Interdepenency of Technology and Population

Technologies require humans to invent, make and use them. Some, such as ironworking are lo tech, because the knowledge and skill to use that technology can be mastered by a family group. Higher technologies require more complex organizations.
Thus the highest technology that can be maintained is dependent on these three things: population, specialization and organization. The organization occurs on three levels. First is the actual team of specialists that make the technology. Second is the general population that provides resources but aren’t directly involved – such as taxpayers and trading partners. Third, whatever group that requires that technology – the consumer. Organization in this sense means globalization. In fact high technology often requires a complex economic/technological ecosystem in order to exist.
An example of this are computers. The first computers required a team of specialists, drawing on the resources of a large body of people (The U.S.) motivated by the government (or university) of that interconnected population. It required many subsidiary hi technologies such as cheap vacuum tubes. Since those humble beginnings computers have required larger teams relevant to an increasingly larger and interrelated network of a specialized hi tech economy. This is demonstrated in the increasing cost of more sophisticated fabs (making more capable chips) - which are dependent on larger markets to pay for it. Computers have become more hi tech against a backdrop of increasing globalization, specialization and, yes, population growth.
Higher tech depends on interconnected specialized population. The effect of hi tech on its host populations so far has been detrimental. Almost all first world nations now have below replacement fertility rates. Generally exceptions are the result of sub populations that aren’t so specialized yet, due to historic reasons.
Hi tech effects the fertility rate in two ways. First, children require more investment because they will need to be specialized (educated) to be successful. This requires more parental involvement to oversee their child’s education etc. At the same time, the parents time is becoming relatively more valuable because the parent is more specialized. The obvious solution to this dilemma is to have less children. That is indeed what has been happening.
It seems that hi tech, and the societies that currently support it are doomed. There are a few solutions to this problem. The first is a radically conservative one. The second is just plain radical – and unproven. The outside hope is a technological miracle – which would radically change our way of life. In any case, the world as we know it is passing by. Tune in in 2040 when demographics are predicted to be in decline as the beginning of this change.
This has happened before. The de-globalization that occurred around 200-500 A.D took many hi technologies along with it: Aqueducts, quinqueremes, many mechanical devices, etc.

On Voting

National elections are coming. They have always struck me as curious examples of human irrationality. Voting is irrational. My vote will never make a difference as it is one against amidst millions. Please don’t trot out the few hoary examples of tied elections. Those cases are exceptionally rare. If the election were that statistically close we all know that judges and lawyers would determine the outcome.
So why do I vote? I vote because the church counsels it. We are counseled to consider the issues and pick what seems to be the best candidate. It seems that voting begins to be rational in these circumstances. The views of the church will then hold some weight with those seeking office in the land. Things important to the members of the church will only be defeated electorally speaking if other groups are pushing against them.
Voting is an individual action that benefits the group and then only if the group does it collectively. To vote then is similar to a soldier going to war (without risk and much less commitment) as it benefits the group primarily and the individual secondarily. The thing to do then is to not only vote but persuade your neighbors, family and friends to do the same. The group would presumably use its usual (social) methods to reward leaders/followers and punish non-compliance.
The implications of that in a multicultural society, where group identity is important yet increasingly more balkanized, is interesting.