4 ms·

It may work in short term but then you run out of population in long term. And suddenly any gains from short term improvement is under a big question mark.

blackoil 3y ago
Why does China need 1.5 billion people?
- robjan 3y ago
  Future generations have to pay off the debt generated by the current generation. Same as everywhere. You can either grow the population or make the economy more efficient, China still has the latter lever available to pull.
  - blackoil 3y ago
    China has a gross savings rate of 45-50%. Current gen has saved for their future.
    - dougmwne 3y ago
      Money is an abstract representation of the labor of others. If there’s no one to labor for you then your currency is just paper.
      - lotsofpulp 3y ago
        Currency might also just be bits on a server.
      - Balero 3y ago
        I agree in theory with you. But you can 'bank' labour for later on. Building infrastructure (that will last) when you have a population bulge, means that the generations after can take advantage of that infrastructure, and have to do the lower amount of work, of maintaining it. This can go for things like education, investing in businesses, and generally any capital. Of course you can also over build this capital that will never be used, but will need to be paid back (for example a local government pays to build a town that there are no people to fill it with) and the maintenance is too much, but you still have to look after the people who did the building.
        The_Colonel 3y ago
        You can't over-build things like old age care. We still don't have robots to feed and bath old people.
- starfallg 3y ago
  China has a poor social security net. The one-child policy has resulted in a couple having to provide or care for 4 parents and 8 grandparents. That's is in no way sustainable on an individual level and worse on a societal level when you have a small working population and a large number of people that require care.

blackoil 3y ago

Why does China need 1.5 billion people?

robjan 3y ago
Future generations have to pay off the debt generated by the current generation. Same as everywhere. You can either grow the population or make the economy more efficient, China still has the latter lever available to pull.
- blackoil 3y ago
  China has a gross savings rate of 45-50%. Current gen has saved for their future.
  - dougmwne 3y ago
    Money is an abstract representation of the labor of others. If there’s no one to labor for you then your currency is just paper.
    - lotsofpulp 3y ago
      Currency might also just be bits on a server.
    - Balero 3y ago
      I agree in theory with you. But you can 'bank' labour for later on. Building infrastructure (that will last) when you have a population bulge, means that the generations after can take advantage of that infrastructure, and have to do the lower amount of work, of maintaining it. This can go for things like education, investing in businesses, and generally any capital. Of course you can also over build this capital that will never be used, but will need to be paid back (for example a local government pays to build a town that there are no people to fill it with) and the maintenance is too much, but you still have to look after the people who did the building.
      - The_Colonel 3y ago
        You can't over-build things like old age care. We still don't have robots to feed and bath old people.
starfallg 3y ago
China has a poor social security net. The one-child policy has resulted in a couple having to provide or care for 4 parents and 8 grandparents. That's is in no way sustainable on an individual level and worse on a societal level when you have a small working population and a large number of people that require care.