I ran a spreadsheet. Death rate +15% birth rate -15%, doesn't make much of a difference to population over a 10 year timeframe. Certainly nothing that couldn't be covered by immigration.
However, birth rates are way below replacement in most Westernised countries (China is included in that categorisation) and were before COVID and the vax too. That's due to a raft of social and economic trends and is part of a natural rise and fall of societies/civilisations.
"Mouse utopia" is an interesting study where mice were placed in a utopian environment, but died out due to social decay. The experiment was repeated several times with the same results.
What is even more interesting is a proportion of the mice went transgender and another group evolved into roving bands of criminals specifically targeting those mice who were still trying to form family units and breed.
It appears we humans need a minimum amount of struggle to stay functional. So the recent past of participation medals for every child irrespective of performance and no punishment for misbehaviour is exactly what kids and adults don't need.
Another major factor is that wokeism and DEI means the end of meritocracy. It's not overstating things to say that many institutions are now functionally incapable of doing anything useful (because they're infested with idiots) and can only mouth platitudes and propaganda.
Re: What do the numbers say?
However, birth rates are way below replacement in most Westernised countries (China is included in that categorisation) and were before COVID and the vax too. That's due to a raft of social and economic trends and is part of a natural rise and fall of societies/civilisations.
"Mouse utopia" is an interesting study where mice were placed in a utopian environment, but died out due to social decay. The experiment was repeated several times with the same results.
What is even more interesting is a proportion of the mice went transgender and another group evolved into roving bands of criminals specifically targeting those mice who were still trying to form family units and breed.
It appears we humans need a minimum amount of struggle to stay functional. So the recent past of participation medals for every child irrespective of performance and no punishment for misbehaviour is exactly what kids and adults don't need.
Another major factor is that wokeism and DEI means the end of meritocracy. It's not overstating things to say that many institutions are now functionally incapable of doing anything useful (because they're infested with idiots) and can only mouth platitudes and propaganda.