Comments on: Demographic Decline & Dependency

By: This

This — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:01:59 +0000

This…

Have you been blogging long? KEIZAI SOCIETY: US - JAPAN Business Forum ” Blog Archive ” Japan … is a great blog, you have a great writing style too. Found this post last Saturday and i’ve been reading your blog since. I’ve subscribed to your RS…

By: Kurt Brouwer

Kurt Brouwer — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:52:06 +0000

Joe–Thanks for the comment and the link to the Columbia piece. There is no question that an aging population poses unique challenges. However, there is no question that the USA is in very good ‘demographic’ shape compared to countries such as Spain or Japan.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:30:23 +0000

The Columbia Funds commentary at the end of 2008 included a short article on the social and economic consequences of the worlds demographic situation, which is worth a quick read. They suggest that the U.S. has excellent prospects when compared to the rest of the developed world, though (not surprisingly) its share of world economic output and population will decrease as developing nations continue to grow.

http://www.columbiafunds.com/NewsAndCommentary/Commentary/DisplayEconomicCommentary?ContentGuid={ba54e14d-52c2-4b27-a66a-b2f35a25f5ff}

I think it’s a safe bet that there will be difficult decades ahead as we shoulder the cost of an aging population, whether at home with our own citizenry or abroad due to security and humanitarian obligations.

By: Xenophon

Xenophon — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:29:30 +0000

This is an idiotic argument. In point of fact, falling populations will only impact those nations whose economic model is BASED on growing populations. This is a salesman’s argument. Of course a salesman wants more people to sell to!!! The rest of us want a good quality of life for ourselves and our grandchildren, and a civilization worth fighting for. An open borders policy to welcome hordes of non-Europeans into our country is a counsel of despair by people who only care for growth at any price. No wonder we’re not having children…who would want to hand off to their children the ghastly multicultural future being prepared for us by our overlords? Where’s the incentive to have children???

Get rid of the fractional reserve banking system, and this wild lunge for growth will disappear and the rest of us will be able to live normal lives.

By: Kurt Brouwer

Kurt Brouwer — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:04:43 +0000

Agreed that we are a nation of immigrants. My grandparents came here from the Netherlands and never looked back.

The ironic thing about the trade deficit (a component of the current account deficit) is that it is shrinking now, as it generally does in a recession. The personal savings rate is also going up.

Kind of like whipped cream on dirt, but there you have it. Many commentators have been bemoaning our soaring trade deficit and our shrinking savings rate for years. Now, they should be happy right?

By: Mark A. Sadowski

Mark A. Sadowski — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:10:39 +0000

Kurt,
This also has incredible consequences in terms of our future current account deficit (CAD). Here is an article whose relevance should be immediately clear (although I disagreed with one of his final points with my comment.)

http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/24/demography-lou-dobbs-opinions-contributors-destiny.html