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From: Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: The Roads Must Roll -- In Japan, at least
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:10:01 -0800
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On Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:51:13 -0500, Cryptoengineer
<petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 11/11/2024 5:22 PM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
>> On 11/11/24 09:43, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>>> On 11/10/2024 9:58 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>>> Noted by Sarah Hoyt with the blurb:
>>>> =A0=A0 IT'S HEINLEIN'S WORLD. WE JUST LIVE IN IT.
>>>>
>>>> =
https://www.newser.com/story/359125/japan-has-a-trucker-shortage-its-=20
>>>> solution-is-novel.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> =A0=A0=A0=A0Japan Has a Trucker Shortage. Its Solution Is Novel
>>>>
>>>> =A0=A0=A0=A0Nation plans to build a giant 'conveyor belt road' =
connecting
>>>> =A0=A0=A0=A0Tokyo and Osaka
>>>> =A0=A0=A0=A0By John Johnson,=A0 Newser Staff
>>>>
>>> It isn't just a shortage of truck drivers, Japan is undergoing a slow=
=20
>>> motion population implosion.=A0 The age demographic that would be =
having=20
>>> children is basically refusing to.
>>>
>>=20
>>  =A0=A0=A0=A0That is because the world they live in is very demanding =
of youth=20
>> and workers. Which is why so many manga are set in "Other Worlds"
>> The Japanese governments have not yet come up with a plan that makes
>> having babies a easy thing especially for the career types. Despite
>> legal equality a lot of the former regimes are still in power and
>> intensely pro-male and wealth in there law making.
>
>The coming demographic collapse is one of the things I worry about.
>Wanting a smaller population is one thing, but  we're headed there
>in a way that's going to be very disrupting.
>
>Up until the mid-20th century, children coming along was
>pretty automatically  if a woman lived with a man. They cohabited
>out of love, and/or economic necessity. It was pretty
>difficult for a woman to avoid doing so.
>
>Now, being childless is a much more attainable option, and
>many women are making that choice.
>
>Our current society makes parenthood immensely costly to
>parents, and especially mothers, in both income and
>lifestyle  restrictions.
>
>In the US at the moment, it's also made it very
>difficult for young people to find housing, jobs,
>and income sufficient to make starting a family
>a reasonable choice.
>
>Should something be done? I think so, others may differ.

What can and should be done is to take advantage of immigration and
repopulate the country.

We have /long since/ passed the point where our economy can be run
without migrant labor. And I'm not talking about techies. I'm talking
about /laborers/.

You know, the ones Trump is going to deport to ... somewhere. He
hasn't quite reached the point of finding out where he can send them.
The Texas/Florida solution was entirely in-USA; it won't work outside
the USA.

>Clearly, coercing people to have kids is utterly
>unacceptable.
>
>But, if 'mother' was made a viable, respected, and
>attractive career choice, maybe things could be
>reversed - it would require massive subsidies,
>essentially paying people for life if they have
>sufficient offspring.

Sounds anti-MAGA to me.

Not the "encouraging motherhood" part. The "paying gummint money"
part.

>Is there any SF dealing with this?
--=20
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"