Pretty simple, really Will we be able to keep up resource production if the human population continues to grow? Why is or why isn't it unethical for a society to limit the number of human beings it has to provide resources for? (inb4 kevorkian accusations, im just curious about what people think on overpopulation)
yep - pretty simple. Unlimited population growth consuming limited resources makes for eventual day of reckoning. What's really a shame is the fact that some of the most successful economic approaches, in terms of improving the standard of living for the largest number of people across the widest spectrum of economic strata, depends upon an ever increasing amount of consumption by an ever-growing population base. Not good! That happens to be one of the very unfortunate built-in suicide factors of capitalism that's hard to get around. It not only PRODUCES growth - it also DEPENDS and FEEDS on it. That's all fine and dandy as long as resources can continue to supply ever increasing demand ad infinitum. But they obviously can't. It's unethical to ignore reality and pass off the consequences of the of our irresponsibilitiy upon our progeny, no matter what kind of reality or responsibility we're talking about. Imo, mankind cannot continue to plunge ahead willy-nilly into the future because willy-nilly is gonna kick all our asses eventually. Let's see how well modern man likes getting plunged back into a pre-industrial age wilderness. Then population control will be automatic, just like days of olde.
The birthrate in America (and Norway) is about 1.85 births per woman which isn't enough to maintain the present population. Someone is making more than their fair share of children somewhere in this world and they are sending their excess to our countries to live because they can't support them all. The only thing my country or yours can do to prevent overpopulation is to close our borders.
Population control can be easily and painlessly afforded Through responsibility of one's own actions. I.e.; self control, nonpermiscuity, responsible sex by loving partners with procreation or insurance of the lack there of in mind. In other words stop being whores and sluts and show some self respect and the problem can fix itself. 2¢ Faith in selfless Unity for Good.
Its inevitble i'd say. We have limited resources and our population worldwide is growing exponetially especially in developing nations. Oil and gas will be an issue within our lifetime, likey food as well, we might all have to get used to eating things we dont normally consider food, this is all a ways off, but inevitible. If the space program started making some serious headway colonization could be an option, but not before some serious problems arise. It may not be our generation, but the next one or two generations will have some tough choices to make.
i dont really think about this kind of stuff. my question to supporters of this would be - who will be at the controls? - how will they enforce population control measures? - who will decide the policies? - what will the punishments be for violating the policies? the only instances of attempted population control measures i can think of have come at the hands of governments who committed horrible human rights abuses. forced sterilizations, forced abortions, false imprisonment, etc. and it shouldn't be a surprise, that kind of power corrupts people...
Its not like anyone actually WANTS this, its just that at some point the population numbers and available resources are going to butt heads and decisions will have to be made. my suggestion is when the next flu or health pandemic comes through, we just let it burn through without stopping it. That way nature decides, not some beuracratic system. ATM we arent in that severe of a situation yet and likely wont be in our lifetimes. But the next generation will have to deal with not having as much fuel to burn and the food choices will have to change. fish is already becoming scarce. cape cod, no longer has cod for example.
Well, answer it from the neutral perspective then, forget that we're American and Norwegian If we were Chinese or Indian; same question
people will have to answer those questions whether or not they want it. it's hard to stop people from having sex and procreating without taking extreme measures to prevent it or prescribe harsh punishments that discourage it. both would require the government to be authoritarian enough to the point where people who value democracy get pretty nervous.
I think the best form of population control we could possibly implement that'd be fair, would be removing the incentive for poor & inept adults to breed without consequence. If you actually had to PAY to raise the children you brought into the world, we'd see a dramatic change in society for the better. In America - used to be the case...the families w/ the most amount of children were wealthy people bc they could actually afford to raise them. Now it's poor people in a trailer park, spawning generations of future pizza delivery boys that have the biggest families. Why? Bc we like to pay them to sit around and fornicate and not do much else. And people seriously wonder why we get a few points stupider each year
Population control is ridiculously unethical. Its unnecessary in developed countries the population is falling. In developing countries the population is growing yes, but it would still be unethical plus you'll sound like a Nazi for supporting it.
I don't think he is saying that at all. He's pointing out that welfare only encourages the poor to procreate in order to recieve more benefits. I personally think if you can't afford to have a child and you procreate anyways your a fucking idiot and I say that knowing that a member of my family is doing that while expecting all of us to pay for her child's food and healthcare. Its completely irresponsible.Neutering someone is unethical and involves government force which is once again unethical. Having someone consider the fact that if they are going to have a child they need to be able pay for that child is not unethical its just common sense. I have no obligation to pay for your brat that you were stupid enough to have without considering the costs involved although I would donate money to charity to pay for that kid a as long as you didn't recieve any of that money and had no hand in raising or even contact with the child because you are a fucking idiot and I don't want you to spread stupidity to that child.
To be a contrairian one thing that always confused me about the lefts argument regarding immigration. Won't more immigration result in more natural resources (move environmental damage) being necessary in order to support a larger population? A larger population will necessitate more trees being chopped down, more fossil fuels being used to heat houses and more water being used (as we see in California) national parks being opened up to exploitation in order to access their resources, more people in genral driving cars, heating houses, building houses, using water, more development, excettera in order to support a larger population? It seems to me more immigration= more population=more environmental damage=progressives being unhappy. I myself am not anti immigration per se I think national borders are bullshit but I always thought progressives supporting open borders was damaging some of progs pet causes. bernie sanders agrees with me by the way he has called open borders a right wing Koch brother plot and I will provide a link if anybody wishes. One thing I always respect is an internally consistent argument so I would appreciate it if a prog could explain to me how their ideas are internally consistent.
No...I'm just of the crazy mindset that you should be financially stable before you start birthing a baseball team of children. I see them at the grocery store all the time...4-5 little shits hanging off the cart, Mom paying with her EBT foodstamp card, she pulled out of her Coach purse Shit like that needs to be bought to a screeching halt. I'm tired of seeing the worst people in the world polluting the gene pool, while their food & hospital tab is picked up by the rest of us