X-Message-Number: 22709
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 08:48:50 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #22705 - #22707

Well, everybody, I guess I must log in to the discussion about
population.

The first point is that many European countries aren't producing
enough children to replace their numbers. Though I don't have the
statistics, I wouldn't be at all surprized to learn that some ethnic
groups in the US aren't replacing their numbers, too. In Germany,
for instance, ads and other inducements are provided to produce
more children. As an immortalist, I would comment that if a group
doesn't want to see its numbers decrease slowly over time, it
really has TWO choices rather than one: the first and obvious one
is to make more children. The other one is for people to live
longer so that don't need replacement for longer.

And as human beings have lived longer, they have universally
(though with some delay, admittedly) decreased their rate of 
producing children. This has gone on for literally thousands of
years. Not only that, but ALL the small populations of Pacific
islands almost as a matter of course used a form of birth control.
Yes, that form is one many would object to now, but it worked:
they directly or indirectly killed those babies they decided
that their island could not support. And remember that these
were so-called "primitive people". We've got better forms of 
birth control now, but in any rare case in which push comes to
shove, I would expect that the older ways would be used --- no
doubt with lots of excuses and explanation all round. It's called
"child mistreatment" in some circles.

Perhaps unreasonably I am assuming that all this interest in 
Cryonet about overpopulation comes from an implicit belief that
it would interfere with our own immortality. No, it would not,
because population large enough to put a strain on the Earth,
or even on our present lifestyles, just won't happen. Humans
just don't work that way. Yes, some humans can be quite vicious,
and hardly lovable, but the one thing humans do not do is to 
allow too many people to exist.

And yes, I include the former events 30 years ago in India in
what I say, and the present events in Africa, too. Did I say 
that humans were always friendly and nice? As for India, note
that by now it's self-supporting in food.

            Best wishes and long long life to all,

                  Thomas Donaldson

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