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7th January 2008, 02:05 AM | #1 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Yokohama, Japan
Posts: 28,964
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Robots to the Rescue for Graying Japan?
Demographic Crisis, Robotic Cure?
Japan is approaching a change in demographics for which there is no precedent in history (some other countries are undergoing similar transformations). Many here in Japan, and elsewhere, assume that it will be a major economic disaster, hence "crisis." The retirement age in Japan has traditionally been 60, but that was set when living to 70 was pretty darn good, and 80-year-olds were a rare breed. Now people are living longer and healthier. Setting aside robots for a moment, it seems like one approach would be to gradually raise the retirement age to 65 and even perhaps 70 if average lifespans continue to rise (which would imply that those in their 60s are healthier and more able to work than they used to be). And few jobs today require any back-breakingly hard physical labor. I do think the government should seriously consider and study the possibility of allowing more immigrants, but they are probably right to be cautious, and I don't think that wide-open borders is what they want in the long run, lest they become a minority in their own country, or have ethnic enclaves seething with resentment and riots of car-torching like in France. The Japanese don't care for that sort of thing, although I'm sure the French don't mind at all. Frankly, in the big picture, I think the whole world would be better off with a smaller population. Resources could be preserved and more natural areas preserved for other species. Maybe Japan can point the way. |
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A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool. William Shakespeare |
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7th January 2008, 05:43 PM | #2 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,561
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And many couples have 0 or 1 child
Basically, they do not want them. Being that you live in Japan as I do, you know what I mean EDIT [derail] I see that many foreigners living in Japan are browsing this forum, is that a coincidence, or what? [/derail] Agreed with that!! |
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