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Answerman - Why Is Japan's Population Declining?

Mark my words. It will be Europeans who wished they followed japan's footsteps in dealing with post growth society and transition to Singularity. Europe will be saddled with bunch of deadweights, chaos, strife and natives feeling like they lost their own country.

Basically, things like Social Security are Ponzi Schemes,

Anyway, that's the main reason population-reduction is bad from an economic view. But, what about an *environmental* view? Does anyone *not* think that the world is overpopulated? Because it is.

Until we can keep our populations at levels that our resources can sustain,'

And if the Africans would learn not to have kids they can't afford to raise, we'd be well on our way to achieving a sustainable population level on a global scale.

The western European situation is perfectly summed up here:

spoiler[ You know, I've spent ten years detoxifying this party. It's been a bit like renovating an old, old house, yeah? You can take out a sexist beam here, a callous window there, replace the odd homophobic roof tile. But after a while you realise that this renovation is doomed. Because the foundations are built on what I can only describe as a solid bed of cunts.]

I don't really follow European news but diversity in Japan would only be a bad thing. There's already tension between foreigners in Japan and Japanese.

Whilst we have debates about America's role or lack thereof in bringing prosperity for "African-Americans", actual African-Americans are the most educated group in America.

Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:

Basically, things like Social Security are Ponzi Schemes,

I 'd ask where you got this crack pot theory from but I don't think I'd rather know.

NGK wrote:

Mark my words. It will be Europeans who wished they followed japan's footsteps in dealing with post-growth society and transition to Singularity. Europe will be saddled with bunch of deadweights, chaos, strife and natives feeling like they lost their own country.

Well this isn't massively racist or anything...

Social Security (in the U.S.) is indeed a ponzi scheme. Proceeds paid out in benefits are funded through current contributions, even beyond the issue of active raiding of the SS Trust Fund to fill unrelated current-year budgetary shortfalls which happens from time to time.

This works reasonably enough so long as there are enough young folks to approximately match the folks in retirement. When lifetimes are lengthened, that's more money that needs to come in. When birthrates drop, that's fewer people contributing. Add those together and you have a big problem down the road.

Compare the desires of some EU state government vs the will of the locals, Japan government actually heeds to the will of the people - maintain social cohesion.

So, Japan's population is decreasing, eh? Look, tell ya what I'm willing to do. If the Japanese government will pay my way and give me an incredibly generous stipend, I am prepared to breed with the comelier Japanese frauleins. I'm 6 foot 6, so beyond merely saving the population from a disastrous decline, I'd be injecting some much needed verticality into the gene pool.

Please - no need to thank me.

Using tacky, outdated, and somewhat sexist/racist ideas? Which feed into problematic perceptions of certain groups?

If there's one Japan is not it's progressive and that's not a good thing especially when it comes to women, gays,transsexuals, foreigners, and the mentally handicapped.

From the http://fortune.com

Former chairwoman of the FDIC Sheila Bair on Monday took on the topic of shrinking populations: in developed countries, she says, they pose a huge economic opportunity.

Long-term demographic trends in developed countries that indicate shrinking populations will produce “short-term issues” like large elderly populations being forced to depend on a smaller working-age cohort, she said. But the problems will “level out over time,” especially with the aid of technology.

Smaller populations could “improve the quality of life” and produce a “smaller labor force that’s better paid” since a smaller available workforce will put a premium on labor, she said. A smaller population will also reduce humans’ environmental footprints. “Over the long term, a shrinking population is a positive.”

And look where oh so "progressive" and "tolerant" Western Europe is heading towards.

Is he population decline really that bad of a thing?
Japan is a small island country with very few places were urban grow is possible, 73 percent of Japan is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use.
And we are talking in 127 milion people living in that small space and with limited resources. A smaller population could make the country's crowded metropolitan areas more livable.

Quote:

From the http://fortune.com Former chairwoman of the FDIC Sheila Bair on Monday took on the topic of shrinking populations: in developed countries, she says, they pose a huge economic opportunity. Long-term demographic trends in developed countries that indicate shrinking populations will produce “short-term issues” like large elderly populations being forced to depend on a smaller working-age cohort, she said. But the problems will “level out over time,” especially with the aid of technology. Smaller populations could “improve the quality of life” and produce a “smaller labor force that’s better paid” since a smaller available workforce will put a premium on labor, she said. A smaller population will also reduce humans’ environmental footprints. “Over the long term, a shrinking population is a positive.”

There are 7.4 billion people in the world with 11.2 billion expect in the year 2100.
The planet can't survive with this pressure. Is better to have a natural decline of population until a natural equilibrium is reached.

Paiprince wrote:

And look where oh so "progressive" and "tolerant" Western Europe is heading towards.

I don't think I mentioned anything about Europe East or West being progressive as they're most definitely not. Between the Brexit stupidity and Putin's stance on gays.

If you don't think prog havens like Sweden as progressive then I wonder which case study falls under you definition of progressive. Latin America?

Paiprince wrote:

If you don't think prog havens like Sweden as progressive then I wonder which case study falls under you definition of progressive. Latin America?

....Latin America is neither a country nor continent though. Did you mean South/Central America?