Becoming a World of Caregivers

THE CHINESE HAVE DECIDED to abandon their one child per family policy, because they have realized that with a diminished birth rate, and a population of billions of aging people, most of whom are expected to live longer than people of previous generations, the time is rapidly approaching when China will be a nation of elderly, with a shrunken labor force of young people, and a shrunken population of health care givers. Raise the birth rate, and over population ensues. Lower it, and the world becomes a world of the elderly, with few to care for them, or to keep industrial technological civilization operating. The situation is everywhere the same, especially in Europe and Japan, and, eventually, the United States. The solution which comes most readily to mind is unthinkable; to allow, or require people to simply die, by ceasing our frantic attempt at life extension. In his seminal book" Life Extension", scientist Dirk Pearson proclaimed his intent to live to be one hundred and fifty years old, by adding supplements to his diet. It is widely believed now that the maximum possible human life span is something short of one hundred and twenty years, as even now there are more than two hundred thousand centurians in the United States alone. Nobody knows what the carrying capacity is for planet Earth. Less, if we all want to achieve an upper middle class American lifestyle, replete with voracious consumerism. Human life extension and population increase advocates might argue that for each person on the planet, there are many acres of land available; those who disagree point out that it takes many acres of land per capita to sustain society. In the United States, nursing homes, and in general care for the elderly, is sorely lacking. Anyone who has ever visited a nursing home or placed a loved one in one is well aware of the assembly line, sardine character they embody. Nobody wants to live in one.In the nineteenth century and before Americans died at home, in the loving embrace of family and friends. Now, we warehouse our elderly, being too busy to care for them in their/our homes. By necessity, we are becoming a world of professional caregivers.