The growth curves of the human population in the textbook indicate that the plan

Question

The growth curves of the human population in the textbook indicate that the planet's population will eventually exceed the "carrying capacity" of the land. This is an obvious problem. When we do exceed the carrying capacity, lots of people will die. But, nobody dies from "overpopulation." People die from malnutrition, disease, floods, typhoons, and other natural disasters.
1. Technical problem: It is technologically and economically impossible (nor politically attractive) to feed all of the world's people at the present time.

2. Economic problem: Even if we could raise enough food and transport it to the starving people, who would pay for it?
3. Public policy problem: The optimal desired family size is 3. The socially elite are reducing the sizes of their families, but the poor keep having more and more children. Can a government expect the developed countries to keep feeding their starving masses if they refuse to mandate a maximum family size?

4. Moral problem: If we manage to feed the present starving generation, and they proceed to have families of 8 children, who feeds the next generation?

;We have now squarely to face this paradox.....We have increased human hunger by feeding the hungry. We have increased human suffering by healing the sick. We have increased human want by giving to the needy. It is almost impossible for us to face the fact that this is so. The truth comes as a shocking discovery for we have all been brought up in the Christian tradition in which caring for the least of our brethren has been counted the highest virtue." Rev. Duncan Howlett, All Souls Church, Washington, D.C., December 6, 1969.

.....no nation should be offered food, financial, or technical assistance without full political commitment to an aggressive program of population control by means acceptable within its own culture." Philip Handler, President, U. S. National Academy of Sciences, July, 1975.

This week's question:
Do you agree with those two statements? If so, why? If not, what do you think should be our policy regarding giving food and aid to the starving peoples of the world? Do we keep feeding them forever? Do we force them to practice birth control?

Explanation / Answer

As with any groups or individual; people tend to give out of their abundance. America currently should take care of itself first. Remember the old cliche; "Charity beings at home".

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