[extropy-chat] Europe vs America (was Depressing thought....)

[BillK]

On Wed Nov 12, 2003 01:43 pm Samantha Atkins wrote:
< I see very much the point of enabling those born to poorer
< circumstances a chance to develop, progress and participate fully. But
< I am not sure I see the point of forced carrying of dead weight
< indefinitely and with the individuals in that category able to vote
< themselves continued increases in largesse and often standing
< continually in the way of actual human advancement.

< What "whole day"? In France the law says, if they haven't changed it
< again, that it is only legal to work 35 hours a week. Subsistence
< should not be too hard to come by in a reasonably affluent society.
< But we must beware of breeding too large a burden on our societies.
< Germany is even now struggling to lower its mounting social debts
< also. Historically there have been cycles of charity, self-insurance,
< poor laws, increasing welfare states, large defictis, cuts of
< benefits. It is not a new problem.
<

Sorry Samantha, but it really IS a new problem.
Lack of breeding is the new problem. The western societies are facing a
rapidly aging population problem. Who's going to look after all the old
folk? They are not scroungers, they have worked all their lives, but
there are just not enough young folk paying taxes to look after them.

Japan is desperately trying to build robots to look after the old people
and that solution may just arrive in time.

Keep your fingers crossed.

BillK