Science Forums 2

[Boerseun]

I think in the very first instance, overpopulation and how to deal with it, will require brutal honesty from all concerned.

For instance, the following:

1) In Africa, fathers are paid "lobola" by suitors for their daughter's hand. "Lobola" could come in many forms; a herd of cattle, a fat sum of money, a fancy car, it doesn't really matter. But this ancient cultural tradition have resulted in men (and their wives) having as many kids as possible, where their daughters are viewed as salable property - seeing as they bring in a handsome income on marriage. Everybody, including the Africans themselves and the Western Liberals who so respect African tradition and culture, should accept the fact that this particular culture is broken. It has no place in the modern world where advanced medical care and attention result in very low infant mortality and very long lifespans (very long relative to life without it). This cultural trait should be relegated to anthropology museums.

2) The same applies to big families in the West, as a result of completely idiotic principles like the Catholic distaste for Birth Control. They are simply wrong, and not in line with reality. People will have sex, and they will have it for recreation - sex for sex's sake. Regardless of what the priest may tell them at mass. With that being the case, you might as well face reality and approve of condoms (and various other means of birth control). Start at the fountainhead - get the Pope to appear in a Durex advert. Use photoshop if you must - the political fallout afterwards will just add fuel to the Catholic's impatience with their church, as it is.

3) Instead of getting the West to supply aid to Africa in the form of tons and tons of food, use the money to establish free vasectomy clinics all over the continent - paired with a massive advertising campaign as to the benefits of getting the snip. Let each couple in Africa have one child - if the child were to die through any form of misfortune, the vasectomy is reversable - the couple can try again. It sounds cold and heartless, but in light of increasing demand for an ever-shrinking pile of resources, it's the way to go.

Matter of fact, give tax-breaks to anybody undergoing a vasectomy after his first child all over the world. Enforce a one-child family policy all over the world, until the population reaches 1 billion. Then maintain a two-child family ad infinitum.

But that's just me.

But like I said, brutal honesty should be the very first step. And to expose cultural idiocies like the African approach where daughters are seen more as tradeable assets than individuals, and the non-sensical catholic approach to birth control, and the American Bible-belter's view of children being a sign of God's blessing where the more you have, the better for God, the better we'll all be off. It should be the very first step.

And hysterics like bitching about a "one-child" policy impeding on your privacy should be viewed in the light of increased resource usage your "privacy" will result in.