No One Left

Why the World Needs More Children

By: Paul Morland

Narrated by: Paul Morland

A population calamity is unfolding before our eyes. It started in parts of the developed world and is spreading to the four corners of the globe. There are just too few babies being born for humanity to replace itself.

Leading demographer Paul Morland argues that the consequences of this promise to be calamitous. Labour shortages, pensions crises, ballooning debt: what is currently happening in South Korea - which faces population decline of more than 85% within just two generations - threatens to engulf us all, and sooner than we think. In the developed world we may be able temporarily to stave off the worst of its effects with immigration, but many countries, including those the immigrants come from, will get old before they get rich.

No One Left charts this future, explains its causes and suggests what might be done. Unless we radically change our attitudes towards parenthood and embrace a new progressive pro-natalism, argues Morland, we face disaster.

©2024 Paul Morland (P)2024 Swift Press Audio

Excellent problem statement, but it’s clear the modern liberal world lacks answers

The author knows demographic theory quite well and tries to make the case that (a) collapsing fertility rates are a problem and (b) liberal democracies need to find a solution.

He’s quite successful at making the case for the former, but it becomes clear that modern liberal capitalist systems won’t have an answer. Upon realizing there is a fundamental contradiction between liberal democracy and pro-natalism many choose to shy away from pro-natalism. Some, however, may decide to shy away from liberal democracy.