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With birth rates continuing their decline pretty much uniformly across the globe it shouldn't take much more than a few cultural nudges and AI led psyops to accelerate an already extant trend.
This is a good point actually. Depopulation may well happen but if it’s because everyone is rich and happy I don’t see the issue?
Because everyone is not happy. Nowhere close.
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I don't think being brainwashed into sterility by the ruling class so they can hoard more resources is much of a 'good end', even if we get good enough at the brainwashing that people enthusiastically enjoy it.
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Do not leave your womb unattended at any time. Unlicensed pregnancies are subject to search and seizure. Thank you for your cooperation
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I find it hard to believe that there won't be a population equilibrium somewhere beyond the decline. The jury is still out on what exactly the fifth stage of the demographic transition looks like.
There may be an equilibrium point, but it could easily be at a total population level of a billion or less given that rates are continuing to drop with no floor in sight. Wireheading and other tech induced sterilizers can outrun biology for a long time, possibly forever if the tech gets good enough.
That's about how many people there were in 1800; 1800-level civilization plus modern technology doesn't sound that bad?
It does if me or any of my prospective descendants aren't part of that billion or so.
The steps you would take to ensure this are probably going to be net beneficial for you and them regardless, soooo....
It is, my concern is if these weapons end up getting deployed as population control flypaper I'd (or my descendants would) end up swept into the chaff pile, which depending on how low the minimum human pop gets could be hard to beat.
1/8 is not exactly hard to beat, given the many actions you can take to load the dice in your favour vs. the teeming masses who will by and large do nothing.
1/8 is may be the idealistic high end estimate. The ruling class only needs so many shoe polishers and peons to be meatbags.
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