Yes, all others equally contemptuous of a common mans view, shuffle off to Tony Ryan's internet site for pseudo-intellectual snits. What a dill. First he has nothing but disrespect for OLO and it's posters then he comes back to recruit a couple of what one can only assume are in his opinion, near thinkers. I hope you fellows feel complimented. I can only repeat. What a dill.

Bushbred,

Good idea and all the MUslims from the middle east can all leave Europe,Australia and America and go back to to the Middle East and that would free up even more land to bring the Jews to the West.

I thought the Jews originated more from the middle east going back to biblical times than they did from the West anyway.

Sigh; I guess its up to the West AGAIN, to solve the problems of the world, especially the prolems of overpopulation bought on in these religious fundamentalist countries where the people will not stand up to the priests and build family planning and health clinics for their women and then selfishly want to overrun everyone elses countries becuase they are running out of space.

colinsett

You may want to add the fundamentalist muslim clerics, as well as George Bush and the Vatican to your list of those fighting the rights of women to have access to family planning.

Don't forget the clerics like priests of any religion live off the funds they get to run muslim schools and mosques from their congregations.

Shiek Hilali derives his wages from the funds poured into Muslim schools by his supporters.
No wonder he wants to control womens fertiliy.

At last!! The "Dead Elephant in the lounge room" discussion on population is getting an airing. Why is this not "Top of the Bill"? Why are we still talking about band aid issues like more food production and saving the starving millions when blind Freddy can see that we will just get more of the same.

We need action on pulling the teeth of the "Men in Dresses with Pointy or Rag Hats" control freaks and the patriarchal control mechanisms in these stultifying religions where belief in God has been replaced by "I will will tell you what God wants you to do"!

When are we going to give women control over fertility, education and a life expectancy.

Our poor environment can no longer support us and we are losing "choice" in what we and all people can do. We do NOT have to go and shoot everyone like some morons espose, just set in motion the gentle wheels of change and give out free contraception to ALL women and men TO USE IF THEY WISH.

Choice and education is what it is all about.

Rhian,

Perhaps you should read Gasana's article about his own country where he was Minister for Agriculture before dismissing overpopulation. Grain production in Rwanda rose from an average of around 200 thousand metric tonnes in the 1960s to a peak of about 375 thousand in the 1980s. It then fell sharply over the 1990s back to about 175 thousand metric tonnes right before the genocide. Production was this low at times in the early 1960s, but there were less than half as many people. See the graph at

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/grain_production_in_rwanda

Of course, not being a mindreader, I can't prove that the population increased because there was more food, but it seems extremely likely. Children have economic value in pre-industrial societies, both in terms of child labour and support in old age (touched on by Tony Ryan). However, a point is eventually reached when scarcity of land or other vital resources means that not even child slave labour can raise production enough to pay for itself and population growth stops (by various means, often brutal). ZPG is actually the natural state of mankind. See Virginia Abernethy's book 'Population Politics' for references on this.

Population growth will also stop if you make people rich. Developed countries need a high quality work force, so cannot allow parents to profit from child labour or keep their adult children under their thumbs. Most people can satisfy their love of children with small families. Global population is just too large to make everyone rich, though.

Guy V,
"When are we going to give women control over fertility, education and a life expectancy."

What? Men are at the root of world population levels?

Speaking of moronic Ideas. Why should I give a woman control over my genetic contribution to human reproduction. Have you so totally caved to neo-feminist misandry that you no longer feel capable of a personal sexual decision. Are you so disconnected from your sex that you see it and yourself, men, as the enemy of the female sex.

How about this. Every man and woman, as a cognitive, sentient being takes full and complete responsibility for their actions.

Or does that leave you with out an excuse and some one to blame for the personal mismanagement of your life decisions?