Current US fertility rates fall just below the replacement level. That is not national suicide. Its the reasonable and natural reaction of individuals to the fact that children are far less likely to die, and that parents want to provide for their children as good a life as they can. Thats why my wife and I had 2. At some point fertility MUST approximate mortality rates as you cannot grow a national population endlessly. Personally I feel have reached a point where the population of the US is about right. I certainly have no desire to see us continue on to the kind of population density they have in China, India or Bangledesh.
Of course there are adjustments our society must make as we reach a population equilibrium. I just don't believe the answer is to grow ever larger. Thats the blind alley that current social policy is headed down. The train wreck occurs when the Boomers begin to swell the ranks of the retired and the Ponzi scheme fails.
Current US fertility rates fall just below the replacement level. That is not national suicide. Reasonable point. But they're still falling. Where are they going to stop? Russia, for example, is looking at a huge population collapse. It's true that we're not there yet, but we're on the same trajectory.
Of course there are adjustments our society must make as we reach a population equilibrium.
Japan is already facing those "adjustments." So far they have taken the form of permanent economic depression. That's why the issue is pertinent to this thread.
The train wreck occurs when the Boomers begin to swell the ranks of the retired and the Ponzi scheme fails.
Yes. And the train wreck is on the horizon. It's a reality, no matter how much we may personally take exception to the whole concept of the program.