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>>>fertility falling off a cliff even in developing nations. Does this mean kids born today will have better jobs, higher pay, cheaper real estate. This seems

• ethbro 7y ago
  No. Most economic activity is driven by consumption (usually future consumption, pulled forward in time via credit). Only semi-accepted economics, but a boiled down version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0 In short, if consumption falls, the economy can't help but fall with it. Which is what's commonly called a demographic time bomb. Especially in the US, where our social security systems are funded out of current workers, not by savings. The only way to escape the trap (hypothetically) would be to invest heavily enough in capital expenses / automation during booming demographic times, implement a consumption-driving basic income funded by that boom, then throw up substantial barriers to prevent that money from trickling out to the rest of the world's economy (as without barriers you'd just be supporting foreign economies). This would look VERY different from business-as-usual as it's a 180 against free trade.