destiny wrote:In modern days, the result of each household having so many kids is large scale poverty.
Large scale poverty seems to be the cause of people having so many kids. As soon as you beef up health, living conditions and wealth, the amount of kids people have goes down dramatically after a generation or two.
Besides, I kinda doubt the amount of people has anything to do with poverty anyway. Having huge numbers of people seemed to help China's economy no end, while Australia's last Prime Minister went around telling women to have "3 children- one for mum, one for Dad, and one for the Australian Economy" or something to that effect.
In any case, world population is expected to peak around 2050, which is nowhere near any hypothetical Malthusian limits to population growth. The problems with population growth- environmental degradation and there not being enough food to get around, mainly- aren't to do with the inability of the world to look after the amount of people we have. It's to do with the methods we use to do so.
Tsukatu wrote:I think many people agree with you, but we're all iffy about actually trying to implement this idea. I mean, what are you going to do? Start executing everyone over a certain age? Neutering the poor (as Mother Theresa championed in India back in the 80's)? I also bet you that plenty of people would oppose any regulations, no matter how sensible, if it conflicted with their desire to die of natural causes, surrounded by their hundreds of fat grandkids.
Sure, limiting the amount of children isn't going to happen outside of an authoritarian government. There's other stuff you can do, though. Say- education on birth control in the 3rd World, free condoms for all, that kind of thing. Besides. I REALLY want to see the government add campaign encouraging people to breed less.
