XPost: uk.politics.misc, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.society.liberalism   
   XPost: talk.politics.misc   
   From: abelard@abelard.org   
      
   On Mon, 4 Mar 2024 17:54:54 -0500, "63h.1504" <63h.1503@f3t3w.net>   
   wrote:   
      
   >On 3/4/24 9:16 AM, abelard wrote:   
   >> On Sun, 3 Mar 2024 20:09:53 -0500, "63h.1504" <63h.1503@f3t3w.net>   
   >> wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 3/3/24 9:44 AM, abelard wrote:   
   >>>> On Sun, 3 Mar 2024 08:17:29 -0000 (UTC), useapen   
   >>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> The last Baby Boomer turns 60 this year. Many born between 1946 and 1964   
   >>>>> have already retired, and millions more will follow in the coming years,   
   >>>>> with the number of people reaching state pension age forecast to hit a   
   >>>>> record 800,000 in 2028 for the first time. By then the earliest anyone   
   >>>>> will be able to claim their state pension will be 67, up from 66 today.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> we can easily meet any particular pension   
   >>>>   
   >>>> a lot is about choice   
   >>>> we could all choose to walk or cycle   
   >>>>   
   >>>> read this from the '30s   
   >>>> "Economic Possibilities For Our Grandchildren." keynes   
   >>>> (many coppies on the net)   
   >>>   
   >>>    The UK is suffering from the same demographic crisis as   
   >>>    much of the 1st world - drastic reduction in birthrates   
   >>>    create a fatal gap ... no youth, no money, to support the   
   >>>    older gens. The success of the 1st world after WW2 led   
   >>>    people to believe they didn't need nine kids to protect   
   >>>    them in their old age.   
   >>>   
   >>>    And it was true ... for awhile.   
   >>>   
   >>>    The very worst off is S.Korea - birthrate of 0.71 at last   
   >>>    tally. Bare "replacement" is 2.1 per.   
   >>>   
   >>>    Countries are importing 3rd-world people in droves - no   
   >>>    matter how they frame it for political reasons - to try   
   >>>    and cope. It may serve for one more gen, but much beyond   
   >>>    that the original "nations/cultures" are DEAD, completely   
   >>>    replaced by "the help".   
   >>>   
   >>>    The UK does not have the money to boost the pension system,   
   >>>    or the medical system, or much of ANY system. Like so many   
   >>>    others it's been a debt economy for a long time - does not   
   >>>    create enough product/profit to pay the bills and keeps   
   >>>    falling further and further behind the curve.   
   >>>   
   >>>    The pension system in the USA is also, technically, in huge   
   >>>    debt. However there's a trick to that figure - the reason is   
   >>>    that rather than create politically unpopular new taxes the   
   >>>    pols kept borrowing from the pension fund - a "secret piggy   
   >>>    bank" - where it would go unnoticed. Alas the USA is kind of   
   >>>    in the same sort of boat as the UK, just not QUITE so close   
   >>>    to sinking. Same factors involved though, same outcomes ensured.   
   >>>   
   >>>    In any case, feet and bikes will not save the UK - indeed   
   >>>    just make business less efficient. Unless a meteor wipes   
   >>>    out China and India and FORCES the 1st-world to become   
   >>>    self-sufficient again, well, they will be excavating and   
   >>>    arguing about the downfall 5000 years from now. Will likely   
   >>>    think Churchill took tea with Queen Boudica at The Shard  :-)   
   >>   
   >> it isn't about money...it's about choices and technology   
   >>   
   >> there are now robot dogs being road tested as guide   
   >>    dogs for the blind   
   >   
   >   They're crap - don't give one to a blind person   
   >   unless you want them dead.   
      
   aircraft once killed people   
      
   >> soon cars will not require drivers...robots are being developed   
   >>      as carers   
   >   
   >   Note the increasing tide of lawsuits and criminal cases   
   >   and govt regs involving "self-driving" ("self-crashing")   
   >   automobiles.   
   >   
   >   Be it e-dogs or 'smart'cars, the tech ISN'T NEARLY THERE YET.   
   >   
   >   Oh yea, what "AI" there IS means MASSIVE disemployment of   
      
   a moment past you were complaining a shortage of people   
      
   >   humans over the next 10-20 years - they'll be obsolete.   
   >   How will they live ? Tax their previous employers much   
   >   more and they'll go broke - no more money. Oh, and the   
   >   final gotcha - disemployed people can't BUY much, so   
   >   the hoped-for corporate savings will turn to ruin as   
   >   nobody can buy their products.   
   >   
   >> the world changes....it is not static with predictable outcomes   
   >>   
   >> the changes are everywhere   
   >   
   >   Tech/"AI" is not gonna save western economies. Hell, they   
   >   won't even be MAKING it ... just sending more money to   
   >   China until something goes wrong in China and then we're   
   >   all back to dung huts and the Plague .....   
   >   
   >   Post-WW2, western economies over-invested plus created   
   >   vast infrastructure that today's economic realities just   
   >   cannot support. Profits turned to losses turned to   
   >   impossible debts. These are "fantasy economies".   
   >   
   >   Was looking at sat photos of the UK the other day. It   
   >   is impressive (perhaps a bit sad) that there is very   
   >   little 'nature' left - the rest is solid farms farms   
   >   and more farms. Now we'd THINK that means that at least   
   >   the UK won't starve when the Fantasy ends ... but note   
   >   that farms aren't magic - they require lots of labor   
   >   and "stuff", plus the goods require transport and safe   
   >   storage and smooth exchange of money. Most of that   
   >   requires respectable infrastructure to be realized,   
   >   and alas the future of that is what's in question.   
      
   we're all doomed....doomed i say   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)