Russia Nears a Milestone

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 5 December 2012 | LUKAS I. ALPERT

[MinorityRepublican]

MOSCOW—Russia is on target to register its first natural population growth since the fall of the Soviet Union, with a slightly higher number of births than deaths being recorded so far this year, the labor minister said Wednesday.

Through the end of October, Russia had recorded 790 more births than deaths—a minute advance, but one that could mark a potential turning point in a troubling demographic trend that has seen the country's population on the decline since the early 1990s.

"Cumulative natural growth was recorded from the start of the year for the first time in many years," Labor Minister Maxim Topilin said.So far, Russia's birth rate in 2012 has risen 7% rise on the year with an increase seen in 80 of the country's 83 regions. Meanwhile, Russia's death rate has fallen 1.5% in the same period, the ministry said. In all of 2011, Russia saw 132,000 more deaths than births, the state statistic service said.

The figures stand in contrast to predictions made by many demographic experts in recent years—including the United Nations Population Division—that Russia faces a serious demographic crisis, with the potential of seeing its population fall by as much as 30% by 2050. But those who have kept a close eye on the situation warn that despite the signs of a turnaround, Russia faces a long road ahead.

"Demographic trends are like oil tankers—you cannot turn them around immediately," said James Nixey, a Russian policy expert at Chatham House in London. "What seems to me to be important is the working-age population—and actually that is something we do know 18 years ahead of time and it is rather depressing news for Russia."

Russia's demographic decline was so steep in the 1990s that the country was losing more than one million people a year.

[nathanbedford]

If you want to see the inverse connection vividly demonstrated between population and liberty try carrying a firearm around in a high density blue state. Try carrying a 50 caliber weapon around and see how much liberty you have.

My objection to runaway population growth, indeed from this point on any population growth, is not Malthusian, I believe technology will keep us fed, but one of concern for constitutional liberty and quality of life.

You can no longer build on property if the feds spot the wrong kind of varmints or if they espy a puddle. Your liberty of dominion over your property has been severely diminished. If it were not so, your property would become uninhabitable from the actions of your near neighbors. Your water and air would be polluted, you would not be able to sleep from the noise, they would vote you out of your property anyway. The next time you have to wait to go through Yellowstone Park ask yourself whether you want 400, 500 million people competing.

[TADSLOS]

Great post.

[Chickensoup]

Is this an increase in their Muslim population or across the ethnicities?

[Chickensoup]

Why this obsession with fecundity? We no longer live in the Edwardian age, we do not need upstairs help or downstairs help, stable help or nursery help; we have electricity, modern conveniences, robots etc. We actually live much better than the nobility of the late Victorian or Edwardian age.

________________________

I sure could use upstairs and downstairs help. LOL. You may not think that the Victorian/Edwardians lived better lives than we do, but the memories of my family says otherwise. I will give you the Auto robot and the Washer/Dryer Robot. But in day to day life it would be better to live in groups with help instead of the atomized, government supported ways of today.

Small jobs are important to the fabric of society. Elimination of small jobs impoverishes us all.

[bert]

There is considerable difference in population growth in a functioning society and in a dysfunctional society.

The statistic in question can be interpreted to mean the old and weak have died off leaving a healthier young population.

The men may or may not still be alcoholics to the point they are in capable of functioning in a job. The women, especially a cohort of young women, might not have to carry the whole burden of the society and chose not to have their child aborted.

Putin’s challenge now is to provide resources and freedom for those younger people to take hold of the society and go forward.

It is pretty plain when comparing the resurgent China that is spectacularly emerging from the Communist disease and Russia that has floundered and may in fact still be dying that new Russian leadership failed. Given it’s abundant resources, Russia should have the ability to thrive if it gets it’s head on straight.

[nathanbedford]

Costume period epics like Downtown Shabby portray a glamorized version of the Edwardian era but the lives of the servants were not glamorous at all. They had long hours at menial tasks with no job security and very little hope of advancement. Yes, they had their place in society, in a pecking order, but they were demeaned and they had no option for the most part to pull stakes and go elsewhere.

The place in society, cemented by the immutable ordering of society, permitted the "living in groups" which has a very human appeal extending back to the cave. The anonymity of urban life in a densely populated society is deadening and it is also not an atmosphere conducive to liberty, perhaps license, but not real liberty.

I take your point.

[Chickensoup]

Costume period epics like Downtown Shabby portray a glamorized version of the Edwardian era but the lives of the servants were not glamorous at all. They had long hours at menial tasks with no job security and very little hope of advancement. Yes, they had their place in society, in a pecking order, but they were demeaned and they had no option for the most part to pull stakes and go elsewhere.

___________________

I have no idea of period costumed shows, I own no television. However I knew a number of the people and know the stories of others who worked and lived with my family over almost a century. I know that people who treated their help shabbily were looked down upon, that my family provided homes and work for people who probably would not have made it in other less sheltered settings (face it, working as a household servant is not for the ambitious or fully able), that treating people well was important and over the years these people graced out Sunday dinner table as guests and “family.”

That time is gone now. But something has been lost, that was important. I still remember looking at the soap stored under the basement stairs that my great-grandmother, the cook and the daily made and stored. More of a Proverbs 31 house.

[Chickensoup]

Costume period epics like Downtown Shabby portray a glamorized version of the Edwardian era but the lives of the servants were not glamorous at all. They had long hours at menial tasks with no job security and very little hope of advancement. Yes, they had their place in society, in a pecking order, but they were demeaned and they had no option for the most part to pull stakes and go elsewhere.

___________________

I have no idea of period costumed shows, I own no television. However I knew a number of the people and know the stories of others who worked and lived with my family over almost a century. I know that people who treated their help shabbily were looked down upon, that my family provided homes and work for people who probably would not have made it in other less sheltered settings (face it, working as a household servant is not for the ambitious or fully able), that treating people well was important and over the years these people graced out Sunday dinner table as guests and “family.”

That time is gone now. But something has been lost, that was important. I still remember looking at the soap stored under the basement stairs that my great-grandmother, the cook and the daily made and stored. More of a Proverbs 31 house.

[riri]

I suggest we defend ourselves by being smart,

And there it is in a nutshell. The desire to increase the population in places like Russia, European American families, etc.

It will never be said but it is born in desire to dilute the third world that is pouring into our countries.

[BobL]

You have some points...but the bottom line remains - those with the population WILL get their way in the future world. Yellowstone will not be much fun to visit if the US is reduced to Third World status simply because we don’t have enough people to defend our interests overseas.