From: yohan@shadow.ksu.ksu.edu (Jonathan W Newton)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism
Subject: Re: Overpopulation
Date: 3 Sep 1992 10:11:17 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: shadow.ksu.ksu.edu


In article <laa18gINNpi8@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, emarsh@hernes-sun.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Marsh) writes:
>In article <182hevINN5sg@sam.ksu.ksu.edu> yohan@sam.ksu.ksu.edu (Jonathan W Newton) writes:
>>
>>First, I don't see why the people against overpopulation care.  I'm guessing that
>>they are all from the U.S., which is barely affected by overpopulation, domestic
>>or foreign.
>
>From my perspective, the very fact that you ask this question shows a
>rather selfish mindset. You are in essence saying, If overpopulation 
>doesn't effect me, why should I care? 

Of course I have a selfish mind set, ask graham mathews.  If you want to start a
thread about the virtues of selfishness, just give the word.  

>
>If I had your mindset, I guess I'd become a Republican. However, I 

Being a republican depends on what tax bracket you are in.  Furthermore, if you
are in the uper 5-10%, I'd argue that voting republican would hurt you in the
long term.  Along these lines, IMHO we should be helping to develop economic
infrastracture in 3rd world nations, since sharing the wealth can be a long term
advantage.  If overpop is an iumpediment, THEN deal with it.

>believe that as a member of a society one has a certain obligation to
>improving the well being of members of that society. I consider myself
>to be a world citizen, and as such I believe I have an obligation to
>try to improve the quality of life of all living creatures of this 
>world that I'm a member of, if I can do so in some way.

Isn't that sweet.  So, are you a member of peace corps?  Did you cry when
communism fell?  Are you a member of the socialist party?  Are you really going
all out to rectify social inequality around the world or do you just claim to
care to give yourself warm fuzzies?


>
>>Secondly, if you think foreign overpopulation is hurting the environment, that
>>damage is nothing compared to the damage done by industrialized nations with 
>>low population growth.  There are much more important things to bitch about that
>>foreign overpopulation in an environmental light.
>
>Yes, overpopulation is hurting our environment. I define overpopulation
>as a population that is not sustatinable. I guess that means that we
>are overpopulated too.

You still don't answer my question.  If you really cared about the environment,
you'd start with voting Bush out of office, and get someone who will hammer down
on industrialized nations.  If you think we are overpopulated, you couldn't be
more mistaken.  The U.S. has near 0% pop growth, and will always have a food
surplus.  The U.S. will never go hungry.


>
>>Third, you're probably going to get your wish, because aids will devistate the
>>3rd world.
>
>Not the way I'd like things to be, but I guess that if humanity can not
>manages its own affairs, nature will do that for us.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LOSS OF HUMANITY???  How can you live with the thought?  So
it's a mortal sin for man to ignore the problems of his neighbors, but it is ok
for "nature" to totally ream the majority of humankind.

>
>>Jon Newton
>
>Eric


Jon Newton