It's an aging world, and not just in the West

In much of the "developing" world, the population bell curve is also projected to shift sharply right, toward senior citizens and near-seniors, by no later than 2050.

But why?

One reason? Blame the boob tube:

In Brazil, television was introduced sequentially province by province, and in each new region the boob tube reached, birth rates plummeted soon after.

Coaxial cable and satellite dishes as contraceptives, eh?

And, what does it mean?

1. For the U.S., it’s true we’re not facing the age bell curve of much of Asia or Europe. But, that's not necessarily good. For one thiong, that means that we could be expected to pick up yet more of the world’s military policing burden. At the same time, birth rates are falling in Mexico, and in parts of Central America. That could reduce illegal immigration. That sounds good, right? Well, maybe, or maybe not, depending on how much illegals bolster Social Security and Medicare.

2. Job obsolescence and related issues will loom even larger. Also not so good.