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Okay, I am not going to gain any points on this one, but I have to say it, anyway.
I didn't have children because it hasn't been green for decades, and anyone who pays attention could see that we just don't need anymore people.
Funny how people talk about all the great things we've achieved, but if you look at the world's history, we've only been here in the last thirty seconds of the world's hour -- and nearly destroyed it in the process.
I wish everyone would stop breeding for two generations, just to give the remaining species, and the earth a bit of a chance to recover. Heck, I'd be pleased if they'd just restrict themselves to one child. It isn't like the kid could ever have a chance to be alone, anyway. Everywhere I go, I see families with three -- or MORE.
We should cut the tax deductions and public benefits after the first child.
What do you mean? Do you believe that children are a curse?
Just a little humor. To me they are like a curse, but obviously they are necessary for our species to survive. Doesn't mean I want to be anywhere near them, though.
Okay, I am not going to gain any points on this one, but I have to say it, anyway.
I didn't have children because it hasn't been green for decades, and anyone who pays attention could see that we just don't need anymore people.
Funny how people talk about all the great things we've achieved, but if you look at the world's history, we've only been here in the last thirty seconds of the world's hour -- and nearly destroyed it in the process.
I wish everyone would stop breeding for two generations, just to give the remaining species, and the earth a bit of a chance to recover. Heck, I'd be pleased if they'd just restrict themselves to one child. It isn't like the kid could ever have a chance to be alone, anyway. Everywhere I go, I see families with three -- or MORE.
We should cut the tax deductions and public benefits after the first child.
Many governments around the world are worrying about the exact opposite-how to get their citizens to breed more. The world population will peak around 2050 and start to decline according to projections. In almost all developing countries the birthrates are below replacement levels-I think you notice large families more because you have a disdain for them.
That's fine you didn't have any kids, of course that means the next generation won't be taught your ideals as much also. But to judge families for having 3 kids doesn't make anyone see your side of the argument. You are like the street evangelist calling down damnation on everyone and are about as effective at getting people to see your point of view.
You should realize, it doesn't matter what a bunch of hippies in the Western world do about population control-I think you should visit the Arab world, India or Africa to get some perspective on your so-called population problem in America.
Oh, and the one child policy is actually in effect here in China so maybe you would be more comfortable here. It is enforced by fines, forced abortions and sterilization. It has also led to a huge gender imbalance because of families' preference for males.
Dave, it seems you've read quite a bit into my post, in a very derogatory view. You are entitled to your opinion, but your comments were injust.
Quote:
Originally Posted by decafdave
You are like the street evangelist calling down damnation on everyone and are about as effective at getting people to see your point of view.
If you go back and read my quote, I made no attempt to damn anyone. I answered the post. We humans have ridden quite rough-shod over the planet and its other inhabitants. That shouldn't be a surprise to you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by decafdave
You should realize, it doesn't matter what a bunch of hippies in the Western world do about population control-I think you should visit the Arab world, India or Africa to get some perspective on your so-called population problem in America.
I don't know any hippies, nor would I fit in that category. I believe my comments addressed a world population, not the Americas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by decafdave
Oh, and the one child policy is actually in effect here in China so maybe you would be more comfortable here. It is enforced by fines, forced abortions and sterilization. It has also led to a huge gender imbalance because of families' preference for males.
Again, back to my post, I said " I'd be pleased if they'd just restrict themselves to one child." I did not say anything about policies, laws, etc.
Your criticisms are welcome, when they speak to the post, but not when you manufacture ill intent that was not there to begin with.
Perhaps you should order some of that ale, and put your feet up ~ relax a little.
Location: Upstate NY for now. Hanover, New Hampshire come the fall.
99 posts, read 153,390 times
Reputation: 64
Children are a blessing, not a curse. I cannot understand why so many in the green movement(among other places) seem to want to portray children(and, by proxy, the human race) as a blight on the planet.
They say that its because they want to solve a problem. The world is in bad shape, they say. If we control our population more stringently we could solve more problems, they say.
And yet they fail to realize that the sources for said solutions are going to come not from their generation, but from the next generation. As an 18 year old, I realize it probably won't even by my own generation that solves these problems, but my children's. Society needs numerous young, vibrant minds to face new problems and overcome them. If we decide to cut down the number of children we have just so we can ensure that there are fewer of us, then we essentially guarantee that the ideas and mindsets we have individually for the future are carried by fewer, if any, people.
I'm not saying that everyone should just go willy nilly. Some people feel 2 or fewer kids is right for them. That's fine. Some people insist on 4 or more. That's fine to. But I am saying that, for the sake of the future, it might not actually be beneficial for so many educated, intelligent people(arguably, our best and our brightest) to insist on passing fewer of their genes onto the next generation. They should remember that they probably won't be around to solve many of the great problems we all foresee today. It will be up to however many successors they leave behind to do that.
A while back, I read this on a website (am looking for the link) that one of the top 10 ways to be green is to have fewer kids, better yet, to choose to not have kids! I don't know what to think. I see the point of less waste, etc. It sounds nice and practical on the surface. But in reality, having a child is an emotional decision. Isn't it?
I'd love to hear what you all think. Would you choose to have fewer children, or not have any just because it is GREEN thing to do?
I think that being green is quite irrelevant to the choice of having children or not!
Children are a blessing, not a curse. I cannot understand why so many in the green movement(among other places) seem to want to portray children(and, by proxy, the human race) as a blight on the planet.
Do you think human beings are good for this planet? Is there anything you can think of that would be worse off if not for humans?
(I'm asking genuinely. I'm trying to think of a way the planet has benefited from us, and I'm drawing a blank)
Last edited by Lamplight; 07-29-2009 at 06:07 PM..
Location: Upstate NY for now. Hanover, New Hampshire come the fall.
99 posts, read 153,390 times
Reputation: 64
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamplight
Do you think human beings are good for this planet? Is there anything you can think of that would be worse off if not for humans?
(I'm asking genuinely. I'm trying to think of a way the planet has benefited from us, and I'm drawing a blank)
We've certainly made the planet far more vibrant and productive than any other one in the galaxy. If you like life, and enjoy seeing life, then you can't argue that Earth hasn't benefitted from human inhabitance in that way.
Granted, not all of this visible life is so wonderful to look. There is poverty, and there are wars, and there are just humans who a times are just plain cold to one another. But at the same time, there are many more visible aspects of human life on this planet that are enjoyable, aspects that I believe add significantly to the vibrance of Earth as a whole.
If you like life, and enjoy seeing life, then you can't argue that Earth hasn't benefitted from human inhabitance in that way.
Granted, not all of this visible life is so wonderful to look. There is poverty, and there are wars, and there are just humans who a times are just plain cold to one another. But at the same time, there are many more visible aspects of human life on this planet that are enjoyable, aspects that I believe add significantly to the vibrance of Earth as a whole.
To make these statements, you must discount the destroyed habitats and over-hunting that has led to the extinction of hundreds of thousands of species. The only life we've promoted is our own.
I've read first hand accounts from explorers into uninhabited territories that described the wildlife they encountered. Now, those areas are virtually barren, even if the landscape looks pretty much the same -- though often we've destroyed that, too.
We are like rats that continue to breed until we are crawling on top of one another, fighting for the last scrap of food, mired in our own waste, carrying pestilence and spewing toxins wherever we fall.
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We've NOT been Green for DECADES
