I dont understand why no one seems to think this is an inevitable good thing- can we really support indefinite growth?
It might be true that no one is prepared with a new global economic system that relies on sustainability rather than than unlimited growth, but that doesn’t mean you can put 100 dozen eggs in a 1 dozen carton. We cannot just keep doubling population forever, the world would probably be a lot better off with just 1/3 of the populations we have now.
Why aren’t we figuring out how to make that work rather than trying to reverse population contraction at all costs? Even if they “fix” that, it wont be for long when there is absolutely no space or resources left.
Plenty of people, in fact almost everyone who will read your comment are rooting for population decline.
When you say that our global economic system requires indefinite growth, you are not talking about global capitalism. You are talking about settled human communities. From the moment the first seed was put in the ground, we have been on a trajectory that requires more labor next year than the last to keep the wheels on the track. More technology to support more people to develop more technology to support more people.
We could get off this ride, but we’ve been on it for 10s of thousands of years. Assuming it is as simple as changing our mindset is folly. This isn’t changing the icing on the cake, it’s changing the stones under the house while trying not to disturb the cake.
Especially since those with the most power do everything possible to maintain at least the illusion of growth, to further increase their power.
