We're about to see a mind-blowing demographic shift unprecedented in human history

Already here, no need to wait for the next 4yrs as 70+ are being taken out of retirement back to workforce times ahead ....

The birth rate in European countries is below the 2.1 per couple needed to maintain a stable population. So their native populations are in an irreversible decline. It is an absolute demographic certainty that we are seeing the last years of native ethnic Spaniard, Italians, Germans, French, Britons, Swedes, Russians, etc.

However, the immigrant populations in these countries from the mid-East and Asia are above that necessary 2.1 demographic. They will become the majority inhabitants of the European territories.

And with the disappearance of these native populations goes the cultures developed over millenniums known as Western Civilization and the modern world.

A lot of doom and gloom bill. Western Civilization is over? Too much video games mang. Reality check time.

Haha!

I'd be glad to hear a counter argument against the demographic time bomb in Europe.

I find lots of folks who simply won't do the work to read the scientific documentation on birth rates. That's avoiding reality.

I have never played a video game, but video games probably have a lot of magical occurrences that can bail out the heroes. I would like to see a an argument that the Europeans can somehow screw their way back into relevance.

Europe survived the plague a few centuries ago (that disaster wiped out 2/3 of its population) ... so I don't see why it should not be able to survive the demographic crisis it is currently experiencing... Eventually it will recover in one way or another, perhaps with a different genetic mix...

This *will* not be Europe!

Europe needs population reduction urgently. This could be a very good thing. As the elderly die off, they release assets for the remainder to spend. It does however need govt. policy makers who know what they're doing. Not unelected dweeb parasites, the kind of which rule (not serve) in Brussels.

The Black Death of 1348 rejuvenated Europe.

http://www.ancientworldreview.com/2016/04/the-secret-of-the-black-death.html
"Before the Black Death, medieval Europe was in a state of decline and stagnation. The feudal system was locked in place, the church corrupt and despotic, medicine and science crippled by religion and superstition. The population was very low by today's standards, but the number of people had grown to the point where it was putting a strain on available resources. The Black Death broke this stalemate by killing off a third of the population, driving up labor costs and forcing social reforms and technical innovations that played a large role in the Reformation.
...
The depopulation brought about by the Black Death led to technological innovations like the invention of the printing press. The shortage of men for the armies led to new developments in firearms like the musket and cannon.
...
Medicine started using more scientific methods. Public health systems were created. New colleges were founded. Women began to move into the work force, taking over businesses previously run by their husbands who had died in the outbreak. The disaster played a huge role in the rejuvenation of Europe.
...
In the final analysis, the Black Death was a good thing because it helped to destroy a corrupt, dead-end culture, facilitating the rebirth of Western Civilization."

The death of the dysfunctional EU may be just what Europe needs to get thru the crisis... I completely agree with your points, Macdon, but I think after all these changes Europe will still be Europe... just not as "western" as we would like it to be... This is not necessarily a bad thing IMHO

Bill is right though I agree video games are damaging as I see my 5th and 6th graders addicted to them and to screens and unable to think of anything else to do when outside of school and only basically working for them, or rather access to the computer, at school. But.... he is right about the demographics in Europe and elsewhere..... due to birth control and abortion, Europeans will be extinct in not too long.... and the opposite for others. As several representatives from the cultures with high birth rates have stated: it is the womb that is our ultimate weapon. So.... suicide by birth control for my fellow European extraction brothers and sisters, seems to me. And some will be VERY VERY happy about this and are encouraging it.

Have to agree with Bill. The below maintenance birth rates bring the not so bright idea of more immigrants leading to the European culture dying. Muslim culture has done little positive to advance humankind. The advances have come from European and American culture. Same with the US and immigration. There are plenty of unemployed to fill job openings.

Certainly lower population is not needed in Europe. China and India for that. Instead what is happening is importing lesser cultures and accommodating their lower standards. Yeah, sounds like a winning plan.

@wildbill2u
@macdon
@greenstar

You three are forgetting about the fact that we are ALMOST at the end of aging-related death. And then the regenerative movement will have arrived, of the aged re-entering the workforce.

Even 60 minutes reported on a related part of this last Sunday; where viruses are now used to wipe out cancer.

But it is more informative to watch VICE from 2 years ago, Series 3 Episode 00 - Special Report; Killing Cancer available here: https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/11727094/VICE.S03E00.Special.Report-Killing.Cancer.HDTV.x264-BATV[ettv]

YES, it is true that when countries become more affluent that "brat-breeding" falls away to circa 2.1 per. Birthing brats totally screws with the woman's body, and many like my ex-wife do nearly die from the experience of having more than one.

Women made ugly by child-birth, women who nearly die from having several of these parasites called children will slow down having more of them when the people become more affluent. This is real.

But aging-related death is almost over. Dr Aubrey De Grey on YouTube is a useful resource to learn why. Of the 7 categories of aging related death, cancer was always to be the tough one to resolve. And yet now we find it most likely the first of the 7 categories of aging-related death to be resolved forever.

When people ain't dying at 85 in nappies/diapers, and when they are in fact as fit and healthy as 40 year olds - we not only don't need more kids, we have a truly experienced and worldly work force for our economies.

@gat Really. AMERICAN culture. I measure a large part of a countries culture by its food.

America has what? Hotdogs? I offered my DOG a hotdog one day, and it stared up at me with big sad eyes, and then he walked away, sat in the corner and licked its balls with love.

Sure why not it is the turn of older folks to eat their cake and still have it. Lets work to make sure this is a rich happy majority else we are gonna have issues. No point fighting what you cannot change. That is most uncreative.

The Crow (-_-)