Elon Musk has blamed birth control and abortions for impending civilisation end

[Crimson Dynamo]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/world-news/2023/04/19/TELEMMGLPICT000332460379_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq1TJOa7B Z2Re4vzncv8bVr4WXAv5MbjrHOQXbrXEf_Oc.jpeg?imwidth= 500

The billionaire tycoon said that procreation has been “subverted” by modern
methods of contraception, meaning “limbic instinct” can be satisfied without
it.

“Once you have birth control and abortions and what not, now you can still
satisfy the limbic instinct but not procreate,” he told Fox News’s Tucker
Carlson on Tuesday.

“We haven’t yet evolved to deal with that,” the Tesla billionaire and Twitter
owner added.

Mr Musk said he was “worried” that if not enough people are born to “sustain”
population numbers, civilisation is going to “crumble”.

“Does this the old question of like, uh, will civilisation end with a, a bang or a
whimper?” asked Mr Carlson.

“Well, it’s currently trying to, to end with a whimper in adult diapers,” replied
Mr Musk, seemingly referencing childless older people.

Mr Musk has shared his fears of a “population collapse” on numerous occasions.

He has described it as “the biggest danger” to humanity - exceeding climate
change - and warned that Japan, which has one of the lowest birth rates in
the world, “will eventually cease to exist”.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DaD6sZkXkAA6NyP?format=jpg&name=small

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/04/19/elon-musk-fox-news-abortion-birth-control-tucker-carlson/

good news for the pro-life lobby

[arista]

Pro Life is Fine
But in the USA, it used Politically

[user104658]

I strongly suspect this is the real reason the "pro-life lobby" exists, and the real reason behind all of the abortion-banning in the US. It's undeniable the declining/aging populations can't sustain themselves and there are only two options; increase birth rate, or increase immigration. That means that for people who are staunchly anti-immigration, there is only one choice... try to increase the birth rate as much as possible.

It won't actually work though because study after study has shown that the declining birth rate isn't because of contraception, it's because of abstinence. Young people are quite simply having less sex. Banning abortion will make little to no difference at all. Perhaps the next step is to try banning contraception entirely, but even that won't do anything if people aren't having sex in the first place.

Note that this doesn't mean people don't still have sex... they just have sex far less often and, thus, are far less likely to get pregnant.

[Crimson Dynamo]

https://www.economicshelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/fertility-rates-uk-us-euro-japan.jpg.webp

[Crimson Dynamo]

Just stop oil to change to Just Stop Abortion?

[bots]

I strongly suspect this is the real reason the "pro-life lobby" exists, and the real reason behind all of the abortion-banning in the US. It's undeniable the declining/aging populations can't sustain themselves and there are only two options; increase birth rate, or increase immigration. That means that for people who are staunchly anti-immigration, there is only one choice... try to increase the birth rate as much as possible.

It won't actually work though because study after study has shown that the declining birth rate isn't because of contraception, it's because of abstinence. Young people are quite simply having less sex. Banning abortion will make little to no difference at all. Perhaps the next step is to try banning contraception entirely, but even that won't do anything if people aren't having sex in the first place.

Note that this doesn't mean people don't still have sex... they just have sex far less often and, thus, are far less likely to get pregnant.


it depends how dark it turns out. They could lower the age of consent and reduce the penalties for rape. I think we are entering a very dark period

[user104658]

it depends how dark it turns out. They could lower the age of consent and reduce the penalties for rape. I think we are entering a very dark period

Frankly they could remove the penalties entirely and it wouldn't dramatically increase birth rate; at some point they're going to figure out that these are all terrible solutions to population decrease.

The sensible solutions are:

1) Higher immigration. Doesn't have to be opening the floodgates... you could also try to entice skilled migration with crazy things like decent wages and living conditions. Australia and NZ seem to be going down this route currently - offering straight-up financial incentives for skilled immigration.

2) Get over the "benefits bad!" mindset and -- essentially -- give people a financial incentive to have more children. If the government will financially support a higher birth rates then there will be higher birth rates. But western govts. have pushed a narrative of "if you can't afford kids, don't have them" for years and... well guess what... now no one can afford them, so no one is having them :joker:.

And capitalism doesn't work without consumers so... here we are.

[Mystic Mock]

It'll be a sad day if Japan ceases to exist.:bawling:

[Bollo]

In 1900 the population was 2 billion, now it is over 7 billion. How is this a bad thing? The massive overpopulation today is one of the main causes of all the issues we have currently, a decrease is a step in the right direction.

[Crimson Dynamo]

In 1900 the population was 2 billion, now it is over 7 billion. How is this a bad thing? The massive overpopulation today is one of the main causes of all the issues we have currently, a decrease is a step in the right direction.

life expectancy has doubled

[user104658]

In 1900 the population was 2 billion, now it is over 7 billion. How is this a bad thing? The massive overpopulation today is one of the main causes of all the issues we have currently, a decrease is a step in the right direction.

For the planet it's a great thing but for any currently-alive humans it's a disaster... decreasing/aging populations can't sustain functional economies.

Well, they can't sustain consumer/capitalist economies. Theoretically if we had a world of very heavy automation and universal basic income it wouldn't be an issue.

[Alf]

For the planet it's a great thing but for any currently-alive humans it's a disaster... decreasing/aging populations can't sustain functional economies.

Well, they can't sustain consumer/capitalist economies. Theoretically if we had a world of very heavy automation and universal basic income it wouldn't be an issue.The planet is huge. How is more people a problem?

According Mr Musk, you could fit the entire population of the World in New York if they stood side by side. If that's a fact, just think how much empty space on the planet is left over. There's far more area on the planet where people don't live then where they do, according to Musk.

[Crimson Dynamo]

By the end of summer India will overtake China as the most populous country in the world

around 1 in 5 people on earth will be in India

[user104658]

The planet is huge. How is more people a problem?

According Mr Musk, you could fit the entire population of the World in New York if they stood side by side. If that's a fact, just think how much empty space on the planet is left over. There's far more area on the planet where people don't live then where they do, according to Musk.

Because resources are finite.

I don't think it needs more elaboration than that really.

[Alf]

Because resources are finite.

I don't think it needs more elaboration than that really.What resources are we talking about? Food? Energy?

[user104658]

What resources are we talking about? Food? Energy?

Not directly although yes indirectly. If we're talking directly then raw materials; oils, minerals, metals.

[Beso]

Isnt this all down to not having enough people to keep the infrastructures going, rather than there being no people left on earth.

[user104658]

Isnt this all down to not having enough people to keep the infrastructures going, rather than there being no people left on earth.

Yes - for example, the #1 users of healthcare services (whether those are nationalised or private like the US) are the over-60's, whereas they're primarily staffed by under-50's.

We're going to have more and more people in need of those services, with fewer and fewer people available to staff them.

[arista]

By the end of summer India will overtake China as the most populous country in the world

around 1 in 5 people on earth will be in India



Yes China
Women scared to have kids
Because of the Costs

[user104658]

Yes China
Women scared to have kids
Because of the Costs

They spent decades forcing it to be culturally normal for couples to only have one child. It's not surprising that people don't suddenly want to have more.

[bots]

They spent decades forcing it to be culturally normal for couples to only have one child. It's not surprising that people don't suddenly want to have more.

didn't they actually fine/imprison people that ignored their edict, so a bit stronger than cultural :laugh:

[user104658]

didn't they actually fine/imprison people that ignored their edict, so a bit stronger than cultural :laugh:

Well that's more what I mean - they enforced it legally, and that went on long enough for it to become culturally normal. So when they changed the law to allow people to have more than one child (and now actually WANT them to have more children) they're still not doing it because two parents and one child started to look like "a normal family" to people in China.

[Beso]

Yes - for example, the #1 users of healthcare services (whether those are nationalised or private like the US) are the over-60's, whereas they're primarily staffed by under-50's.

We're going to have more and more people in need of those services, with fewer and fewer people available to staff them.



Dont worry, we are in safe hands.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/pronatalists-save-mankind-by-having-babies-silicon-valley/

[user104658]

Dont worry, we are in safe hands.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/pronatalists-save-mankind-by-having-babies-silicon-valley/

Jokes aside, there are loads of people who would have 5+ kids (by choice) if it was affordable so I genuinely think a solution for more and more people going childless, is to make it financially and socially viable for those who do want kids to just have as many as they want :shrug:.