Peak Population

[Az]

reading the OP is overrated.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Dauphin I think there are plenty of people available, but the Temporary Agencies and other "body shops" are holding them off the market to keep prices up.

Ive heard there are ships filled with people, waiting outside New York harbor, just waiting for prices to increase.

We do need to break the hold of 'Big Population', the sooner we find a source of renewable population the better. Cloning seems the best bet, but Greenpeace will probably only settle for populations that grow on trees.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Az
reading the OP is overrated.

Thanks.

[Colon™]

Originally posted by VJ

If GDP/capita continues it's growth based on the amount of hours worked while population sharply declines, of course the total GDP is going to go down. The thing is, the total GDP shouldn't matter to you as an invididual unless you base your employement on leeching off from the "aggregate".

Hear, hear.

Productivity growth has got nothing to do with population growth.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by lord of the mark It does seem you dont know, nor do the other posters to the thread. I suggest reading the OP a tad more closely.

Ugh.... That takes too much effort. Its sooo much easier to skim and then make assumptions. Spending less time reading saves more time for posting our own thoughts. And since obviously our own thoughts have far more merit than those of others, doesn't this strategy produce a net positive that is simply better for everyone?

[:) Smiley]

A declining population will see decreases in the total productivity but increases in per capita productivity, as some things, such as natural resources, are independent of population.

It's the ruling class that wants to see increasing population as it means more minions for them. A simple comparison would be that of landlords vs. renters.

[notyoueither]

Brilliant.

[Az]

Originally posted by Dauphin


Thanks.

[Ted Striker]

You're welcome

[The Mad Viking]

Dauphin asked a good question.

I haven't really heard a good answer. Perhaps that is why posters are mocking. I certainly don't have an answer, either.

You can talk about productivity all you want, but population growth has gone hand in hand with economic growth throughout history. The vast majority of western economies have used immigration to maintain population growth when internal growth has halted.

So how will the transition occur, and what will be the ramifications? You think Wall Street is going to be thrilled with "We are projecting a 1% increase in profits, based on a 4% improvement in productivity, which will overcome a 2% increase in resource costs and a 1% drop in market size"?

There will be pain.

As resources become more scarce, and demand for those resources increases with China, India, Indonesia and Brazil, for example, increasing their standard of living / consumption levels, the economic model based on continous growth will no longer work.

Historically, when overpopulation of a society leads to extreme scarcity, violent depopulation results...

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Dauphin


We do need to break the hold of 'Big Population', the sooner we find a source of renewable population the better. Cloning seems the best bet, but Greenpeace will probably only settle for populations that grow on trees.

The Republicans are against cloning, and they SAY its out of deference to the Christian fundies. But in fact it was on Kos, or was it DU, that Cheney and Rumsfeld both once sat on the board of Kelly Services, one of the leading personnel agencies, and undoubtedly one of the holders of substantial secret stockpiles of people.

Now the Repubs deny it, pointing to their "defense of marriage" - but think about it, how does keeping gays from getting a marriage certificate increase the population - not at ALL, IMO. Rather I think thats a cover for their nefarious aims.

[lord of the mark]

is there a word for it when people threadjack an obvious sarcastic troll back on topic?

Somehow this all seems a tad post-modern for my tastes.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by VJ
If GDP/capita continues it's growth based on the amount of hours worked while population sharply declines, of course the total GDP is going to go down. The thing is, the total GDP shouldn't matter to you as an invididual unless you base your employement on leeching off from the "aggregate".

You forget that a larger population decreases the cost of zero-marginal-cost products such as software.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Dauphin I think there are plenty of people available, but the Temporary Agencies and other "body shops" are holding them off the market to keep prices up.

Ive heard there are ships filled with people, waiting outside New York harbor, just waiting for prices to increase.

oh!

[Ecthy]

Maybe this will trigger the Return of the Jedi.