concerns never really entered my mind but I can imagine the concerns are quite valid. I don't know about polling on the topic. I do know that somehow we have convinced women that they ought to become business leaders and that having children will mean given up their careers. That assumes of course that we all ought to aspire to have a career.
It is true that we respect growth in most things and even count on growth in our economic models. As growth declines the assumptions behind things like Social Security show up. Mr Obama was hit hard by the first wave of FDR's time bomb - seniors retiring as we entered a huge recession. And that obligation plays out for many years to come. Looking forward those obligations loom large if growth stagnates.
Unlike xenophobic Japan the US and EU are a beacon to many parts of the world to help sustain the growth model, but assimilation of larger numbers becomes an issue. We have not developed a suitable apprentice model for training of these arrivals placing a strain on the welfare system until we do.
I agree about the sex drive but we have more and more same sex couples and they cant produce children. Just a small factor in the decline of the population.