Posted on 09/12/2015 1:19:18 PM PDT by lee martell
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has authorized over fifty thousand refugees from war torn Syria to settle into Germany. It is assumed that she will further authorize even more for the next few years. Many speculate the main reason she's doing this is somewhat related to altruism, but mostly related to Germany's shrinking workforce.
Germany, just like Japan, has an aging population, one that is not being equally replaced by children born. Japan has been aware of this inequity of replacement population where births do not come anywhere near equaling the number of those who die. This has prompted Japan to focus on the building of a robotic workforce. Japan, like China, remains a country populated by asians, and they are not eager to drastically change or racially diversify their society.
The question remains, how did these two productive powerhouses arrive at this point, with so few children being born to citizens? One factor in Germany could be the diminishing influence of the Christian faith. Many Europeans consider it a mark of an advanced culture, that they no longer ascribe to the constraints and duties of any church. Not all, but many Japanese have become workaholics and derive most of their satisfaction from achieving social status.
Both countries have learned to live with a conflict of emotions about what their country has done in the past. There is reason for both pride and shame. Both countries have shown themselves to be immensely capable and industrious when focused on large collective projects. Both countries have been forced to deny their full glory, to subordinate themselves on the world stage after being fully at war with these same marketing partners.
Angela is taking a huge gamble, that enough of these Syrian Muslims will assimilate to become financial assets to Germany vs a source of endless expense.
People are more interested in taking “selfies” these days than they are of raising children.
gov’t as surrogate husband doesn’t work fertility-wise.
They both have very strange porn.
Secularism kills birth rates. Even among practising Christians, the number of children drops as they adopt materialism.
LOL, China and Japan not accepting refugees? Japan prefers Robots? Now that’s a Liberal’s Nightmare if there ever was one. Just goes to show you can’t dictate a culture to some countries. They know what works for them, and what goes here isn’t necessarily what they view is proper for their own. Many countries don’t wish to give up their sovereignty or culture, that’s why we will never become one world.
The male equivelent of tension headache .... all bound up ... can’t perform ... shootin’ low grainage
This ‘right to be selfish’ attitude is a big factor, there and here in the U.S.
Seems like every week, I see another article describing how happier, how much better your marriage will be without children.
Because raising children has become an expense rather than an investment.
Socialism has that effect. The Soviet Union had a declining birth rate, too.
If immigrant birth rates and illegal alien birthrates were subtracted from general American population birth rates, I am not sure that we wouldn’t have the same birth rate as Japanese and Germans.
Birth Control of some kind.
“gov’t as surrogate husband doesn’t work fertility-wise.”
That’s part of the problem. Wealthy people tend to have fewer children and invest more in them; the best schools, an ivy league college, piano lessons, etc. Poor people tend to have more children to ensure their old age is taken care of. Rich people aren’t so worried about their old age. They think they’ll have medical insurance and own plenty of property; no kids needed.
That’s one facet. Another is that our society has gotten away from the Christian philosophy of being fruitful and multiplying. Global warming, carbon, footprints, don’t ya know. That’s what’s taken over instead.
In the sixties government terrified us that we were all going to die from nuclear fallout. Then, it was an ice age. Now it’s global warming. The long term effect of this hysterical propaganda is pernicious and stops people from having children. Who would bring a child into certain Hell?
We’ve also become self-absorbed. Who can afford children when you’re saving for a tummy tuck or to have those crow’s feet erased?
These are sad times.
They lost a war to the US?
Don’t forget about Italy’s low birth rate. Maybe it has something to do with being the Axis powers.
Yep.
The Japs is way weirder.
Ugly chicks that you don't want to spend time with?
Secularism kills birth rates.
It is almost like humans are programmed to destroy their own Utopia to bring about a new Dark age. I hope that is not true, but it very well could be.
This Italian sterility is at great contrast to the old stereotype of the Bon Vivant, Gigalo, always ready for action. No more Marcello Mastroianni blowing kisses to Catherine Deneuve.
Who can afford children when you’re saving for a tummy tuck or to have those crow’s feet erased?
Around the turn of the last century, the Rich were the ones that had the most kids. No longer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.