Prophecies Nobody Wants to Hear, part I of V

[Adios]

People can't look at the population issue.   

GO, LEMMINGS, GO!

I am looking at it. I just know the human race isn't going to do one damn thing about it.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

There's such a massive cultural roadblock to this, too. There are many places around the world where having loads of children that live to adulthood is still considered something to aspire to. People are much more likely to cling to "traditional" ideals than to ones that make any kind of mathematical sense.

And then there's the issue that faces America now with the Baby Boomers, and Japan is feeling it even more strongly: no one wants to be the generation that gets stuck supporting a big population of elderly and retired.

There's only two real solutions, both of which are monstrous.

Either we figure out a way to mass-sterilize a huge chunk of the population, or we let things take their course.

One way is utterly reprehensible, and the other way leads to The End.

That's one reason people can't even make themselves look at this issue.  Every way you look at it, you're fucked...But in this case as in many others, not making a decision is itself a decision.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The problem, as I see it, is this.  There is only so much land on this earth.  As well, only so much of it is open land that can be farmed.  This is not something that is open for negotiation, it just is.

We can only add so many hormones and other chemical boosts to the seeds we plant and the animals we raise for food.  

At some point, either a global law of population control is going to have to be put in place or they are going to have to invent those food replicator things.  As I don't see food replicators being a prime goal, people are going to have to stop popping out kids.  

We can't make more land and no matter how well you farm it, everything has a limit of production.

My comment from a different thread, but I still think the same here.  However, I will take it a step further, one child per female.  If you say per couple then you are going to have to decide how to deal with those who are married 4 or 5 times.  What then?  That is 5 different couples and 5 different kids.....

A food replicator would be the final nail in the coffin.  Overpopulation is not just an issue of food.

[Luna]

What CAN be done?  Tell people to stop fucking?  Yeah, THAT's gonna work.

The problem is global, so any solution would have to be global.  If we decide America can slow down on the production of Americans, we'll have to deal with the fact that other countries will pick up the slack, and will do so just for the purpose of growing their armies bigger than the American army.  Substitute any country, here.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

What CAN be done?  Tell people to stop fucking?  Yeah, THAT's gonna work.

The problem is global, so any solution would have to be global.  If we decide America can slow down on the production of Americans, we'll have to deal with the fact that other countries will pick up the slack, and will do so just for the purpose of growing their armies bigger than the American army.  Substitute any country, here.

There are ways.  Problem is, they're all fucking horrible.

Question:  Is societal/species survival a goal that justifies horrible sneaky shit that would make Stalin puke?

[Adios]

What CAN be done?  Tell people to stop fucking?  Yeah, THAT's gonna work.

The problem is global, so any solution would have to be global.  If we decide America can slow down on the production of Americans, we'll have to deal with the fact that other countries will pick up the slack, and will do so just for the purpose of growing their armies bigger than the American army.  Substitute any country, here.

Fucking isn't the problem, breeding is.

[Lord Cataplanga]

So on top of everything else, you'll have to deal with a prisoner's dilemma.

[Suu]

Famine and disease are the world's way of controlling overpopulation. Don't feed the fucking poor, don't give them shots to save their lives...let nature do it's work.

As for reproduction...that's when eugenics come in, and people get all twitchy about those things.

The Black Death in Europe was a GOOD THING. They were running out of food anyway. They also had the start of a mini ice age at the same time. The Earth knows what's up. Stay the fuck out of it's business.

[Luna]

What CAN be done?  Tell people to stop fucking?  Yeah, THAT's gonna work.

The problem is global, so any solution would have to be global.  If we decide America can slow down on the production of Americans, we'll have to deal with the fact that other countries will pick up the slack, and will do so just for the purpose of growing their armies bigger than the American army.  Substitute any country, here.

Fucking isn't the problem, breeding is.

Well, yes.  Having managed the act for years without adding to the problem, true.  However, most people are (apparently) too bloody stupid to manage the one without the other.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Famine and disease are the world's way of controlling overpopulation.

Hasn't worked so far.  Central Africa is RIDDLED with HIV/AIDS, famine, AND warfare...and their population is mushrooming.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

The problem, as I see it, is this.  There is only so much land on this earth.  As well, only so much of it is open land that can be farmed.  This is not something that is open for negotiation, it just is.

We can only add so many hormones and other chemical boosts to the seeds we plant and the animals we raise for food.  

At some point, either a global law of population control is going to have to be put in place or they are going to have to invent those food replicator things.  As I don't see food replicators being a prime goal, people are going to have to stop popping out kids.  

We can't make more land and no matter how well you farm it, everything has a limit of production.

My comment from a different thread, but I still think the same here.  However, I will take it a step further, one child per female.  If you say per couple then you are going to have to decide how to deal with those who are married 4 or 5 times.  What then?  That is 5 different couples and 5 different kids.....

A food replicator would be the final nail in the coffin.  Overpopulation is not just an issue of food.

That was part of my response in a different thread about food shortages.  I agree it is not just an issue of food.  I fully believe we will have to limit the number of children sooner than later.  I also think it should be per female and once said child is born then sterilization should be automatic.  

Otherwise this planet is fucked!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The problem, as I see it, is this.  There is only so much land on this earth.  As well, only so much of it is open land that can be farmed.  This is not something that is open for negotiation, it just is.

We can only add so many hormones and other chemical boosts to the seeds we plant and the animals we raise for food.  

At some point, either a global law of population control is going to have to be put in place or they are going to have to invent those food replicator things.  As I don't see food replicators being a prime goal, people are going to have to stop popping out kids.  

We can't make more land and no matter how well you farm it, everything has a limit of production.

My comment from a different thread, but I still think the same here.  However, I will take it a step further, one child per female.  If you say per couple then you are going to have to decide how to deal with those who are married 4 or 5 times.  What then?  That is 5 different couples and 5 different kids.....

A food replicator would be the final nail in the coffin.  Overpopulation is not just an issue of food.

That was part of my response in a different thread about food sortages.  I agree it is not just an issue of food.  I fully believe we will have to limit the number of children sooner than later.  I also think it should be per female and once said child is born then sterilization should be automatic.  

Otherwise this planet is fucked!

Good luck flying that one in Catholic or Muslim nations.

[Suu]

Famine and disease are the world's way of controlling overpopulation.

Hasn't worked so far.  Central Africa is RIDDLED with HIV/AIDS, famine, AND warfare...and their population is mushrooming.

Because we have the fucking PeaceCorps and Red Cross over there trying to fix things.

Or, you know, evolution could very well be breeding the next variation.

[Luna]

Sadly, MOST faiths have, somewhere in the fine print, "thou shalt breed faster than those heretics."

Now, if you could get the leaders of every faith out there to step forward and say, "God (or whoever) says knock it the fuck off, one per woman and you're DONE," and get people to BUY it, you might be on to something.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Famine and disease are the world's way of controlling overpopulation.

Hasn't worked so far.  Central Africa is RIDDLED with HIV/AIDS, famine, AND warfare...and their population is mushrooming.

Because we have the fucking PeaceCorp and Red Cross over there trying to fix things.

Or, you know, evolution could very well be breeding the next variation.

Like I said, you don't fix a famine by feeding people.  You fix a famine by having the population drop to a sustainable level.