Thomas Malthus gave rise to discussion over population. As we know, the planet’s population has been on the rapid increase since industrialism. In the past half century alone, the global population has doubled. Malthusianism is the concept that the human population may grow exponentially, but our food growth is linear. Of course this leads to the train of thought that we must prepare for and try to avoid overpopulation. Now to negate these ideas, Henry George suggested that things such as poverty and starvation are not a flaw with population size, but rather the flaw of man in not providing for itself. Nature is not what is failing us- we are.
I’m sure it will come as no shock to the class that I am on the side of George on this issue. The more people we have on the planet, the more hands we have to provide labor. With today’s current population, there are over 800 million people going hungry. Malthus may very well blame this fact on the concept of overpopulation. This could be valid, if large portions of our population haven’t gone hungry throughout all of history. But obviously humanity is not new to hunger. The reason for poverty and things of this nature is not that there are too many of us, it’s that the resources we have are not allocated to everyone. Tons and tons of food is wasted in the US each year. This food could very easily feed a homeless man. Or all the homeless men and women. By blaming it on individuals’ decisions on reproducing, we are taking the same path of reasoning as eugenicists and those who think it is within their right to control the entire world’s population.
Weekly Summary
Sept. 9- Essay
Sept 9- Comment on California wildfire post
Sept 9- Comment on questions
Total points this semester- 17 I believe?
I don't disagree, there's a dangerous slippery-slope lurking whenever the question of population control is raised. The specter of eugenics is haunting, the spectacle of forced hysterectomies is ugly. But it's just not feasible long-term, is it, to continue crowding the planet before we've gotten a handle on the present inequities of market maldistribution and oligopoly? Predictions from 50 years ago of a "population bomb" may have been premature but I don't think they were fundamentally incorrect, so long as the rich get richer and the income-and-opportunity gap grows wider. I'm all for more people, so long as we're also making sure that there's more equity and justice for all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts, I also do wish that people of power would care more for homeless men and women and their dietary needs. As the rich get richer and care less for others I believe it is unfortunately becoming more and more realistic for local business people to look after their own in their set communities. In my own experience in the restaurant industry, it has been made completely apparent to me that the larger LLC bar/restaurants I have worked for do not mind throwing out perfectly usable non perishable, far from expired food. Where as smaller ma and pa restaurants I have also worked seek out to give leftovers at local homeless shelters.
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