The next 50 years will cause all industrial countries to face an irregular demographic profile, weighted toward the elderly. The median age in China is almost 41, while the US is reaching 39. In the US, the elderly (65+) will be almost 1 in 4 of the population ~2050. In contrast, boomers were 37% of the US population at their height (elderly were ~9.5%).

There is no underpopulation hysteria. However, the math around demographics is settled.

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triceratops 4 hours ago | parent [-]

What's the problem? Robotics and AI will transform elder care as well as the workforce.

There will be fewer taxpayers. That's not a problem.

"Anything we can do, we can afford".

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MentalM 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> Robotics and AI will transform elder care as well as the workforce.

Or not. Incentives are confronting it.

It is very likely that one day productive members of society just decide that it is not very advantageous for them to provide for more numerous old people, and that it is them, who holds the power and have ability to decide what to do. So f.ck democracy, f.ck elders, let them enjoy the world they have created. Sociopolitical environment probably will have way grater affect on an elder care than AI and Robotics.

> "Anything we can do, we can afford".

Exactly. And the elders can do nothing. I mean they can use their amount and vote, but it will only intensify the process

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triceratops 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> It is very likely that one day productive members of society just decide that it is not very advantageous for them to provide for more numerous old people

It is unlikely because productive people tend also to have some amount of foresight. Enough to know that they will also be old one day.

> I mean they can use their amount and vote, but it will only intensify the process

Process of what?

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MentalM 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> productive people tend also to have some amount of foresight

Guess what they will see with that foresight when there are several times more old people who take away most of their earned through sweat and blood resources?

> Process of what?

Social reorganization

	▲	card_zero 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		What, what will they see? "That's going to be me one day", or "we need to reorganize this so that I die in poverty"? But take away sounds unfair, and if you're talking about fairness, then fair enough. I can't argue with fairness, until you reveal what the idea is in detail. Oh, but I'm not thinking this through: there are of course fewer young people, and if they started reproducing a lot then they'd get to neglect the elders now and be looked after when they're older. Perhaps that's the plan. I guess that explains "the world they have created" too: they didn't create enough young people, you mean.

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card_zero 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> and that it is them, who holds the power

You mean, young people hold the power? Or young people will decide that they hold the power? Well whoever holds the power, I hope they agree that we all have rights.

> f.ck elders

Specifically what form of f.cking? Do you just mean "don't subsidise their care through tax?"

> let them enjoy the world they have created

You mean the world with lots of elders? They created this how, by deliberately being born?

> the elders can do nothing. I mean they can use their amount and vote, but it will only intensify the process

Their "amount", their money? Or their population size, relevant to voting, I guess that's what you mean. Both sound quite influential unless you want to make them non-people for being old. Now admittedly old people are ugly and smelly and boringly slow, but that last shortcoming can be mitigated by exoskeletons and hard drugs, and then they're going to hunt you down and scrag you, that's my prediction. It's as good as any other prediction floating around in this subject area.