Good article, as always. I was in Europe when the magic number was announced, and the Europeans were disgusted.
"Ugh, so many Americans, look at those horrible people, devouring precious natural resources, living large, it's all because of George Bush, Americans are so stupid, etc., etc..." This from a people who have to haul in the most desperate members of the third world to do their work because there simply aren't enough native Europeans to run any kind of economy, a people that boasts about their "freedom" from children and politely ignores their own parents as they die alone in inner-city apartments or huge, impersonal residences for the elderly, a group whose main objective in life is to retire early and hope that euthanasia is generally legalized by then so that they can die after a few years, should life become even remotely difficult; this is the group that is so offended by the fact that America still seems, despite all odds, full of vitality, life and children.
There are more Europeans in less space. That is one reason they are not concerned by declining population.