Bloomberg: "Japan's demographics are worthy of study. How it balances a fast-aging population, a gigantic debt burden and a negligible birthrate -- if that's even possible -- will offer insights to officials in China, German and the U.S. in the years ahead. But portraying Japanese as libido-less oddballs and looking for clues in their culture only dehumanizes a nation. It misses Japan's pioneering role in one of the biggest economic challenges of this century as developed nations mature."Cheap oil has peaked. Oil can only get more expensive. This means a great contraction of capitalism. There will be default on debt and much hardship will be passed to whomever is politically weak. They are now setting us up for letting old people suffer because "there are not enough young people." Don't fall for this, if inequality and waste are stopped there is enough for gradual degrowth and a low birth rate is a blessing. To end waste, we must stop producing cars.
Capitalism needs growth, and that means growing population, even if half of us have to starve. They are terrified of low birth rates. Humanity doesn't need growth, we need prudence and equality.
