Future, what future?

[torc]

All this talk about the future of bushcraft in the chatter section puts me in mind of the
800lb gorilla in the room that nobody in polite society wants to acknowledge.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7996230.stm
http://www.optimumpopulation.org/
Happy trails?...torc.

 

[korvin karbon]

i wonder how long before this goes into political slagging LOL

True, population control is needed, but how? do we stop research into cancer cures? if you want a child should you pay for the right? what about nations that have high birth rates but also high infant mortality rates?

we all know the gorilla is there, we just dont know how to deal with it

 

[Wayland]

I have to admit, I have no kids and although I am a bit sad about that, it does mean I don't have to worry about the kind of world those kids will inherit from us.

Perhaps that might seem a selfish point of view. I don't know, but that's what I've got.

 

[firecrest]

well it isnt really as simple as that. the world can support a billion in the third world much easier than a million in the western world. doesnt america use 25% of the worlds resources and represent only 5% of the population?

 

[John Fenna]

In my teens I decided that I did not wish to father any children - and later when I met the girl who became my wife I told her of my decision before we got married...she still married me!
As I fully expect not to live to any great age (heredity and my lifestyle kind of rule a long old age WELL out of the question!)
I am in the lucky position of not having to worry about the Gorilla!
I hope that things go well for mankind, but my genes stop at this generation...

 

[Iona]

My family often Joke about "when the wave comes", their version of TEOTWAWKI, and the general consensus is that they will all be turning up on my doorstep. My son is, at 7, more capable of looking after himself without being reliant on the trappings of modern society than all of them put together! so maybe, if the harbingers of doom are right, I'm setting him up pretty well!

The thing about population control, and "stopping at 2" is that if all the responsible, well informed people stop having as many children, it just leaves us a badly balanced society overrun with people from families that don't give a **** and are brought up accordingly. So what's the answer? legislation? mmm...

Don't know if that entirely makes sense... does to me though

 

[humblebumble]

it's sad that we've got such advanced control over material and scientific processes, but we're still completely at the mercy of social and psychological processes the majority of people are completely unaware of.

we're just animals really, not really understanding our environment and what we do to it

 

[firecrest]

My family often Joke about "when the wave comes", their version of TEOTWAWKI, and the general consensus is that they will all be turning up on my doorstep. My son is, at 7, more capable of looking after himself without being reliant on the trappings of modern society than all of them put together! so maybe, if the harbingers of doom are right, I'm setting him up pretty well!

The thing about population control, and "stopping at 2" is that if all the responsible, well informed people stop having as many children, it just leaves us a badly balanced society overrun with people from families that don't give a **** and are brought up accordingly. So what's the answer? legislation? mmm...

Don't know if that entirely makes sense... does to me though

well it makes sense but we also see that the more educated people become , the less children they are likely to have, so perhaps the onus is on society to correct this. We can't all get good jobs and rise to the top, but I think if people had more self awareness they wouldnt want loads of kids. a couple of my relatives are a good example - he has an IQ of 160 yet did nothing in life and has had about 8 kids, of which the poor b**gers have mostly raised themselves. Id put the main reason down to never being engaged in education and a parenting style that put no emphasis on education as a way forward.His mother rarely worked and so why shouldnt he do the same?
incidentally a couple of his children have turned out really nice, one has gone to uni to become a social worker because she mostly raised her siblings herself from a young age but I don't hold much hope for some of them.

 

[firecrest]

personally I plan on having children. perhaps its a kind of arrogance - If the human race is to continue, Id rather it were populated with MY genes than other peoples

 

[woof]

No child allowance, for the 3rd or subsequent children, may make people think.

As some(not all) will be relying on the state to pay for their upbringing, and if not getting any money for them makes people think so much the better.

 

[Retired Member southey]

This is why I hold the view that however bad and atrocious death can be, it is a fact that without war, famine, disease and the odd nut job we would be in a much worse position with regards to population suport the whole world over, I am not stating that war crimes and murders are right or justifiable,

 

[Crafty]

I personally believe that if more people done bushcraft, which is something you don't have to be clever to do - so is open to everybody - People would look after nature much better. We live in a society where people try and beat nature but nature will always win, regardlessly - I think as bushcrafters alike - we understand that or we wouldn't be what we are.
On a more practical note, really all we need to do is have one kid instead of having loads - that's all we need to do but unfortunatly far too many people are ignorant and just aren't happy they have spread their genes once and they keep spreading them.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Too true!too true

 

[NatG]

it's a sad fact of life that it is neccessary for people to die in order for others to live.

people aren't designed to live to 110, i'd much rather die at 60 after a happy healthy life than live to 100 having spent morethan half of my life reliant on others, racked with disease, injury etc.

 

[Wallenstein]

Shoot a few scousers, should free some room up for the rest of us

 

[mr dazzler]

I find it incredulous that a supposedly "intelligent" man like Attenborough wants to control human population "to protect wildlife" Absolutely amazing. He must be scraping the barrel-bottom to try to find a palatable rationalisation to justify the popularisation of eugenic doctrines and methods. And anyway, If he is that keen why doesnt he take a cyanide pill? Or if he gets sick why doesnt he lay down and die? He must be one of those deep green closet eugenicists after all. Its astounding that a TV presenter is somehow imbued with the status of venerable expert just because he has travelled for years around the world making films of animals.
Look at 3rd reich germany with their flaxen haired blue eyed beauties, the nazi state decided which social groups would be phased out and who would be permitted to continue reproducing ? If you go down that route you will have conflict, and "winners" (and losers) LOL as if we dont have that already. It always strikes me that the people who talk the most about the need for eugenics in their society, (eugenics is what the Optimum Population Trust really stands for as no-one will readily give up their freedom to reproduce while others are still permitted to do so) always seem to think it shouldnt apply to themselves.....but only to the "wrong" types So you inevitably get a power struggle to see who is the master race......

 

[Retired Member southey]

I don't think we or anyone else needs to do any thing to control population or types there of, it should control itself, too dense? have a mass epidemic, to small? break out the stella any everyone's a looker.

 

[locum76]

I don't think we or anyone else needs to do any thing to control population or types there of, it should control itself, too dense? have a mass epidemic, to small? break out the stella any everyone's a looker.

I think that's absolutely spot on. I don't think there is anything we can do about overpopulation but wait until nature takes its course. You can take steps to soften the blow for you and your kin and thats about it.

 

[gunslinger]

it's a sad fact of life that it is neccessary for people to die in order for others to live.

people aren't designed to live to 110, i'd much rather die at 60 after a happy healthy life than live to 100 having spent morethan half of my life reliant on others, racked with disease, injury etc.

Easy to say when you are 18,I wonder if your views will remain as you get nearer to that 60.

GS

 

[Retired Member southey]

I'm nearly half way there(a couple of weeks to go NOOOOOO!) and just had kids, and I still would rather go when at the end of my "useful" life, now I don't mean no longer work worthy but before i become a burden on anyone family or state. I won't put an number on what age that is, who knows i could still be climbing mountains in my 80's. But i think the ciggies and booze will put stop to any hopes of loooooong life, i'll be happy to be done at 60-70ish.