1
0

Doomberg: Malthusian Malarky


 invite response                
2022 Aug 12, 9:40am   397 views  13 comments

by null   ➕follow (4)   💰tip   ignore  

Comments 1 - 13 of 13        Search these comments

1   Patrick   2022 Aug 12, 10:50am  

Henry George does a good job of debunking Malthusianiam in his book "Progress and Poverty".

There is more per person as population increases. The problem is that all the gains go to landowners in rent of one kind or another.
2   Onvacation   2022 Aug 12, 11:13am  

If you live alone all of your time is spent surviving. It takes a civilization to support full time artists and scientist to make life better.

Jordan Peterson once said something to the effect that the more people in the world the more brain power we have to solve the world's problems.
3   HeadSet   2022 Aug 12, 4:23pm  

Onvacation says

he more people in the world the more brain power we have to solve the world's problems.

So with all the geniuses flooding across the southern border we will be colonizing Mars in no time.
4   Onvacation   2022 Aug 12, 5:42pm  

HeadSet says

So with all the geniuses flooding across the southern border we will be colonizing Mars in no time.

yup

If we can survive ww3
5   richwicks   2022 Aug 12, 6:04pm  

Onvacation says

HeadSet says


So with all the geniuses flooding across the southern border we will be colonizing Mars in no time.

yup

If we can survive ww3


World War 3 would leave us in a stone age. Literally NOBODY would be better off.

People don't appreciate or understand our complete inter-dependencies.

A farmer can't write software or build a computer chip or a television, or a car. An engineer can't farm.

If we break the chains of commerce, which would CERTAINLY happen in a World War 3 scenario, we're fucked. This isn't 1945 by FAR. Back then what are considered necessities were luxuries. Nobody NEEDED a phone in 1945. Very few people NEEDED a car. We weren't even dependent on ammonium nitrate back then, that's the basis of MOST of our food.

We wouldn't return to life as it was 100 years ago, it would be more like return to life 500 years ago and there would be a MASSIVE die off from starvation.
6   RWSGFY   2022 Aug 12, 8:14pm  

Patrick says


The problem is that all the gains go to landowners in rent of one kind or another.


I don't think this is true. Because the average house is bigger than 40 years ago, the average number of cars per family is bigger, people travel way more, etc. Not to mention all the tech toys and effortless long-distance communication. Everyfuckingbody is richer now than 40 years ago by any objective measure.
7   clambo   2022 Aug 12, 8:28pm  

More people=lower living standard, freedom, quality of life.

An interesting thing happened in England, France, Italy after 50%+ of the population died of the plague; farm workers got to share the wealth since they were in short supply and they had bargaining power.

The Magna Carta itself was a result of the farming economy not having enough people; those who were left had political bargaining power.

I’ll take Switzerland or Australia any day over Bangladesh, India, etc.
8   Patrick   2022 Aug 12, 8:32pm  

There were some good decades: 50's, 60's, 70's due to America having massive exports after winning WWII, because other countries lost their manufacturing base.

But about 1971, the landlords started taking it all again:

9   RWSGFY   2022 Aug 12, 8:59pm  

Patrick says

There were some good decades: 50's, 60's, 70's due to America having massive exports after winning WWII, because other countries lost their manufacturing base.

But about 1971, the landlords started taking it all again:




You mean China.
10   Patrick   2022 Aug 12, 11:13pm  

True, outsourcing to China caused a big part of the stagnation in US wages, but how then do we explain the "increased productivity"?
11   richwicks   2022 Aug 12, 11:18pm  

Patrick says

True, outsourcing to China caused a big part of the stagnation in US wages, but how then do we explain the "increased productivity"?


No, we left the gold standard in August 15 1971. We then experienced massive inflation, and our national debt began to double every 8 years since then.

The Federal Reserve bankrupted the United States AGAIN. Instead of hanging all the bastards, our government betrayed the country and just marched forward.
12   WookieMan   2022 Aug 13, 5:13am  

Patrick says

True, outsourcing to China caused a big part of the stagnation in US wages, but how then do we explain the "increased productivity"?

We also started really transitioning to a service economy and more and more 2 income homes (women working). So the supply of available workers increased and wages stagnated because someone else could be hired at a lower rate. But at that time a 2 income home was making bank and boomers started building subdivisions even faster than after the war.

We had 3-1/2 decades of overbuilding then topped off with stupid financing changes by lenders because builders didn't know when to tap the brakes. If they had slowed the building, dumb ass easy financing would have never happened. And sure the Fed and gold standard could have helped or probably did, but that's not in my wheelhouse of knowledge. The fact we still have 3.5% down financing on homes is insane as I've gotten older.

I think the breaking point comes when cities collapse, at least here in the US. Covid has shown us we don't necessarily have to be in some shitty office building downtown to be productive. Average suburban schools in my region outscore 95% of all schools in Chicago. We're talking maybe 5 schools in their system. Teachers have to live in the city to get the job. With crime rising and municipal debt through the roof, an outpouring of cops, teachers and firefighters is coming, Chicago at least. It may take a decade, but a lot of cities are on the brink.

Hell a sports franchise that moves out of a major city to a suburb is a massive tax hit. Chicago Bears might be moving to Arlington Heights, an average sized northwest suburb of Chicago. Chicago is for a rough go coming up. Solution... build a casino.... You know it's desperation time when casinos are built to "try" to balance budgets. We already have legal weed and it's a rip off. Medical growers sell their extra stuff, so the illegal market has more pot than ever and prices are cheap as shit. They're trying to plug holes in a sinking ship, but they're running out of ideas (people) besides raising taxes as that gets the politicians kicked out. Maybe make cuts? Novel idea.

I don't know, I feel the exodus from cities is going to be a large problem. Talking Detroit style across the country in cities 1M+. I might look into seeing if there are any publicly traded demolition companies. Or how to make money off defaulting cities. Big changes are coming in my opinion. I generally don't think we're nearing WW3 levels though on the geopolitical level. We'll just fight proxy wars sending cash and weapons. I think everyone know most Americans are done with war unless we were physically attacked.
13   🎂 Tenpoundbass   2022 Aug 13, 6:21am  

Patrick says

But about 1971, the landlords started taking it all again:


Inflation was invented around the early 70's You had price fluctuations, but it was always due to supply and demand issues. Things only inflated when real pressures drove a wedge between the producers and the consumers. Now inflation is expected like an annual pay raise for the Bastards. They will want an inflated return on a bumper crop, it's their God damn right to get it.

It was never like this until the 70's decided it to be so. You go back in History and you track food and housing costs, they were paying basically the same thing in the 1700's as they were paying in 1969 for a Beer and a Slice, or a boarding room.

Please register to comment:

api   best comments   contact   latest images   memes   one year ago   random   suggestions