Charlie, if you look at Japan carefully, you will realize there have
been a whole host of problems and I doubt very much if the current
situation can be blamed only on the increasing number of retirees.
Examples would be, (a) The Tokyo land valuation bubble (b) The
Japanese stock market bubble; (c) Massive banking losses due
to (a) and (b); (d) a "lifetime" job culture and (e) the interlocking
networks between the banks and the major industrial conglomerates
that prevent the banks from demanding more accountability (and
profitability) from the companies.
And yes they have an aging population problem as well. But if you
can separate that effect from (a-e) above then I going nominate
you for a Nobel prize in economics real quick.
> This isn't about the future; this is about the here-and-now. And how
> are we going to get to that wonderful technological singularity if
> our planetary economy goes into decline and stays there for the rest
> of our lives?
Answer -- "computers". Read my forthcoming article on the
probable nanodevelopment path. I think we get nanotech
capable of building nanobots by 2020. And it depends a lot
more on Moore's Law and extensions thereto than I ever would
have expected. You don't need any "workers" if you can get
the robots/computers to do it all for you.
Robert
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