Re:America just had its lowest number of births in 32 years,...
by rpiguy on Wednesday May 15, 2019 @10:59AM
(#19920041)
Only about 30% of people want overall immigration decreased according to Gallup and the President wants a merit based immigration system and fewer unskilled immigrants, which is hardly being opposed to immigration.
Historically, per capita consumption is more difficult to increase than growing the overall size of the population (and US consumers already lead the world in consumption so I don't see that being a solution for us). It works well for export oriented countries with protectionist policies that promote the growth of a middle class.
I am not in favor of population growth, it is just basic capitalism/economics. At some point flat or declining global population will force us to find a better system than the one we have.
But aggregate growth isn't important, per capita growth is, and that only requires per capita increases in consumption.
Which is actually easier, with fixed resources, with a shrinking population.
OTOH, support of an aging population is an issue.
On the third hand, for the near term, immigration can handle that for most countries facing that problem.
> Aside from a small core of anti-immigration extremists in the US, most people on the right and left, including our very Orange President, are for legal immigration, which is the best way to stave off population decline.
That's not true; there is a very large group, including “our very Orange President”, that are opposed to immigration in general, and are actively working to reduce the level of legal immigration, and especially targeting the legal immigrants that do the most to contribute to the viability of social support strucutures by paying heavily into payroll tax funded trust funds.