At the ASI.
If free markets reduce population growth why won\’t those who worry about population growth embrace free markets?
At the ASI.
If free markets reduce population growth why won\’t those who worry about population growth embrace free markets?
Because their own brand of politics is more effective at reducing not only population growth, but whole populations.
Because generally they are authoritarian Marxists?
Because that wouldn’t result in an increase in their own power?
Because it would wreck the narrative?
You know Free markets bad; lower populatoon good.
Er, um…
I did indeed used to be concerned about rising population levels and was very interested in the OPT’s fledgling analysis. Then it dawned on me that, just as Tim’s post claims, rising affluence leads to increasing life spans, lower births rates etc. However, in the developed world we are now seeing falling (only slowly) populations. This is masked by immigration, but it is happening. I have been sat thinking that this hasn’t been noticed and doomsday predictions are still based upon ever rising populations. However, they’re not so much these days. Nobody is really out there in MSM saying “populations are actually falling”. Instead commentators are beginning not to talk about the rise quite as much.
An interesting angle to this might be what it will mean for mankind, for economics, if and when the world population does start to fall noticeably. We are already discussing the social consequences of an ageing populations etc, but is there any analysis out there of the economics of a falling and ageing world population?
Well, if we’ve got any sense this century will be the one where we pursue life extension and immortality. We only die because some ancestor who was less than a worm found it advantageous to do so, in the pre-cambrian or whenever it was. No point in carrying on doing it, ghastly business.
So that’s going to change the whole ball game anyway, but we can’t really know how, so probably not worth worrying about.
Maybe I’m a bit of an optimist, but I think the Age Of Death is just about over. Bit peeved I’m in the last few generations to experience senescence, frankly.
I think you will find this very interesting:
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html