Quoting physicist Robert Laughlin - "slowing man-made extinctions in a meaningful way would require drastically reducing the world's population" - Will points out, simply, with a shrug, that population control "will not happen."
Amazing what you can get away with when you get paid to be pompous, judgmental creep. Why bother trying to concoct a sustainable energy strategy, folks? Some scientists say global warming is bogus. And anyway, overpopulation is the real boogeyman, so don't sweat it.
At any rate, George, thank you for finally putting the word "population" into print in a mainstream American publication. So: when do we start the conversation about overpopulation?
The answer is: never. There isn't a politician in the United States, Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, crude or eloquent who will touch the issue of overpopulation. You can't say - hell, you cannot even in some roundabout vaguely esoteric way politely suggest - that perhaps the thousands upon thousands of voting constituents in your district who are thoughtlessly, ignorantly, even unhappily pumping out baby after baby after baby are behaving like losers of the world, permanently mucking up the works. That definitely ain't a recipe for re-election. Calm down, tea-baggers: I don't think Washington is broken. I'm not bagging on politicians for being obsequious cowards who are only interested in their own jobs (and anyways, you idiots are largely responsible for the laughably misguided notion that babies are special). No, I think we are broken. Humans. We are simply, by our nature, selfish, thoughtless, greedy and ignorant.
Before you write me off as the stereotypical old curmudgeon who longs for the days of yore, and wonders what's wrong with the youth nowadays, rest assured: I don't think this is a recent occurrence. I don't think the years I grew up in were better than the present lot. There isn't a century in our species' existence that isn't marked by greed, war, and a thirst for power. Same old shit with this crowd. What I find insulting is that the same people who write off global warming as a hoax, and dodge the issue of overpopulation as unworthy of our attention are the same people preaching love and happiness in the name of christianity and capitalism - two forces with as much destruction and bloodshed in their wake as islam and socialism. Their complete lack of responsible thinking, and intolerance to other points of view, betrays a hypocrisy that I can't even fathom.
So, a couple of points to ponder for the first time in your life:
1) Babies aren't special.
2) Your baby definitely ain't special.
3) The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis is, at best, patently absurd. There's nothing remotely divine about it. It smacks of human convention.
4) It isn't written anywhere that you must procreate. Try doing something more creative with your time.
5) "The miracle of life" is one of the biggest lies perpetrated on humanity, and ought to be abolished as a phrase. A "miracle" is something that rarely happens, that is, in fact, supernatural and divine by nature. 74 million people are born every year. How exactly is this "miraculous?" It's the most common occurrence on the planet.
6) If you spend time on facebook informing people that you have a headache, or are eating out tonight, you are taking advantage of about .001% of what life has to offer. Go travel or read a book, but for God's sake, stop being so shallow.
