All good things must come to an end
I've been away from home for almost 3 months now. I left on February 9th and it is now May 6th. I've seen The Philippines, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Japan. All are absolutely Asian in nature and all of them are totally different places. Of particular interest is how strikingly different their economies and people are even though many of the places have strong ties between them.
In the Philippines at Intramuros they have a memorial to the hundred thousand people who died during the Japanese occupation of Manila. In Asakusa they have a similar memorial to the people who died when an entire neighborhood was reduced to rubble after bombing and fires razed every tree to the ground.
One common link.
At one point Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur were part of the same country until Malaysia decided to cut off Singapore from the country to get rid of an insurrection faction in the early 1960s. Yes, that is probably over simplified but how much am I going to pick up in a 12 minute speech from the first Singaporean president. Again a common tie but the difference now is black and white. Singapore is an economic powerhouse and Malaysia? Not so much.
Even Malaysia and the Philippines. Malaysia was subjugated by the Portuguese in the early 1500s and after Malaysia the Portuguese turned their eyes towards the Philippines. Indeed Magellan going to the Philippines is a big reason why its a Catholic country and a big reason why Magellan died in Lapu-Lapu.
Go a little further back and the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore were all trading partners for well over a thousand years.
But just as siblings turn out different because of different life events so do countries turn out differently because of different economic events.
Hive Learners asked about over population
I had to laugh today when I saw the Hive Learners post prompt about over population, limiting population and the long term effects.
Japan
I'm laughing because yesterday was the Japanese national childrens day and the main headline was that the number of children in Japan declined for the 44th year in a row and it is the lowest .number of children since they started collecting data in 1950
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15746169
Check out the link above for the full article.
And the lack of children shows in the country. I saw so many elderly people walking or riding bikes on the streets. Even very elderly people. I saw elderly people working in the grocery stores, and indeed many many stores I went through. Regarding menial jobs like hotel workers and janitors? Almost entirely foreign workers as there just aren't enough local Japanese to take the jobs.
Now this age issue isn't because of population control but rather economic factors in having children. Still, not enough children and the country dies.
Singapore
But when I was in Singapore in a museum there they were promoting population control since the 1970s. They were actively trying to promote smaller families. The posters showed young adults saddled with kids and unable to enjoy life. They were promoting waiting for prosperity. Those efforts show today. Their city isn't nearly as crowded as their Asian neighbors. Again that led to a lack of people to do menial tasks. Guess what? Immigrants do the menial tasks and construction jobs. Natives get the good jobs, foreigners get the worse jobs. In addition there are two tiers for wages: Singaporeans get high wages and a good lifestyle. Indian immigrants get barely enough for food
Philippines
Now just a short flight away you have Manila. Arguably the most crowded city on earth. Not the most populous city in the world but the population density is out of sight with some areas having over 40,000 people/sqkm compared to roughly 8,000 in Singapore. A Catholic mandate to have as many children as possible ("be fruitful and multiply" is an old time Catholic value) made the Philippines very very populous. Guess what, the Philippines has way too many people and exports workers all over the world.
Indonesia
Also a short flight from Singapore you have Indonesia. Surprisingly one of the most populous countries in the world. They also export labour because there are just too many children and not enough jobs. However, as their population speaks less English and there isn't the culture of worker exports that the Philippines has it is not as pronounced.
Malaysia
Formerly it had high birth rates but now the birth rates have been down for a while. Smaller population means more jobs for those who are there. Economics are stronger than the Philippines or Indonesia but not up there with Singapore...yet.
Fewer people means more money per person but there is a cost.
Just look around the places I've been the difference is start. Fewer children and smaller population means more jobs for those who are left and generally a higher standard of living. Less crowding. Less overpopulation. Better life.
But what about the future?
Looking at Japan it is a little scary. With so many elderly what happens as they continue to get older. Sure right now they are a wonderful and developed country. However, how does it grow without a vibrant youth to move it forward?
Looking at Singapore? A small Singapore class supported by a large and poorly paid immigrant class make sure that the Singaporeans can lead a good lifestyle but immigrants pay the price.
Looking at Singapore and Philippines? Too many people and too few jobs. Wages are weak. Competition is fierce. Crowding is pronounced which makes life pretty tough.
But what about heritage?
I also found it interesting to look at heritage and history.
Japan has an aging population and an absolute youth issue. However, they are very strict on citizenship and immigration. They are fiercely protective of their Japanese way of life and the fact that Japan works as a cohesive unit. The streets are clean. The transportation is orderly. Things get fixed promptly and everything runs as it should. As a side plus the food is excellent. The people just work together well and I have no doubt that a shared national pride certainly plays a part in that.
Singapore? Is arguably as prosperous and clean as Japan. However, it has a very diverse population with people from all over the world living and working there. Looking around you can see people from all over the world. Sure the streets are clean, people follow the rules and things work as they should. If anything it is even more modern and efficient than Japan. However, people follow the rules because the laws and punishment are very strict. There are security cameras all over the place. There are tip lines to tell of inappropriate behavior. Also there is a diluted culture.
Why do I say diluted? Well its heritage is Muslim and Hindu just like Malaysia (shared history). However in Malaysia I rarely found Beef sold (because it is offensive to the Hindu) and I never saw pork sold (because it was offensive to the Muslim) but in Singapore--no problem--they cater to people all over the world. Beef, Pork, Chicken...all on the menu.
As a Canadian I am well aware of the pro's and con's of immigration. Canada is a very multicultural country. I've seen people from many many nationalities making up my country. As a benefit we get vitality and links all over the world. As a down side we get the best and worst from all over the world AND it dilutes the Canadian national identity.
Too many, too few, and just right.
At the end of the day it is important to have the right number of people in the country. It's not a matter of high birthrates being bad and low birthrates being bad but more about having the right number to fit the needs of the country. I'm sure Japan would be happy to welcome a large new generation of children. I'm also sure the Philippines would be relieved is some of the overcrowding eased up and jobs became more available locally rather than abroad.
Of course there is also the sneaky problem that many people don't look at. Too many people make too much strain on the earth we live in. There is only so much food produced. Only so much energy available. Only so much space to grow. Making sure we don't outgrow out home is super important. In Japan where you have houses crumbing because they have no-one to live in them they need more children. In places like Manila where you have an entire family on one bed... well a little smaller population would be welcome.
Just my thoughts and of course there is a whole lot more to write on the subject...But feel free to send a message to tell me what you think.