part 2

Unless millions of Japanese suddenly change their mind and start having children tomorrow, the land of the rising sun will slowly set, as Africa grows into the next major consumer market. 

Now, Israel’s growth is not quite so dramatic, but it is growing, which is more than you can say about the future of most developed countries, including all of Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and China. The problem is not that Japan doesn’t have working-aged people. 

Even as its population shrinks, there will long be millions and millions of workers. But they’ll be busy caring for their parents, not inventing the next big thing. 

Israel, meanwhile, has enough people to carefor the old and young, with plenty left over. It also has some extra help: immigration. The Law of Return allows any Jew, their spouse, children, grandchildren, and even their non-Jewish spouse to come to Israel and receive citizenship. 

There are even scholarships to cover your expenses while you learn Hebrew. The result of all this is that there are 140 scientists, technicians, and engineers for every 10,000 Israeli employees, compared to just 85 in the U.S. 

The second, much-simpler ingredient is Capital. Starting a business is expensive, and some one needs to write the checks