Australia is under-populated for good reason. Vast tracts of the inland are uninhabitable. I suppose we could learn from the Arabs and become desert dwellers, but it's not appealing. Optimum population for Oz is less than 40 million.
It's an interesting answer, Maurice. It would be interesting to know what those think tanks, who must assuredly have been considering various options, have come up with.
We have come up with everyone living in the U.S. No borders. When I say everyone I really mean the whole world. The rest of it will be raped of its resources to sustain the population living there. This should meet all demands of immigration and environmental politics.
This post was edited by O-uknow at February 18, 2017 12:57 AM MST
What if "science" found a way to eliminate the problems that it's already created? Like air and water pollution, maintaining a food supply without the use of preservatives that are detrimental to our health and a way of housing the population without destroying the environment. If they did that... a longer life would be a side benefit.
All that was here, when we got here in the 1600's ... but we've "progressed," they say, and now all those things that are meant to keep us alive ... are killing us.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at February 18, 2017 3:02 AM MST
Interesting answer, Alf. If life were to be prolonged then it would be absolutely essential to provide all the necessary infrastructure. It's not just enough to see that our basic needs are met but that we are fulfilled. Abraham Maslow probably expressed this better than most with his "hierarchy of needs".
Dear Didge, Well I think I will advocate for the beneficial aspects here, mainly that with age and experience there does seem to come more wisdom and understanding! LOTS more... So in general I would see the extended life span as highly positive, more wealth of wisdom flowing into the world, except that I myself would NOT want to volunteer for that.
Even though I am still very young, at *only* 72 years, I am truly looking forward with delight to my transition and the great adventure of whatever comes next...which as far as I know is not imminent, but still eyeing the move with keen anticipation...
HI Virginia. Welcome to the Mug. It's interesting to me that, as I get older, the idea of death holds no fear, even though it is closer than in the past. Logically it promises oblivion but there's that tantalising glimpse that hints at an alternative. Who knows? I guess one day we'll either find out, or we won't.
There are a few people on here you'll feel very comfortable with and who have their own thoughts about it. Veena is one, Baba is another. There are others but they spring to mind quickly.
Surely your shares would plummet when all those medical miracles made Viagra a thing of the past.
I once wrote a piece (for my Tall Tales column) about an Indian snake charmer who said he could get ANYTHING to stand on end. He recorded a CD to be marketed under the title of Niagara which he guaranteed would solve problems of droop.
In this imperfect world, bad idea for countless reasons. In God's promised new world the prophet Isaiah wrote: "no more will there be an infant from that place who lives but a few days, nor an old man who fails to live out his days. For anyone who dies at a hundred will be considered a mere boy,.." (Isaiah 65:20)
Oh what a string of frightening possibilities, including the dystopia Maurice suggests.
The effect would be a very much heavier demand on medical and social support services even if the retirement age rose in parallel.
That is beginning to happen in the United Kingdom, though not quite directly. Instead, the original more-or-less fixed retirement ages of 60 for women and 65 for men, enforced by most companies and aligned with the start ages for receiving the State Pension, were banned in favour of allowing much more flexible retirement ages and pension rules. The State Pension starts still at 60 and 65 but only for those of my age - for anyone younger the SP age will creep up, and I think be the same for both sexes, but I'm not sure about that.
It is a serious problem, and as I heard pointed out not long ago on a discussion on the radio, we may all live for longer, but not necessarily any better. With the illnesses that used to kill many people off in early-60s now treatable or even curable, suffers from chronic conditions like arthritis and diabetes, and wasting diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's Syndrome, will be ill for that much longer.
As for the world's resources, well, increasing long-term medical care and other needs will increase demand on them; added to the increasing demands placed by the world's overall rise in both population and that population's demands for more and more comfortable and sophisticated lives.
Maurice214 