• IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    11 months ago

    How about the fact that as the overall population becomes top heavy with the elderly and fewer young people … the economy won’t be able to sustain paying for older people because there will be too few young people driving the economy.

    This isn’t meant to divide … this is an honest worry of mine because I’m middle aged and by the time I get old and feeble, the economy probably won’t be able to afford to care for people my age.

    Unless you’re a billionaire, millionaire or the child of one, we’re all screwed.

    • Xanis@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I don’t disagree. Yet people on the top heavy side continue to disproportionately support the individuals who collectively make it more difficult to live comfortably at any age. Those at or around retirement age are in this situation almost purely as a result of their choices, and/or a colorful, almost deceitful, blindness.

      I can’t blame any of them though. Many of us below 40 have had access to a million points of data via the internet over the years. So identifying these issues has been much easier for your average person. Of course on the other hand…

      I think the big issue is we can’t seem to truly agree on a course of action long enough to make anything happen. So…I don’t know. Apart from us all pushing ourselves and people we trust into lower offices, I do not feel I am wise enough to suggest any solution.

    • Aceticon@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      It gets even better: the high cost of essentials - especially housing - in relation to salaries makes said young people refrain from having as many kids as they would otherwise have (basically 1 or none instead of 2 or 3) meaning the problem is going to get worse.

      • lad@programming.dev
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        11 months ago

        It suddenly got me that this may be seen as capitalism (regarded by some as apex idea of humanity) is driving humanity extinct. Quite a sad irony

      • ParsnipWitch@feddit.de
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        11 months ago

        What kind of perspective does one need to have to believe it is good when there are no resources (money, people) to care for the elderly?

        • meat_popsicle@sh.itjust.works
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          11 months ago

          We’ll save money on out-of-control healthcare costs if the elderly just died instead of lingered. A tree needs to have the dead or dying branches pruned or they’ll endanger the trunk. The elderly are willing to sacrifice themselves for the economy; that’s what the Lt. Governor of Texas said during COVID.

          Not supporting this perspective, but I’ve heard social darwinists say “the weak should fear the strong” and other horrid shit unironically.

          • ANGRY_MAPLE@sh.itjust.works
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            11 months ago

            These types people always talk as if they’re immune to sudden, life-changing events. It’s all fun and games until some random a-hole hits you while driving drunk and makes you permanently disabled. Maybe you’re unlucky and have your entire city/neighbourhood burn down from an uncontrolled wildfire.

          • ParsnipWitch@feddit.de
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            11 months ago

            I know this type of scary talk. It also comes up when people talk about assisted suicide. Some people on the fringe believe it would be a good option for addicts, the homeless, etc.

            They believe it’s a rational standpoint. In reality they ignore the consequence this approach would have for our society on a psychological level.

            • Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works
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              11 months ago

              I shoukd always have the right to choosing a comfortable death though. Otherwise I’ll have to go walk into the woods and hope mother nature isn’t cruel that day.

    • simin@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      what we can automate we do really well making the rest paying less than before.

    • Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      We have never been able to afford the elderly because the elderly are extremely resource intensive. Getting old is extremely expensive and has been. Do not get old.

      And the best way to avoid this in the future is to continue to lower the population so eventually we won’t have so many elderly people. Stop making people, they will likely get old and be unsustainable.