Are we in the opening scenes of a post-apocalyptic movie?

[Valmy]

I get the feeling that a great deal of production in east and south asia is a function of large populations.  They had a very productive food system that led to a larger population, the larger population produced more of an item because it was simply larger, but also consumed the items.

They had a very productive food system because they had what was for the time world class infrastructure and relatively stable social and political systems. 

They have a very productive food system because of climate and crops.

Both things can be true

Though I am not sure the food system was naturally as reliable as you think Raz as China has hundreds and hundreds of documented famines in its history.

[Razgovory]

Nobody in China thought they could profit by sailing to Europe and seeing what they had for sale? 

In Confucianist thought, merchants were the lowest rung of society, because Confucius claimed that they produced nothing and just exploited the labor of others.  So merchants had to be careful not to attract the attention of the tax farmers by appearing too wealthy. Most of China's trade was with southeast Asia, where, in fact, many Chinese expatriate communities sprung up to avoid Chinese government oppression.

In China itself there was little in the way of entrepreneurial spirit. Classical Chinese culture was very much (officially) opposed to desiring too much in the way of material goods.

That makes more sense.  Thank you.

[Josquius]

So what you're saying is that he coming global warming crisis will be the saviour of the western world? huzzah!

Wouldn't be surprised if there are some powerful morons in America actually thinking this way.
Certainly Russia is actively pro climate change.

[Bauer]

If there was some kind of global scale natural disaster at this point in history then we're doomed.  It'll become dog eats dog real fast.

[crazy canuck]

If?

[Legbiter]

All this geopolitical turmoil feels like a warm old blanket to me. Cold War 2.0

AI is hyped to the sky by overleveraged SF tech elites, so far it's been an upgraded spellchecker and wiki assistant. I can see it freeing a lot of drudge type white collars from their desks. School exams will go back to written essays and verbal exams (already happening).

As to climate change, it's largely solved, if imperfectly, giant carbon capture plants in Iceland will sequester excess carbon to turn it into rock. Already happening on a small scale, fairly easy to scale up. As an aside, we're just about out of the Little Ice Age so the next few centuries would be balmier by default. So if you get more heat related weather events, a simple kyrie eleison should do. God will preserve his own.

As to birth rates, just pay them. That's it, just pay young people the same eye-watering amounts we spend on treating cancer in boomers to give them an extra 1-2 years of shitty extra life. Problem solved.

   

[Josquius]

Carbon capture plants will have so little to do with solving climate change. as to be effectively zero.
Without an amazing breakthrough they just don't work in remotely the league of something that could make a different.
They're basically just a scam being pushed by polluters so they can pretend to be responsible whilst changing nothing.

Climate change is far from solved too.
The current rate of change in efforts to tackle it is such that an end is in realistic sight but not  fast enough yet.
If you're an optimist you can see the speed of change picking up so we do avoid the worst... But we are already past the "very bad" level. No helping.

Agreed on making having kids affordable.
Also promoting general economic equality, housing, and transport so people can live reach of their parents.

For mitigating climate change my hope, though far future wards, is in space borne solar shields to try and bring temperatures back down towards optimal levels albeit in a reversible way if they re unforseen impacts.

[Bauer]

In the long run climate change will be solved by bigger technology break through like fusion power probably.  EV tech continues to advance although at some point the recycling disposal problem for batteries and solar panels will need a solution...

[Jacob]

Definitely Cold War 2.0 but with a new configuration of adversaries that haven't quite solidified yet.

The current US administration seems to be on course to cold war hostility towards Europe. Europe is sort of aware of it, but the reaction is a bit slow. It does feel a bit like we're in the "peace in our time" moment, where Europe is trying to put a good face on it while they (hopefully) rearm (militarily, technologically, and in terms of messaging) before the shit hits the fan for real.

[Bauer]

With regards to cost of raising kids, I think a fundamental problem of housing exists.  We have boomers and single couples living in homes, and parents in apartments. That doesn't make sense, should probably adjust the nature of property taxation...

[grumbler]

All this geopolitical turmoil feels like a warm old blanket to me. Cold War 2.0

AI is hyped to the sky by overleveraged SF tech elites, so far it's been an upgraded spellchecker and wiki assistant. I can see it freeing a lot of drudge type white collars from their desks. School exams will go back to written essays and verbal exams (already happening).

As to climate change, it's largely solved, if imperfectly, giant carbon capture plants in Iceland will sequester excess carbon to turn it into rock. Already happening on a small scale, fairly easy to scale up. As an aside, we're just about out of the Little Ice Age so the next few centuries would be balmier by default. So if you get more heat related weather events, a simple kyrie eleison should do. God will preserve his own.

As to birth rates, just pay them. That's it, just pay young people the same eye-watering amounts we spend on treating cancer in boomers to give them an extra 1-2 years of shitty extra life. Problem solved.

   

Those be some trippin' drugs yo on.

[Legbiter]

Those be some trippin' drugs yo on.

And you be stepping on my bait...

How did the leges Juliae work in your time?

[HVC]

In the long run climate change will be solved by bigger technology break through like fusion power probably.  EV tech continues to advance although at some point the recycling disposal problem for batteries and solar panels will need a solution...

Problem with ev is that it needs clean electricity. Expanding the the grid with dirty power makes it less effective. For example Germany still uses a lot of coal power (although I know there a plan to phase that out. Though I don't know about the efficiency of gas burning vs coal burning to power vehicles.

[Legbiter]

Carbon capture plants will have so little to do with solving climate change. as to be effectively zero.
Without an amazing breakthrough they just don't work in remotely the league of something that could make a different.
They're basically just a scam being pushed by polluters so they can pretend to be responsible whilst changing nothing

You should write a letter to China informing them of this fact.

[HVC]

With regards to cost of raising kids, I think a fundamental problem of housing exists.  We have boomers and single couples living in homes, and parents in apartments. That doesn't make sense, should probably adjust the nature of property taxation...

I don't know if apartments are necessarily the problem. I mean Europe, as far as I recall, has a high proportion of apartment dwellers. And while they now have a population problem they didn't in the past but still relied on apartments. And houses were a lot smaller in the past when people were popping out kids left and right.