We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019)

Re:We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019) by onion2k on Monday November 23, 2020 @04:18AM (#25184972)

People who can't afford to settle down, who are spending significant amounts of their income on rent, and who don't see much reward for their effort tend not to have children. In the long term that leads to an aging population, which can cripple the productivity and growth of entire regions. That can be combatted to an extent through immigration policies, but only if people actually want to move to a region that needs more people.

These are not just first world problems. These are problems that could, potentially, destroy entire economies.

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Re:We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019) by tafox on Monday November 23, 2020 @05:28AM (#25185320)

I mean, immigration is never a long-term solution.

Immigrants will soon be facing the same issues (high housing, high education costs, lower wages).

I reckon in about 20-30 years the arbitrage opportunity to immigrate to Western countries will be eliminated, it already is much reduced compared to 30 or 40 years ago. QoL in Western countries will be lower, and higher in the rest of the world.

I often think of a documentary I saw about Somali refugees who came to America in the early 2000s (sadly I can't find it anymore.) They ended up moving back to Africa because they hated life in America. Working two terrible minimum wage jobs just to pay rent and food. They made no friends and had no free time or money.

They were happier living in a UN funded refugee camp spending time with friends and family.

I think the only way Western countries have any chance of reducing the falling QoL is space exploration, but I don't think their is enough energy and motivation.

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