the extremists

[Michael Gochfeld]

Mark's post was indeed thought provoking.
I think it is no coincidence that the devastating genocidal battles in Rwanda,
occurred in the most
heavily overpopulated country in Africa.
 
If you believe that wars, either directly or indirectly, result from competition
for resources, then the limitations on procreation may be enforced, not by ones
own government, but by some other government.  My good friends in Rwanda who had
their procreation (and everything else) prematurely terminated by members of a
warring tribe, might have voted for stricter population controls a few decades
earlier, if they had had the opportunity and foresight.
 
Mike Gochfeld
 
Mark Walker wrote:
 
> In times past, before there was a LEPS-L, I was known for getting on
> soapboxes to address the subject of overpopulation.  At the time (70's), it
> was popular to consider the fate of the planet as an ecosystem - and it was
> obvious to most the negative impact man had had over the preceding decades.
> All of us had seen the elimination of much habitat due to development.  The
> increasing population growth rate was much discussed and feared.  We all
> awaited the horrific appearance of Soylent Green.
>
> In the 80's, this discussion subsided, at least publicly.  During this
> period, I pondered many of the other problems we were facing as a species.
> It began to become apparent that many of these problems were also related to
> the phenomenon of population growth.  In fact, I challenge all to find a
> social problem (other than man's inherent ability to hate his neighbor) that
> can't be tied back in some way to too many humans.  Interestingly, when I
> began to speak out on these correlations, folks mostly responded with
> puzzlement.  It seemed as if everyone had agreed that over-population was no
> longer a concern.
>
> Ironically, part of the problem was that we had successfully decreased the
> RATE of population growth, at least in the U.S., and that news confused many
> into thinking that the population was no longer growing.  Yikes.
>
> Now - ignoring the question of appropriateness - I feel compelled to mention
> that as much as I'm concerned
> about the growing population, I am also concerned about our options for
> dealing with it.  Like most of our social problems, population control is
> best left to the people - and should not be a responsibility of the state.
>
> As I've said before on this list, the best thing that could happen to our
> lepidopteron friends is for half of the humans to disappear (probably half
> is not enough).  But none of us are willing to be the first to drink the
> proverbial cup of tainted Kool-Aid.  We'd all prefer to be with the half
> that gets to stay.
>
> That being said - please shoot me the day that we empower our governments to
> be procreation police.  Then there will be more Soylent Green for all that
> remain.
>
> Mark Walker
> all wet in Oceanside
> >
>
>
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>
 
 
 
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