Growth and Life

Yeah, I heard the U.S. theoretically passed the 300M mark. A good deal of that is due, I suspect, to immigration. Americans of northern European stock aren't breeding like they used to.

There's tons and tons of empty space in the U.S. The density figure is, of course, an average. It's something like 10,000 per square mile in Manhattan; and 1 in Wyoming.

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I agree with you that marriage will probably be extinct as a cultural norm within 100 years. I think the consequences of losing it will be tragic. You may be right -- it may not be "natural". But that doesn't mean it's not good and right. Lots of things about "natural" selves are not conducive to the kind of peaceful society you and I desire.

For me, I prefer marriage. I rather like the idea of having one person in whom I can invest increasing trust and confidence; one person to share the deepest intimacy (I don't mean merely sex). It's an extraordinarily vulnerable place to put oneself, however. But I would rather be married than not.