I'm lucky in that my system is pretty much set, although I did order some Psvane tubes last week, still waiting on shipping date.
The one thing I don't hear anyone anywhere talking about is demographics. Did they forget about the baby boom generation, yes, they are working in retirement in larger percentages than previous generations, still much lost productivity. And then, these retired people have more disposable income than past retired generations, thus, demand remains relatively high. Forget about unemployment stats, look at workforce participation stats!
On top of this we have many privileged in younger generation, increased family wealth distributed to children means more likely they can pick and choose what work to take on. Anecdotally, I have many nieces, nephews, and now great nieces, nephews and their friends in this position.
So these are a couple factors in high demand. On supply side, US trade deficits continue to grow, we're a demand country with no real control over supply. The pandemic obviously has had great affect on supply, shut down plants, but they've had time to rebuild supply. China is even beginning to have supply demand issues, many Chinese are now in middle class, no longer want factory work, many factories lacking workers. China also suffering from the one child mandate, their demographic issues somewhat like here.
And I haven't even touched on increased demand from other countries. We now live in world with increasing demand countries and increasingly scarce supply countries. Funny, this is an inevitable outcome of a maturing worldwide capitalist system, lots of wealth built over many decades that allows people/countries to eliminate many elements of productive activity, that productive element goes to rapidly developing countries with much productive hunger, and then they mature and become more like the more mature capitalist countries. Barring racism, Africa may have to become the new suppliers to world. Suppliers to the world ain't coming from the demand countries anytime soon.
Hard to see a new paradigm in near future, I'd expect some lessening of present circumstance in near term, but I'd say get used to new world in longer run. We've been spoiled with nearly unbelievable supply chains in recent decades, the geniuses who run the machine always fail to take the long term view.
And then I could touch upon the earth's capacity to support this population and it's geographic distribution.
The one thing I don't hear anyone anywhere talking about is demographics. Did they forget about the baby boom generation, yes, they are working in retirement in larger percentages than previous generations, still much lost productivity. And then, these retired people have more disposable income than past retired generations, thus, demand remains relatively high. Forget about unemployment stats, look at workforce participation stats!
On top of this we have many privileged in younger generation, increased family wealth distributed to children means more likely they can pick and choose what work to take on. Anecdotally, I have many nieces, nephews, and now great nieces, nephews and their friends in this position.
So these are a couple factors in high demand. On supply side, US trade deficits continue to grow, we're a demand country with no real control over supply. The pandemic obviously has had great affect on supply, shut down plants, but they've had time to rebuild supply. China is even beginning to have supply demand issues, many Chinese are now in middle class, no longer want factory work, many factories lacking workers. China also suffering from the one child mandate, their demographic issues somewhat like here.
And I haven't even touched on increased demand from other countries. We now live in world with increasing demand countries and increasingly scarce supply countries. Funny, this is an inevitable outcome of a maturing worldwide capitalist system, lots of wealth built over many decades that allows people/countries to eliminate many elements of productive activity, that productive element goes to rapidly developing countries with much productive hunger, and then they mature and become more like the more mature capitalist countries. Barring racism, Africa may have to become the new suppliers to world. Suppliers to the world ain't coming from the demand countries anytime soon.
Hard to see a new paradigm in near future, I'd expect some lessening of present circumstance in near term, but I'd say get used to new world in longer run. We've been spoiled with nearly unbelievable supply chains in recent decades, the geniuses who run the machine always fail to take the long term view.
And then I could touch upon the earth's capacity to support this population and it's geographic distribution.