population reduction being pushed now

BurnTheShips

Yep. They've been pushing it for a while. It is incremental

BTS

ninja

hey burn....I've noticed it for a while.....just alerting others ....as we should....all under the guise of "saving the planet"

What's wrong with that? Some methods of population reduction would certianly be wrong, but less people would be a good thing. There's not enough resources for 6-7billion people to live like we do in the devloped world. Although I can see how some interests would want overpopulation; throngs of desperate poor people provide a ready source of cheap/slave labor.

Warlock

If you REALLY believe in population reduction, then start with yourself.

Otherwise, shut the hell up.

Warlock

Spook

I don't see a problem. It seems to me inevitable that the "natural carrying capacity" of the earth at maximum human population would be a pretty dismal standard of living. Further, the closer we get to that carrying capacity the more drastic the solutions would have to be to make a change.

I'm quite libertarian where I can be and am mixed liberal/conservative on lots of fiscal issues. But I think the natural sexual drive is too powerful to be controlled merely through rational decision making, especially within the demographics where most of the reproduction in excess of replacement levels is occuring.

I like the book "nudge" which is an economics book with ideas to incentivise decisions which have positive externalities. So, perhaps tax breaks for those who choose not to have children. Or maybe at least focus on very sound statistical evidence like making sure that at least everyone who wants access to birth control has such access at a price which accurately represents the cost on society were individuals to have children.

Either way, I think there are two ultimate choices with a spectrum in between...

1. Either balance the incentives such that the individual decision to have a child accurate assigns the externalities to the individual making the choice...(schooling, healthcare, food, traffic, garbage, resource use) or...

2. Accept that there will be huge inequality in the standard of living and be clear that we intend to do nothing about it. Furthermore, stop giving any official aid (other than personal charity as individuals see fit) to those who choose to have children.

I think Hitchens once said well that there is no way out of poverty save the equal rights of women. I do think women who are empowered and involved in the economy (educated as well as male peers, too) must be given control of their reproductive choices if they are to approximate the hyper-rational behavior of "econs" in libertarian arguments.

SacrificialLoon

If you REALLY believe in population reduction, then start with yourself.

Otherwise, shut the hell up.

No need for killing people, reducing the global birthrate below 2.1 children per woman would achieve a reduction in population over the long term.

population reduction being pushed now

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