Responding to "Economic/demographic connundrum"

Submitted by sa (United States), Nov 10, 2005 at 01:10

john aquidorae writes:

-- "Capitalism will fall of its own volition; to be perfectly accurate, you will bury yourselves".
Those the words of Andrei Gromyko, where he supplements his leader's proclamation, "We will bury you".

-- As it turns out, capitalism outlasted communism, but ...

Yeah, serendipity's a funny thing ain't it...

-- As we see the rising tide of corporate globalism and its accompanying theme of unbridled greed, may yet prove to be the self-induced hemlock prophesied by Gromyko.

I'm about to disagree with you and your Communist prophet, but wanted to let this comment stand since there's a grain of truth in there waiting to be liberated.

-- The quest for cheap labor and increased profit margins is what prompted the influx of these North Africans into France.

No, it was the plummeting European birth rate - due to the availability of cheap abortion and birth control, mixed with the newly "liberated" desire to raise fewer children, perched on top of a demographic already seriously dented by two world wars in 30 years - that led to the importation of Muslim labor as a "replacement demographic." To what do you attribute the more recent lack of births per woman? Capitalist greed by multinational conglomerates, or leftist social mores?

In this day and age, our society does not force women to conceive children or bear them against their will (even when there's a fetus involved). More families choose to spend a greater portion of their time and money on themselves, not on raising more children or caring for elderly parents/grandchildren. And why do you suppose that is? Why do you suppose that is even economically feasible? Capitalist greed by multinational conglomerates, or social welfare?

-- Well, they made their bed now they've got to sleep in it.

Indeed. And a lonely bed it is. Sleep alone will not reverse the population implosion in Europe (and its effects on the viability of the very social policies that drive it, "as it turns out").

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".