News 7 Billion Population Today - So... When's The Next World War?

[anthony]

Yer, that retirement age is an issue. Australia used to be 60, then went to 62, is now 65 I think... and they're even talking about extending it towards the 70 region, being more accurate to what medicine is achieving today.

Retirement has always been economically calculated on an average survival of around 10 - 15 years beyond retirement. If it extends beyond that, then the person becomes a burden on the system.

As you would know from our policy changes with compulsory superannuation, there is a transition period of something like 50+ years, and even then, if people live too long beyond retirement age, they will run out of their money and need a pension, thus we come back to burdening the economy when it was never factored into the economical structure.

I remember reading about this miracle in medicine of keeping people alive until 150, and one line used in the discussion was that parents would need to have a further burden of starting superannuation for their children upon birth, because the math simply wouldn't addup that a person could work a normal 40 - 50 year period after education, retire and support themselves for a further 70 years. It would be impossible. Superannuation would have to be 35% of your gross earning to support you within retirement, factoring in interest growth on that money during your schooling and workable first 70 years of life. If the market crashed, or an economy, within your lifetime, it would place unsustainable population numbers at greater risk again... being unable to support themselves in retirement. Oh wait... that's happening right now. People who were just about to retire having to continue working until they fall over and die because financial geniuses lost so much money of other peoples that the affected have no choice other than to work until they die.

The leading economists in the world can't even comprehend how the world will be capable of sustaining itself in the very near future with the way the population curve is currently trending, as is expected, based on how growth works in a linear fashion.

 

[cherryblossom]

"7 Billion Population"

That was the phrase that drew me to this thread. I just wanted to share the following webpage of some amazing photo's and facts about the world today.

[DLMURL]http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/population-seven-billion/100176/[/DLMURL]

We simply do not have the resources or space on this planet to continue growing at an exponential rate, something will have to give. Whether that will be war, famine, or disease - only time will tell . . .

 

[Lucycat]

I too was drawn by the title.

In Scotland we have what they call an 'aging population'. By this they mean that the numbers of older people is exceeding the birthrate. So our population is declining and they are actively encouraging families to have more children.

Clearly this does't go with the global population crisis, but how can you 'average out' population density other than by allowing and encouraging immigration? But then those with the high density popluation - as said before mostly because of the poor life expectancy- cannot move to where there is space.

I hate the fact that people are being negative and implying the only way out is war. This may be fact - I really don't know - but I would like to think the human race could come up with a more creative, and less destructive, answer.

Whatever happens- CB's suggestions of war, famine and disease - it makes me grateful. Grateful for each and every day I have on this earth, free from these things. It makes me appreciate what I have and treasure every day I have left.

 

[cherryblossom]

CB's suggestions of war, famine and disease -

Oops, I missed off natural disasters from my list.

 

[Loloma]

(((cherryblossom)) Brillant link, also frightening.

 

[Loloma]

Yer, that retirement age is an issue. Australia used to be 60, then went to 62, is now 65 I think... and they're even talking about extending it towards the 70 region, being more accurate to what medicine is achieving today.
Retirement has always been economically calculated on an average survival of around 10 - 15 years beyond retirement. If it extends beyond that, then the person becomes a burden on the system.

Australia's superannuation rate as you know is currently 9%. The Henry Tax Reform has proposed that it be raised in steps starting in 2013/14 at .25 percent for 2 years and then .50 percent till 2020 taking it to 15%. Singapore's super rate has been 15% for many years.The name "superannuation guarantee" is a joke in itself. I was still working when the global financial crisis hit and paying extra into my super, so was a colleague of mine who was 63. She put $1,000 a month extra into her for early retirement. With both of us we lost most of it.

What is the relevance of this, it's just another crumbing brick off the wall that shows there is no GUARANTEE, financial or otherwise as to what the future holds.

 

[anni]

I'm not sure the implication is that the only way OUT is war-as in some deliberate solution to population control? I see where it seems that way, like OK, too many folks around we'll have to wipe a few zillion off the planet-think it's more an inevitability which will also have the 'fortunately' ghaslty effect of what sensible use of condoms and information and some dam self control, less self indulgence ( that was pointed at the US ) would have acheived decades earlier. There's this wierd wierd WIERD attitude here in the US, pervasively also, where the WORST just can't happen and everyone can continue on their self-indulgent, consuming massively,merry little idiotic way. paying zero attention to the little man behind the curtain. Has anyone SEEENNNN the show 'The Duggers' or whatever? These people have what, TWENTY children, keep having more and they are reality STARS. National HEROS for having what, a teflon uterus and good swimmers?I think their thing is they're religious, feel it's a good thing to populate the earth with folks who feel the same way. Do the math-TWENTY children. There's this tralaa laa lalalaa skip down the road thing here in the US, I got mine, you better go get YOURS and if mine includes having 20 children to heck with the entire planet and it's limited resources. I am not merely picking on this famiy- it's pervasive.But boy- as soon as you open your mouth as to 'personal responsibilty' with birth control-BOOMMMMM-you run smack into our uber conservatives who torque the thing into 'freedoms' and the always dangerous 'life' subject.Clueless as to why this is,but boy, you can't make any headway, to be sure. They'll instantly begin to compare China's barbaric enforcement methods and somehow convince people yep, that's where we're headed instead of perhaps presenting some balanced, reasoned argument as to why we should all make the collective choice to keep the population down.

Yes, I realize I have 4 children but have no plans to throw a couple into the pond any time soon. I'll at least resolve to have no more, which my husband will be happy to hear since he's a little tired.

 

[Aggie]

I wonder if we as a collective group with ptsd think about a subject like this more often...

 

[anthony]

I wonder if we as a collective group with ptsd think about a subject like this more often...

I don't myself, but I do watch the news and like to know about current affairs, but local and International, especially if it affects local.

 

[reallydown]

But boy- as soon as you open your mouth as to 'personal responsibilty' with birth control-BOOMMMMM-you run smack into our uber conservatives who torque the thing into 'freedoms' and the always dangerous 'life' subject.Clueless as to why this is,but boy, you can't make any headway, to be sure. They'll instantly begin to compare China's barbaric enforcement methods and somehow convince people yep, that's where we're headed instead of perhaps presenting some balanced, reasoned argument as to why we should all make the collective choice to keep the population down.

Nah...just sell poor people's kids to the rich or alternatively, eat them themselves...There, population control and world hunger solved!

 

[anthony]

That's the entire problem with human ignorance... people won't change, it will have to be forced upon us to change, ie. war, disaster, biological, before people accept change.

If I said give up your big screen TV, house, cars, etc... 99.9% would say no. Hence, the problem. I am honest enough to be part of that 99.9%... you work for what you have, you aren't just going to give it up... it will have to be forced away from you to accept and then adapt. We can all adapt to change! We don't like it, but human nature will adapt to change, but adaptation usually requires force.

 

[Shattered]

I can go without a lot, but refuse to go without indoor plumbing!