Originally Posted by
mike734
I'd like to see any source that says the population will decrease.
Here are some excerpts from a Wasthington Post Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...061401340.html
Europe's birthrates have dropped well below the replacement rate of 2.1 children for each woman of childbearing age. For Western Europe as a whole, the rate is 1.5. It's 1.4 in Germany and 1.3 in Italy. In a century -- if these rates continue -- there won't be many Germans in Germany or Italians in Italy. Even assuming some increase in birthrates and continued immigration, Western Europe's population grows dramatically grayer, projects the U.S. Census Bureau. Now about one-sixth of the population is 65 and older. By 2030 that would be one-fourth, and by 2050 almost one-third.
In the 1970s annual growth for the 12 countries now using the euro averaged almost 3 percent; from 2001 to 2004 the annual average was 1.2 percent. In 1974 those countries had unemployment of 2.4 percent; in 2004 the rate was 8.9 percent.
almost half of Western Europe's jobless have been out of work a year or more; the U.S. figure is about 12 percent.
A decrease in population will mean a decrease in workers and a decrease in business, so even if they do get most of the money from taxes, with the population decreasing, it will hurt the economy and their business. Further, many Europeans are adamantly opposed to Immigration, they fear that by letting in too many immigrants, they will lose their culutre, since the immigrants are not assimilating into their countries. So many are passing laws to curb immigration.
I agree, however, that many Americans live beyond their means. My opinion is that this is cause by a generation trying to live up to the same standard they had growing up. The middle class was very strong 30 years ago. Today the middle class is disappearing and that spells trouble.
I do not know if the middle class is really disappearing, or infact growing. With an increasing gap between Rich and Poor, there will be a larger difference between Upper Middle Class and Lower Middle Class. So what was once the Lower Upper Class, and the Upper Lower Class, are now becoming part of the Middle Class.
But then again, I could be wrong on how that all works.