Depopulation conspiracy theory

{{bronze}}{{conspiracynav}}
'''[[Conspiracy theories]] about depopulation''' of the [[Earth]] come in a number of flavors. The general theme running through these theories is either that there is an imminent plan to reduce population using an [[overpopulation]] crisis as the pretext, or a secret [[eugenics]] plan [[cover-up]]. The elite thus need to kill off the "'''useless eaters'''" so, in the first case, they survive the crisis and, in the second, they can create either enough robots to replace them, or a new race of obedient super-humans.

=="Useless eaters"==
"Useless eaters" (German: ''Unnütze Esser'') is a term often bandied about by conspiracy theorists. This is supposedly what the heads of the [[New World Order]]/[[Illuminati]]/[[Bilderberg Group|Bilderbergs]]/[[Reptoid]]s/whatever<ref>[http://www.whale.to/b/population.html The Depopulation Conspiracy articles], Whale.to ([[Scopie's Law]] in effect here)</ref> call us in their meetings in smoke-filled rooms while they light their cigars with $100 bills. It is also sometimes used by [[survivalist]]s and wrongly attributed to [[Henry Kissinger]].{{efn|Various crappy [[meme]]tic quote sites have attributed this phrase to Kissinger, sometimes citing the book ''Final Days'' (in which it does not appear).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240725044049/https://quozio.com/quote/3f8653bd/1025-43036/the-elderly-are-useless-eaters-quoted-in-the-book-the-final "The elderly are useless eaters." —&nbsp;quoted in the book 'The Final Days' — Henry Kissinger] ''Quozio'' (archived from July 25, 2024).</ref><ref>''The Final Days'' by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (1976) ISBN 0671222988.</ref> The closest that Kissinger ever came to this phrase was his memorandum to President Nixon regarding the problems of [[overpopulation]], where he neither mentioned "useless" or "eaters".<ref>[https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/virtuallibrary/documents/nssm/nssm_200.pdf National Security Study Memorandum 200] by Henry Kissinger (April 24, 1974) National Security Council (via Nixon Library).</ref>}} It is also commonly ascribed to Ted Turner, [[Adolf Hitler]], and [[Thomas Malthus]]. The term originated in [[Nazi Germany]] during the [[Holocaust]] as "''nutzlose Fresser''", translating to "useless feeders".<ref>[https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/lida-district/winwer20.htm Status of the Jews and Persecution Measures against Jews in the Lida Region to Spring 1942] by Irene Newhouse (2000) ''JewishGen KehilaLinks''.</ref><ref group=note>See [https://web.archive.org/web/20060401030738/http://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/uselesseaters/text/2743414051_1.pdf here.] The German verb for "to eat" is ''essen'' when concerning humans and ''fressen'' (primarily) when concerning animals. ''Nutzlose Fresser'' derives from the latter, giving the phrase highly dehumanizing connotations that are not conveyed by the English translation.</ref> It was first used in reference to the [[Aktion T4|T4 program]] which targeted the terminally ill, the disabled (both physical and mental), mentally ill, and elderly people for "euthanasia".<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/714411/T4-Program T4 Program] by Michael Berenbaum (Last Updated: Nov 7, 2023) ''Britannica''.</ref><ref>''Mass Violence in Nazi-Occupied Europe'', edited by Alex J. Kay & David Stahel (2018) Indiana University Press. {{isbn|025303681X}}.</ref>

==Means of execution==
The [[Genocide|genocidal]] depopulation plan generally involves poisoning or sterilizing people through the use of [[chemtrails]], [[water fluoridation]], or [[Vaccine hysteria|vaccinations]] secretly full of toxins. Agribusiness transnationals like [[Monsanto]] are often implicated in some sort of scheme to monopolize the world's food supply so it can be easily tainted with deadly [[toxin]]s. Just about anything that can be said to involve "[[chemophobia|chemicals]]" can be implicated in this nefarious scheme: vaccines, alleged covert [[geo-engineering]] schemes, [[GM crops|genetically modified food]], etc.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100923084050/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BKO_71dCU4 Geo-Engineering: Killing Off the Useless Eaters], [[Alex Jones]]</ref><ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/07/23/depopulation-by-vaccines/ Depopulation by Vaccines], [[Respectful Insolence]]</ref> Variants of the theory include those with an [[anti-abortion]] tinge who incorporate conspiracy theories about [[Planned Parenthood]], and [[AIDS]] conspiracy theorists who believe AIDS was concocted in a laboratory for the purpose of reducing the population. Another variant, largely attributable to [[Lyndon LaRouche]], has worldwide [[nuclear war]] as part of the conspirators' alleged plan along with a deliberate economic collapse and de-industrialization to force the world back into a "new dark age."

==Bill Gates==

[[Bill Gates]] has been the target of numerous conspiracy theories that portray him as a evil figure orchestrating global depopulation through vaccination programs. On January 21, 2016, the dubious news and conspiracy theory site Your News Wire (now NewsPunch) published an article with the headline "Bill Gates Admits 'Vaccines Are Best Way to Depopulate'".<ref>https://archive.ph/fqvuk</ref> The article opened with a damning assertion: "Bill Gates has openly admitted that vaccinations are designed so that governments can depopulate the world." To support this claim, the site presented a February 2011 video clip of Bill Gates being interviewed by CNN's Sanjay Gupta<ref>https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/hcsg/date/2011-02-05/segment/01</ref> about his foundation's vaccination efforts.

Supporters of these theories often cite this interview, along with a 2010 TED Talk<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaF-fq2Zn7I</ref> where Gates discusses how improving health care, including the use of vaccines, can lead to lower population growth rates. They misinterpret his statements as evidence of a sinister plot to reduce the world's population, alleging that he believes vaccines are dangerous and uses them to harm populations in developing nations.

===Debunking===

This misrepresentation of Bill Gates's words overlooks the fundamental goals of his work and the mission of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

*'''Understanding the demographic transition''': Based on the well-established demographic transition model, Gates made his remarks.<ref>https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/annual-letters/annual-letter-2009</ref> Families in high-child-mortality areas frequently have more children in order to increase the likelihood that some will live to adulthood. Parents might feel more sure that their children will survive thanks to advancements in healthcare and vaccination programs that lower child mortality. Families that choose to have fewer children as a result of this frequently choose to slow down population increase over time. The focus is not on depopulating through damaging means, but rather on preserving life and enhancing quality of life.

*'''Promoting health and empowerment''': The Gates Foundation prioritizes expanding access to education, decreasing poverty, and improving global health.<ref>https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Foundation-Factsheet</ref><ref>https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2011/11/02/the-second-coming-of-bill-gates/</ref> The goal of their investments in reproductive health services, health care infrastructure, and immunizations is to empower people on an individual and community level. Through the provision of information and services, they assist families in making well-informed decisions regarding family planning and health. This promotes healthier societies by supporting women's reproductive rights and providing access to contraception.

*'''Context matters''': Conspiracy theories frequently rely on quotes taken out of context. In his discussion of vaccinations' potential to slow population growth, Gates shows that better health outcomes may influence decisions about the size of a family. His dedication to preserving lives and advancing wellbeing is evident throughout the entirety of his works and lectures. Falsifying these claims overlooks the benefits of Gates Foundation-funded global health projects and misrepresents the Foundation's beliefs.<ref>https://www.gatesnotes.com/2017-Annual-Letter?WT.mc_id=02_14_2017_02_AL2017GFO_GF-GFO_&WT.tsrc=GFGFO</ref>

*'''Scientific consensus supports the approach''': Demographic studies have shown a clear correlation between reduced birth rates and lower rates of child mortality.<ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/346/6206/234?iss=6206</ref> This trend is mostly due to improved access to reproductive services, education, and health care. The Gates Foundation's emphasis on these areas is in line with the body of scientific knowledge regarding the best ways to advance sustainable development and raise living standards around the globe.

==Anti-environmentalist theories==
A number of these theories have an [[anti-environmental]]ist bent. They posit that [[environmentalist]]s are conspiring as some kind of mass [[Gaia hypothesis|Gaia]] [[cult]] to kill off the useless eaters. There is a very tiny [[grain of truth]] here when it comes to the [[hard green|''really'' nutty]] [[ecoterrorism|ecoterrorists]], [[Pentti Linkola]], or movements like the [[Voluntary Human Extinction Movement]], which provide generous amounts of [[Nutpicking|fodder]] for conspiracy sites to use as a means to [[Straw man|paint]] the entire environmental movement as a mass conspiracy. This usually ties into some form of a [[global warming conspiracy theory]] or the idea that fears of [[overpopulation]] are being used as a tactic to implement the depopulation scheme.<ref>[http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=37785 Global Warming Provides Cover for Depopulating the Earth], The "[[Dunning-Kruger effect|Truth]]" Seeker</ref> The {{wpl|Club of Rome}} and their book ''The Limits to Growth'', and Paul R. Ehrlich and his book ''The Population Bomb'' are the convenient punching bags here. This is why you'll hear people online say "You are the Carbon they want to reduce."

==Negative effects==
Supporters of this theory often fail to understand the negative<ref group=note>Or positive, depending on your point of view and the particular context — see next note.</ref> effects of depopulation and low populations. Fewer people will mean a smaller work force, strengthening the hand of those remaining, resulting in friction between labour and management.<ref group=note>An example of this was [[Europe]] in the aftermath of [[Middle Ages#The Black Death|The Black Death]] where population decline resulted in a weakening of [[feudalism]] as peasants' and serfs' bargaining power vis-a-vis the [[aristocracy]] increased, which is probably only a bad thing if you happen to be an aristocrat or a [[Neoreactionary movement|neoreactionary]].</ref> There will be fewer soldiers to have a strong military, meaning it will become harder to adequately maintain the safety of society. Above all, though, is that with fewer people, the structure of government would grow unstable, and would eventually collapse.

Economically, there would be consequences as well. This is provably true in places like Japan, whose negative population growth is contributing to its current economic woes.<ref group=note>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031225142439/http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/popdecline/Katsumata.pdf The United Nations is concerned with Japan's low population.] [[Irony|Ironic]], considering how many depopulation conspiracy theorists believe the [[United Nations|UN]] to be either a part of or the main instigator of the conspiracy.</ref>

These effects pose a big question: why would a government seek to heavily depopulate the planet when doing so is provably harmful to its interests and a healthy existence? If they really do desire this, then the answer would have to be that they're [[Masochism|gluttons for punishment]].

==Arguments against depopulation conspiracy theories==
Governments (intelligent ones) have implemented policies and practices to encourage population growth or discourage it. In America, for example, the more children people have, the more benefits the parents are entitled to. That makes one wonder why a government that's supposedly involved in some grand plot to depopulation is trying to get people to have more children and not fewer. Conspiracy theorists are commonly reticent in trying to explain that or wave it off saying it's some kind of cover.

===China's one-child policy===
As for places that discourage it, theorists are more passionate in demeaning places like [[China]], citing their policies as central to the depopulation plot. In [[China]]'s case, their attempts to curtail the population were caused, rather humorously, by the government of [[Mao Zedong]] in encouraging its citizens to have as many children as possible. Their strategies often included discouraging the use of birth control to the point they banned the import of contraceptives into their country. The eventual baby boom naturally resulted in overpopulation. By the 1960s, China's food supply was struggling to maintain the influx of new children. This, together with failures in crop management, is one of the main reasons behind the infamous 1962 famine that resulted in the deaths of approximately 30 million people.

In a desperate attempt to get the population back down to a stable, healthy level that they could handle, the government began to use propaganda urging citizens to limit the number of children they had. The government, desperate to end its overpopulation problem, enacted the [[one-child policy]] to forcefully bring its population back down to a stable level.<ref>[http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1912861,00.html Time - A Brief History of China's One-Child Policy]</ref> This desperate move was met with very negative consequences for the population, resulting in the birth rate falling to a below stable level. Further problems emerged once the first generation born under the one-child policy came of age, such as a lack of a stable workforce and an imbalanced ratio of men to women; able to have only one child, families were likely to favor boys as future breadwinners who could provide for their parents, with girls either [[Abortion|aborted]], abandoned, or put up for adoption in the West.<ref>''All Things Considered'': [http://www.npr.org/2015/10/30/453217108/how-chinas-one-child-policy-transformed-u-s-attitudes-on-adoption "How China's One-Child Policy Transformed U.S. Attitudes On Adoption."] ''[[NPR]]'', 30 October 2015 (recovered 9 December 2016).</ref> These problems resulted in the one-child policy being revised to grant more leeway to encourage more births.<ref>[http://www.cnbc.com/id/101120068 CNBC - China economy to ride on changes to one-child policy]</ref> When this didn't work, the Chinese government at last relented and raised the maximum amount of children to an even number of two.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/29/asia/china-one-child-policy/index.html - CNN - China one-child policy to end]</ref> And when ''that'' didn't work either, they are now raising the number to ''three''.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57303592 China allows three children in major policy shift], ''BBC''</ref>

This change of mind raises a question: if places like China wanted to depopulate the planet so badly, why wouldn't they remain adamant in not changing their policies? Such actions show that governments definitely do not want overpopulation ''or'' underpopulation. They need a stable population if they are to survive.

===Still not convinced governments want balanced populations?===
Governments have taken other extreme measures to combat low populations as well. A notable example is Russia's infamous tax on childless persons enacted during the reign of [[Joseph Stalin]] — yes, you read that right, ''that'' Stalin — to financially strong-arm people to procreate to boost its low birthrate. The government even went so far as to give medals and honorary titles to women for having large families.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20060721045951/http://www.soviet-awards.com/medals26.htm</ref> The policy, despite its unpopularity amongst an already miserable populace, was a resounding success. It was so successful that it caused Russia's birthrate to exceed the government's initial expectations. Satisfied that the population was stable once more, the government phased out the tax, not to mention many of the benefits that came with having lots of children.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111216011449/http://russiaprofile.org/culture_living/a1283189627/print_edition/ Russia Profile - Childfree at a Price]</ref>

The currently deteriorating conditions after the fall of the Soviet Union have caused birthrates to plunge again. The idea of bringing back the tax was again put on the table in 2006 with [[Vladimir Putin]], adding that women should be paid more money to have a second child.<ref>[http://english.pravda.ru/russia/economics/15-09-2006/84467-childless-0/ Pravada.ru - Childless Russian families to pay taxes for their social inaction]</ref> To the relief of the childless and childfree in the country, these plans have not been put into effect. They are in a holding pattern, however, given the still-decreasing birthrate.

Other governments have gone even further in their attempts to have stable populations. [[Nazi Germany]] began a campaign to quell the low birthrate that preceded its rise to power and which existed during its infancy. Besides giving out benefits to people who gave birth, the government banned and heavily punished abortion, homosexuality, and the use of contraception. Death was one of the most extreme punishments delivered. Women's rights were [[Kinder, Küche, Kirche|heavily curtailed]] in order to push them into the role of mother and homemaker, and the rights and benefits of childless people were greatly diminished, resulting in people, especially women, being legally bullied to have children. Those who did comply often got tremendous benefits, including, like in the Soviet Union, medals for raising large families.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Honour_of_the_German_Mother</ref>

And if these past examples aren't evidence enough that governments don't want populations getting too small, the government of [[Iran]] previously encouraged people to have less children starting around 1989 to combat a boom in their population lasting from 1976-1996. The policies have until now been successful, resulting in a noticeably smaller birthrate. The government has since been cutting funding to the programs to facilitate lower birthrates to boost what they feel is a population too small for their liking. For example: vasectomies, once free, have ended due to the government cutting moneyflow.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2014/0515/Iran-ends-free-vasectomies-with-maximum-baby-push</ref> The government plans to go even further, showing very keen interest in banning vasectomies altogether and making it tougher, if not near-impossible, for women to get abortions and people to use contraceptives.<ref>http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/15/iran-ban-vasectomies-birthrate</ref>

Japan's birthrate reached an all-time low in 2005, prompting the creation of a ministerial bureau in the Cabinet Office to specifically address the issue. The Ministry of State for Declining Birthrate and Gender Equality believes greater gender equality in the workplace to be the most effective method of encouraging births, and promotes tax reductions and longer periods of paid leave following the birth of a child.<ref> https://web.archive.org/web/20110514100659/http://www.dijtokyo.org/publications/WP0604-%20Schad.pdf</ref>

===So what does that all mean?===
That isn't the kind of behavior that governments display if they are intent on depopulation. Many of the aforementioned governments specifically are infamous for being authoritarian states, yet they always strove to have stable populations rather than engage in depopulation. This brings us back full circle to the previously established fact that, without a stable population, governments will suffer. But it shows that they do have one provably real agenda going on, and that is a stable population agenda.

A depopulation plot, all things considered, doesn't seem at all likely.

===Historical cases of rapid population collapse===
During the years 1346 to 1353, the Black Death claimed the lives of 75 to 200 million people in Europe and the Mediterranean, reducing populations by 30-60%.<ref>Benedictow, Ole J. [http://www.historytoday.com/ole-j-benedictow/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever "The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever."] ''History Today'', Volume 55 Issue 3 March 2005 (recovered 20 January 2017).</ref> Such a scenario would be to the benefit of the ruling elites, right? Instead, it marked the death knell for the [[Feudalism|feudal system]]. The massive labor shortage caused by the plague meant that peasants had more land, craftsmen had fewer competitors, new labor-saving technologies spread to compensate for the loss of so much of the labor force, and feudal lords had to compete for peasants' loyalty lest they switch allegiance to a new lord offering a better deal, while the [[Roman Catholic Church]] faced a severe crisis in confidence as [[prayer]] seemed wholly ineffective at stopping the ravages of the plague.<ref>[https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/plague/effects/social.php "Social and Economic Effects of the Plague."] ''Decameron Web'' (recovered 20 January 2017).</ref> The Europe that emerged from the Black Death was not the old one that had been dominated by the elites of the medieval era, but conversely, one with a leveled playing field where the elites' power was sharply curtailed, and where agricultural, industrial, economic, religious, and intellectual revolutions loomed around the bend.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/10/economic-history-1 "Economic history: Plagued by dear labour."] ''[[The Economist]]'', 21 October 2013 (recovered 20 January 2017).</ref>

Huh… you'd think that, instead of depopulation, the elites would instead want [[overpopulation]] so as to create a world where the teeming masses are too busy fighting each other for what little scrap of the world's finite resources they can grasp in order to put up any serious resistance to their masters… oh my God, [[Alex Jones]] has got it all wrong! The elites aren't trying to kill us, they want more of us! They want a massive pool of slave labor that competes against itself so that it can't press a united front! And they spread false conspiracy theories to blind truth-seekers and get them to swallow their agenda without realizing it! Oh my God, it's the perfect plan! Everybody, remove your blinders! Protect [[contraception]] and [[abortion]] rights! Support education, sanitation, health care, urbanization, and stability in the developing world so that families don't feel like they're forced to have ten kids in order to see two survive to adulthood! [[Feminism|Smash the patriarchy]] so that women aren't treated as brood-mares and forced to pump out more slaves! Do your part to fight the NWO's overpopulation agenda, where we'll all be herded into pens like cattle and force-fed [[Fun:Soylent Green|Soylent Green]] as our meager ration for our labor!

''[[Wake up|WAKE UP]], [[Sheeple|SHEEPLE]][[Law of exclamation|!!!!!!!!!!]]''<ref group=note>Sarcasm over... ''or is it?''</ref>

===But what if there's really a plan?===
If there's an evil plot, then the governments involved are obviously quite happy to commit suicide. People are the greatest and most invaluable resources governments depend upon. As already established, too many or too few human beings are devastating, given the numerous ill-effects both scenarios have, which is why governments do whatever they can to ensure birthrates remain normal. Furthermore, as governments have grown in size in reflection of growing populations, lowering populations would naturally have an inverse effect. There would be less people to run the government and keep it running smoothly. Hardly the situation people in positions of authority want, considering their power diminishes too.

So even supposing they are involved in plans to enact depopulation, it's a guarantee that the nation they end up with once successful will be a damn small one lacking power and clout.

==Possible origins==
Fears of this sort may have been stoked by [[science fiction]] such as the 1973 film ''Soylent Green'', the 1976 film ''Logan's Run'', by Garrett Hardin proposing rich [[West]]ern nations practice "[[lifeboat ethics]]" in refusing immigration ([[Irony|not a very liberal view]], eh?), and by real examples of governments which put radical depopulation into practice, such as [[Pol Pot]]'s [[Cambodia]] between 1975-1979. However, as a conspiracy theory, the scope of the depopulation plan is global, with various conspirators (the Rockefellers, the Club of Rome, the [[Jews]], [[Henry Kissinger]], [[British]] royalty) claimed to be secretly working to reduce the world population by as much as 80 percent.

==See also==
*[[Genocide conspiracy]]: A variation claiming that depopulation is being targeted at specific racial/ethnic groups that They see as a threat.
*[[Georgia Guidestones]]: A mysterious monument calling for, among other things, the world population to fall below 500,000,000 people.
*[[HIV/AIDS denialism]]: There is some overlap between depopulation conspiracy believers and people who believe AIDS is a government-created mechanism for depopulation.
*[[Pacte de famine]]: The idea's French predecessor.

==External links==
*[http://www.rense.com/general78/philo.htm The Philosophy of Useless Eaters] at [[Jeff Rense|Rense]] (Warning: Toxic levels of [[bullshit]])

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Abortion]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]
[[Category:Environmentalism]]
[[Category:Genocide]]
[[Category:Neologisms]]
[[Category:Anti-vaccination movement]]

Categories: Abortion, Conspiracy theories, Environmentalism, Genocide, Neologisms, Anti-vaccination movement