Social security programs are predicated on a large labor force providing for a smaller retired population.
These programs don’t work if you have an inverted pyramid.
It’s not just capitalism that’s threatened. Not the economic growth… but the entire concept of work and social programs. Socialism has these issues as well
That’s not really true, if the working population is productive enough, then socialism can work. Capitalism allows for growth based on profitability not usefulness to society. Now I love sports, but what if the billions of dollar’s that went to pro and college sports were instead just directed into social programs. You don’t need a larger younger generation, just better prioritization of resources
That’s all secondary to the overall point, which is that social security can be funded. It doesn’t require this weird scheme where young workers pay into the system to support retirees, the US constantly prints money for all sorts of stupid shit and we could just print a few billion less for weapons. Besides, it’s not like population growth is below replacement rates, because in addition to automation and taxes there’s migration.
… well, there was migration. If the fascists succeed in ending migration, yeah, the US might have a demographic crisis.
A fertility of 1.5 is a crisis for capitalism, but it’s a manageable for society. Every class of school children is 75% of the previous generation.
Fertility of 1 means each generation is half the size of the previous one. That’s a challenge to maintaining civilization, not just profits. A
Fertility of .7 every generation is 35% the size of the previous.
I’m not saying we have to fuck to save the species, but the doomsayers are not entirely wrong. There will be challenges.
Every argument ive ever gotten against a negative birth rate clutching pearls “BUUT MUH CAPATLAISM CAN’T SURVIVE ON A NEGATIVE BIRTH RATE”
Me: “…and?”
Social security programs are predicated on a large labor force providing for a smaller retired population.
These programs don’t work if you have an inverted pyramid.
It’s not just capitalism that’s threatened. Not the economic growth… but the entire concept of work and social programs. Socialism has these issues as well
That’s not really true, if the working population is productive enough, then socialism can work. Capitalism allows for growth based on profitability not usefulness to society. Now I love sports, but what if the billions of dollar’s that went to pro and college sports were instead just directed into social programs. You don’t need a larger younger generation, just better prioritization of resources
This is misleading. The government prints money, they can bail out social security whenever they want.
Printing money does not solve the demographic issue.
An inverted population pyramid means fewer producers (young laborers) than consumers (old retirees).
Funding social security through printed money adds demand without solving supply. Thus the price of goods goes up.
Sure, there are solutions to this problem - Increase automation, increase taxes on capital, etc - but printing money is not the solution
That’s all secondary to the overall point, which is that social security can be funded. It doesn’t require this weird scheme where young workers pay into the system to support retirees, the US constantly prints money for all sorts of stupid shit and we could just print a few billion less for weapons. Besides, it’s not like population growth is below replacement rates, because in addition to automation and taxes there’s migration.
… well, there was migration. If the fascists succeed in ending migration, yeah, the US might have a demographic crisis.
A fertility of 1.5 is a crisis for capitalism, but it’s a manageable for society. Every class of school children is 75% of the previous generation.
Fertility of 1 means each generation is half the size of the previous one. That’s a challenge to maintaining civilization, not just profits. A Fertility of .7 every generation is 35% the size of the previous.
I’m not saying we have to fuck to save the species, but the doomsayers are not entirely wrong. There will be challenges.
Oh, true, I forgot about the people with a fetish for economic growth. That’s another one. Still an equally shit reason, though.