[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: Yuri receives hypocrite of the week award (was Re: Ecological Economics and Entropy)



Yuri Kuchinsky (yuku@io.org) wrote:

: You're right, my marshmallow-for-brains friend. I have spent many years in
: the poor and overpopulated 3rd world countries, and feel kind of emotional
: about all the suffering that goes on there.

I agree with Yuri.  It is heartbreaking to see the suffering that is
the consequence of overpopulation and poverty.  How much technology
has done to generally improve the state of the world has little
meaning for someone who is suffering here and now.  I don't deny that
today there are more people enjoying a comfortable existence than ever
before.  But that brings the suffering of a billion in even more sharp
relief.  I feel that that suffering is meaningless, dehumanizing and
stupid.  I believe that if it were in the interests of the powerful of
this world, they would be able to solve the problem without major
disruption in their lifestyles.  Yet they don't do that.  I suspect
that ultimately, it is a rational choice by the movers and shakers.
If the third world were to prosper, it would hurt the interests of the
first world.  That is an unsupported hypothesis.  

Yet, I am forced to conclude that because I don't see any reason why
the population explosion of the world cannot be halted humanely with
the application of known technology and a few billion dollars.  I
believe that as long as the third world continues to have near
subsistence level surplus population, wages would be sufficiently
depressed so that labor intensive goods can be imported cheaply from
there by the first world.  And corruption and greed on the part of the
'leaders' of the third world would ensure a steady military struggle
which would require the imports of armaments from the first world and
continue the cycle of poverty and dependence. 

I don't doubt that the third world deserves every misfortune that it
is prey to.  They are revealed to be weak and stupid.  Darwinian
selection would take care of them in the not too long term.  Yet I
feel for the children who are born blameless and then grow up to
contribute to the mess that is the third world.

Wish I had the power to force the world leaders to live under grinding
poverty and hunger for just a month.  And the people who are so good
at arithmetic to live on an empty stomach for 3 days - I wonder how
comforted they will be by the thought that although they are hungry,
there are more people living well today than ever before in the history
of mankind.

Atanu



Follow-Ups: References: