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How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

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Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#241

Post by kjkjadksj »

nradov wrote: post #229
sapa777 wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As impressive as it sounds to say South Korea developed successfully on its own, did it? Did the US play any hand in its development? I mean obviously South Korea would not exist had it not been for the US' help in the war. But even afterwards, is there an sort of advantage South Korea had by having the US (the leading super power at the time) help?

Sure, but the US also tried to help other countries such as the Philippines and Iraq which haven't done nearly as well. US aid doesn't seem to be the decisive factor.

It seems like post war japan and south korea saw a lot of investment into their manufacturing. Why didn’t the philippines see a similar level of investment at the time considering it was also destroyed and in need for rebuilding? Not destroyed enough relative to the firebombings of the japan home islands perhaps?

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#242

Post by boeingUH60 »

sapa777 wrote: post #215
gottorf wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add some color: South Korea is somewhere between the size of Kentucky and Indiana (the 37th and 38th largest states), yet has over 51 million people, almost 15 million more than California, the most populous state. It has very few natural resources to speak of, and is roughly two-thirds mountainous, meaning most of the population is condensed in the few flat areas. In some ways, it's natural that the fertility rat…

As impressive as it sounds to say South Korea developed successfully on its own, did it? Did the US play any hand in its development? I mean obviously South Korea would not exist had it not been for the US' help in the war. But even afterwards, is there an sort of advantage South Korea had by having the US (the leading super power at the time) help?

The US provided a lot of support, which South Korea used well. But, several other countries got similar levels of support and achieved nothing...the corrupt leaders sold the country on the cheap.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#243

Post by wing-_-nuts »

johngladtj wrote: post #224
Daishiman wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are seriously underestimating the impacts that worldwide crop failures in the next 20 years are going to have as far as global human catastrophes go.

Are you serious about this? This climate doomerism is frankly ridiculous. Do you have any genuine studies that show such impactful effects?

There's a certain group of people that take the absolute worst predictions of climate science and just runs with it. Granted, there's a far larger group of people that think we'll be ok with business as usual. Neither is true.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#244

Post by willcipriano »

amrocha wrote: post #225
1-6 wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One issue is that there are many who are not willing to live normal lives and there's this constant battle of trying to outdo one another. People are trying to please even mere strangers standing next to them at the crosswalk. Living mediocre is bad and there's a negative stigma associated to being middle to lower class. If your apartment isn't a Prugio or Lotte Castle and live in Bangbae; If your car isn't a AMG, BM…

Or just tax the shit out of the rich until they can't afford to flaunt their wealth as status

The trick they pull on you guys is having you think someone with a pair of mass produced Nike sneakers is rich.

Crabs in a bucket.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#245

Post by mupuff1234 »

Georgelemental wrote: post #226
mupuff1234 wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> humanity overcame bigger problems Like? I tend to agree that humanity will eventually overcome but the question is also when and at what cost?

Climate change (ice age), epidemics, war, famine…

Various problems yes, but not necessarily bigger (or even same size/complexity).

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#246

Post by bryanlarsen »

Daishiman wrote: post #220
Hitton wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't worry to much about climate change, humanity overcame bigger problems. And if your in-laws want children so much, just tell them your concerns, they might be willing to chip in financially.

I think you are seriously underestimating the impacts that worldwide crop failures in the next 20 years are going to have as far as global human catastrophes go.

Significant crop failures will cause prices to rise, which will enable the wider use of refrigerated storage, fertilizer, new crop varietals, desalinated water, greenhouses, etc. This will bring supply and demand back into balance at a higher price.

The higher price for food will cause millions of deaths, an impact comparable to COVID or to the Ukraine and Ethiopian wars combined. It will pale in comparison to the impact of WW2, the black plague or the Chinese cultural revolution.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#247

Post by gizmo686 »

FirmwareBurner wrote: post #203
gottorf wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add some color: South Korea is somewhere between the size of Kentucky and Indiana (the 37th and 38th largest states), yet has over 51 million people, almost 15 million more than California, the most populous state. It has very few natural resources to speak of, and is roughly two-thirds mountainous, meaning most of the population is condensed in the few flat areas. In some ways, it's natural that the fertility rat…

Indeed. Infinite growth as demanded by capitalism is not physically possible. If they wouldn't hit "the wall" now, they would hit it anyway in the near future. Maybe South Korea's situation should give all ageing rich developed nations something to reflect on and start making preparations for the upcoming demographic plateau/collapse and reform stuff like welfare/pension systems, instead of blindly kicking the can do…

True. However bullwhip effects are real as well. An undamped population explosion/collapse cycle is natural and stable, however it is far from ideal.

A 0.7 fertility rate is tiny. Keep in mind that fertility rate is measured per-female. So the per-capita rate is .35. If this holds, it means that the next generation will be 65% smaller than the current. This will inevitably lead to an overcorrection followed by a period of unsustainable population growth again.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#248

Post by boeingUH60 »

amrocha wrote: post #225
1-6 wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One issue is that there are many who are not willing to live normal lives and there's this constant battle of trying to outdo one another. People are trying to please even mere strangers standing next to them at the crosswalk. Living mediocre is bad and there's a negative stigma associated to being middle to lower class. If your apartment isn't a Prugio or Lotte Castle and live in Bangbae; If your car isn't a AMG, BM…

Or just tax the shit out of the rich until they can't afford to flaunt their wealth as status

The real rich, the capital owners, are not the ones flaunting wealth for status...that's the upper class people with high-paying jobs; rich but not wealthy.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#249

Post by Jcampuzano2 »

neom wrote: post #202

My wife and I have opted not to have children for reasons* and it's really sad how the conversation with the in-laws has moved from "you should have children because children" to "you need to have children because korea needs you to have children", and it's not just a passing comment here and there, the campaign to get us to single handedly re-populate SK is intense and sustained. I wonder if other couples are experi…

I'm not in SK but in the US. I decided long ago to not have children (I'm a man) along with my wife. Maybe we'll change our mind one day, but more than likely it won't.

I honestly just don't think its my responsibility to contribute to some "greater good" of continuing to populate the earth. Humans survived just fine when the population of the Earth was half the size of now.

This is extremely selfish and probably not seen in a good light, but since I don't have children nor do I plan to, I honestly don't really care that much what happens after I pass when it comes to the population, etc. Not to be mistaken though, while I live I won't try to actively make things worse for anybody.

Re: How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s

#250

Post by gottorf »

FirmwareBurner wrote: post #212
danuker wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The wall manifests as prices. When you barely make ends meet in spite of being a skilled worker, something is off.

"The wall" is already manifesting in Europe as well, in terms of CoL and real estate prices[1] where even skilled workers can't afford a decent home anymore or build any wealth after paying the inflated rents from their stagnating wages. You either inherit something from your parents or are screwed if you don't get a top FAANG/F500 job out of university. Working for small or average companies doesn't cut it anymore.…

> It feels like the society collectively decided "no more new building"

This, more than anything else, seems to be the problem in the developed West, at least when it comes to real estate prices and related cost of living issues. At least in the US, there's a pretty strong correlation between land-use freedom[0] (that is, the ability for landowners to develop that land into more productive use, including higher-density housing) and median home/rent prices.

[0]: https://www.freedominthe50states.org/land

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