[who_would_fardels_bear]

This phenomenon has been known for quite some time. It is called the "Demographic Transition". As nations become more wealthy the birth rate declines. This is due to all the expected factors, e.g. access to birth control, women in the workplace, child labor laws making children a financial burden rather than benefit, government pension programs minimizing the need for children in old age.

The only surprise to most demographers was why it happened much later in America than in the rest of the Western World. This has been mostly attributed to our increased religiosity as religions give people more than economic reasons to have children.

The idea that our population MUST remain stable or increase over time is an interesting one. It suggests that our economic system is something like a pyramid scheme where we need to bring in more suckers to keep the scam afloat. This seems to be the case with both the capitalistic and socialistic aspects of our economy: Walmart needs more shoppers. Soc Sec and Medicare need more payroll tax.

Regardless of this, the reason why neither the Dems or the Pubbies try very hard to limit legal or illegal immigration is because they must have been told by the economists that we need more consumers and taxpayers or else the jig is up. If Americans aren't creating more suckers, then we need to import them.

[Tax-chick]

Good observations.

[deadrock]

The welfare state is an ever expanding pyramid scheme and is the sole cause of the financial ruin and accompanying death spiral birth dates.