Slow learner?

AMY GOODMAN: Where do you get the money [to stimulate jobs]?

PAUL KRUGMAN: [Nobel winning economist] Borrow it, and then repay it later in better times, which is not at all --- that may sound funny, but that's exactly what we've done in the past. --"End This Depression Now": Paul Krugman Urges Public Spending, Not Deficit Hysteria, to Save Economy

So, Mr. Krugman, what about the ~$16 trillion or so "national" debt that has NOT been "repaid later" -- and has increased every year since the Eisenhower Administration -- not to mention the approximately $100 trillion in Social Security and Medicare owed to old folks since they paid in advance?

And you think Uncle Sam knows better what people want than they do themselves as determined by their voluntary buying decisions in markets? And so Uncle will spend that money -- removed from those voluntary markets by coercive taxes and borrowing -- on products and services that folks will prefer to buy instead? And Uncle will provide these products and services at reasonable prices from lasting enterprises? Solyndra for example? And the borrowing -- called "extortion futures" by some because it will be paid by extorting taxes from the kids, grand kids and the yet unborn -- isn't wasting our money, let alone the lives of the kids, grand kids and the yet unborn?

Really Mr. Krugman? OK. I have this bridge in Brooklyn for sale - - -

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The Baby Boom is Busted

There's now a baby BUST in progress in most of the "developed" world, not a baby BOOM. AND the birth rate has been declining world-wide as even many "developing" countries decline toward the 2.1 babies-per-woman population replacement rate.

Birthrates are falling nearly all over the world, and the speed of this change is breathtaking. As the population ages, this is creating great challenges. The Fertility Implosion www.nytimes.com

--CONVERSABLE ECONOMIST: Six Adults and One Child: The Coming Baby Bust

--Teen pregnancy rates decrease nationwide, increase in Amarillo area : News : ConnectAmarillo.com

--TONIGHT: Teen pregnancy hits record lows | KETK

And, the dirty little secret is it's putting the hurt on the world-wide social ponzis ...

--Ponzi Planet: The Danger Debt Poses to the Western World - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International Spiegel article, Ponzi Planet

You can see the recent world-wide "picture" of this phenom using "Gapminder's" graphical representation. HERE: GAPMINDER (World population -- babies per woman)

If you put your cursor point on any circle, you can see the country name. The "Children per woman" box is in lower right of the Gapminder window. The "children per woman" number for the country you have the cursor on pops up there.

Japan, Germany, Belaruse, Poland, Portugal, Italy, etc. all at about 1.4 children per woman are particularly interesting in the implications.  Other countries aren't quite so dramatic, but the trend is clear. 

Gapminder is a prize winning and popular innovation and can be used to graphically demonstrate all sorts of collected data. It also lets you go back in time to see how key ratios have evolved.  All in all, perhaps THE "killer ap." Hit 'Play' button at the bottom to see the population shrink over the years.

Maybe THIS guy should be U.S. VP - - -