Posted on 01/28/2004 6:22:18 PM PST by Polycarp IV
Major Industrial Nations Unprepared for Coming Population Aging and Labour Shortage
The long-term price of aborting, contracepting, sexual revolution culture
DAVOS, Switzerland, January 28, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new report by the World Economic Forum in partnership with Watson Wyatt Worldwide has once again confirmed the coming population crisis that is to affect industrialized nations. The International Pension Readiness Report, released in time for the January 21-25, 2004 World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, underscores the disastrous effect that falling fertility rates are having throughout most of the world. Although a world-wide phenomenon, low fertility rates and a consequent decrease in labour force growth are especially alarming among industrialized nations.
Whereas the South-East Asia and Indian labour force will continue to grow in the next 30 years, the EU will see a decline in the labour force population from 208.7 million in 2000 to 151.2 million in 2050. During the same period, meanwhile, the number of people over the age of 60 in the EU will climb from 82.1 million to 125.1 million. Japan, with one of the world's lowest fertility rates, would have to increase its immigration rate 11-fold in order to maintain its labour force population.
The pension systems of the major industrialized nations will also be undermined, as a decimated labour force population combined with increased numbers of retirees cripples the countries' ability to afford pensions. For example, active workers in Italy will be outnumbered by retirees by 2030.
As for economic productivity, the EU's share of total global output will shrink by nearly half from today's 18 percent to ten percent in 2050, whereas Japan's share would decline by half from eight percent to four percent in the same period.
Richard Samans of the World Economic Forum said that "Economic output is determined by labour force growth and productivity rates. In countries with significant projected labour shortages, the supply of goods and services may not meet demand and standards of living."
Some of the solutions proposed in the report include: increased immigration; an extension of the retirement age; encouraging more women and younger workers to enter the workplace; and the export of capital and labour to other parts of the world where there are larger labour forces.
Sadly, no suggestion is made for incentives to encourage couples to have larger families. Nor is the abortion issue mentioned. In Canada alone since 1970, enough children have been killed through abortion to populate the city of Toronto. This figure does not take into account the much larger number of chemical and intrauterine abortions induced through the birth control pill (also an abortifacient) and intrauterine devices.
Sylvester Schieber, director of research at Watson Wyatt and co-author of the report, said that "[These] demographic changes present enormous challenges for developed countries."
See the detailed, full Watson Wyatt report at http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/featured/wef/
Read the related LifeSiteNews.com coverage of one incentive for an increased birth rate in Italy at: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/dec/03120307.html
Also read the related LifeSiteNews.com newsbyte which reveals that the number of people age 65 and older in the world has more than tripled over the past half-century at: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2001/dec/011217.html
How exactly is Bush to blame for our declining birth rate?
That may still be the case, don't forget, while Bush may have talked about what he'd like to do, it's up to Congress to actually make the changes.
Back when there was talk of extending section 486i, the outcome would have been exactly what you mentioned, but it didn't go through.
When you've been mocked and derided and marginalized for years, screamed at to "Get your Rosaries off my ovaries!", called the most foul and insulting things, all for defending basic universal and 2000 year old Christian moral theology, then once again as usual been proven to have been right all along, like in this thread, you have to expect a little "I told you so..."
Sorry, but I can never err on a side of "prevention" that even PP admits increases abortion rates.
Its bad enough that folks try to do evil thinking good may come of it.
Its far worse to tell people to do evil knowing damn well far worse evil will and does come of it, as even Planned Parenthood admits.
Because you responded to a post about the relation between the declining birth rate, and the current issue of immigration, and how Bush was handling it, by questioning why Bush would put us in such a situation.
Bush has not put the nation in any situation, he's trying to deal with the situation he was handed.
"...and one thing I can remember is that they all spoke English."
You missed the word "eventually", right before "they all spoke English."
"We have the right to insist that visitors to our country be willing to assimilate; that is, do their best to join with us and become one with us, as opposed to maintaining their old culture."
This from the product of those famous assimilators that still, to this day, celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Oktoberfest?
Let me put things in perspective for you, assimilation is a generational process...always has been. The first generation immigrant learns to exist in an unfamiliar world, but by the third generation, the world of the first immigrant is an alien land to his descendants. Here's a bit more perspective for you:
"I am perfectly of your mind, that measures of great Temper are necessary with the Germans: and am not without Apprehensions, that thro' their indiscretion or Ours, or both, great disorders and inconveniences may one day arise among us; Those who come hither are generally of the most ignorant Stupid Sort of their own Nation, and as Ignorance is often attended with Credulity when Knavery would mislead it, and with Suspicion when Honesty would set it right; and as few of the English understand the German Language, and so cannot address them either from the Press or Pulpit, 'tis almost impossible to remove any prejudices they once entertain. Their own Clergy have very little influence over the people; who seem to take an uncommon pleasure in abusing and discharging the Minister on every trivial occasion. Not being used to Liberty, they know not how to make a modest use of it; and as Kolben says of the young Hottentots, that they are not esteemed men till they have shewn their manhood by beating their mothers, so these seem to think themselves not free, till they can feel their liberty in abusing and insulting their Teachers. Thus they are under no restraint of Ecclesiastical Government; They behave, however, submissively enough at present to the Civil Government which I wish they may continue to do: For I remember when they modestly declined intermeddling in our Elections, but now they come in droves, and carry all before them, except in one or two Counties; Few of their children in the Country learn English; they import many Books from Germany; and of the six printing houses in the Province, two are entirely German, two half German half English, and but two entirely English; They have one German News-paper, and one half German. Advertisements intended to be general are now printed in Dutch and English; the Signs in our Streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only German: They begin of late to make all their Bonds nad other legal Writings in their own Language, which (though I think it ought not to be) are allowed good in our Courts, where the German Business so encreases that there is continual need of Interpreters; and I suppose in a few years they will be also necessary in the Assembly, to tell one half of our Legislators what the other half say; In short unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so out number us, that all the advantages we have will not in My Opinion be able to preserve our language, and even our Government will become precarious." -- Source
All immigrants assimilate, it's unpreventable.
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