Posts Tagged ‘Proudhon’
Population explosion? Will demographic reach a steady-state level? Part 1
Posted by: adonis49 on: June 11, 2011
Population explosion? Will demographic reach a steady-state level? Part 1
Amazing, Thomas Robert Malthus wrote in 1798 his “Essay on the principle of population”. He stated: “I think that I can frankly posit two postulates:
First, food is necessary for the existence of mankind; and
Second, the reciprocal passion between the sexes is necessary and will remain as it is today. I say that the multiplication power of people increases geometrically, far greater than the arithmetic increase of food supply. The unbalance of these two multiplication powers have to be equalized to maintain nature law.”
Many deduced that Malthus was proposing eugenics (killing) policies in order for the food production and supply to be sufficient among the surviving people.
For example, the French Proudhon replied in 1848: “Malthus is the one extra man crowding earth. The real problem is in the principle of ownership system (particularly real estates) that propagates unjust power for one class over others”
Karl Marx also was unhappy with Malthus proposal; he wrote:
“Malthus is the enemy of the working classes. Malthus is the insolent sycophant of the ruling classes; he is guilty of committing sins against science and defamatory remarks against the human race. Malthus abstract population law may applies to plant and animal species. With historic human intervention, the problem is no longer over population, but the equitable distribution of wealth.”
These interesting heated debates were fine until earth mankind population reached 3 billion in the 30’s and kept climbing to reach 7 billion in 2011.
A few demographic scientists claim that earth population will stabilize at the number of 9 billion by 2050 and slowly progress to 10 billion in 2150.
Seven billion people is already one too many and a heavy burden, not simply to feed, and feed properly, but on the quality of life mankind is learning to acquire as rights on many levels.
Should a single vegetative individual of the rich classes be expected to live an extra decade at the expense of millions in poorer countries? Due to famine, malnutrition, curable diseases, massive exploitations and mono-agricultural production for the multinationals…
Should only boys be selected to live as it is regularly performed in India and China? Early abortion of girls…
Currently, you have all these people predicting that technologies applied in food production can feed the currently over 7 billion people and will provide for the 9 billion expected in the next three decades.
True, earth is crowded with 7 billion, but in fact, only two billion are living adequately, while 5 billion are barely surviving, and proportionally eating far less than any other animal species.
The surviving 5 billion people are reduced to subsiding on a couple low quality energy ingredients for their daily intake.
True, food production can increase to feed the 7 billion, but why only cows and “clean energy” substitutes are preventing the 5 billion to eat adequately?
In effect, Malthus nature law is effectively being applied: The barely surviving 5 billion people are pressured to believe in religious dogma of accepting their precarious “fate” as nature or divine selection among eligible classes to govern and rule.
Occasionally, people revolted and violently to these stupid dogma and changed political structure for fairer distribution of food or wealth. In general, the power-to-be managed to quell these “self-righteous” uprising that were against divine prescriptions!
Things are changing: Belief systems are changing.
People are very aware of the indignities heaped upon them by elite programs and policies, and are confident of their potentials as equal in intelligence, and in human rights and opportunities.
Food shortages, high food prices, and lack of jobs opportunities are catalysts in these current revolts in the Arab World States, but the main cause is the greater awareness, in this quick transmission of information, that dignity as equal has been trampled, and that grievous injustices have been applied on the common people.
The common people comprehend that the UN “human development indicators” means: It is not acceptable that many classes within a society witness high rate of maternal mortality in giving birth, high rate of infantile mortality, high rate of juvenile (less than 5 year-old) mortality, high rate of adolescent (less than 20 of age) mortality, high rate of inability to read and write…
It is unacceptable that India with double the yearly income of Bangladesh witness a lesser performance than Bangladesh in Human Development Indicators: It is unacceptable that India maintain the social and political structure of the “untouchable” classes as ordered by the Hindu religious clerics.
Every new born among the 7 billion has the odd of 7 to 10 to be raised in a poor country with very low rates in human development indicators.
Famous Manuscripts Banned by the Vatican: (Part 2, April 19, 2009)
Thousands of literary works were indexed by the Vatican from around 1200 to 1966.
Virtually no author was spared indexing. Pascal, Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Rousseau, Kant, Diderot, Stendhal, Lamartine, Hugo, Flaubert, Balzac, Saint-Simon, Proudhon, Zola, Sartre, and even Gide were indexed for part of their work.
Voltaire was the most indexed: each of his manuscripts was automatically indexed before reading it. Voltaire would occasionally sign Ecralinf meaning (Let us crush the despicable infamous Church of Rome).
Ironically, Darwin, Karl Marx, and Hitler were spared INDEXING.
“The Defender of Peace” by Marsile of Padua (Rector of the University of Paris) is published in 1324 and banned by the Church. The manuscript said that the function of governance does not suit the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) because this urge for domination of the Church is the bane of all discords. Communities should be governed by their own councils.
Baruch Spinoza published “Treaty on Theological-Politics” in 1670. He is excommunicated (herem) by the Jewish Wise Men of the synagogue of Amsterdam and later indexed by the Vatican. Spinoza claimed that the Torah is false, that soul dies with the body, and that God exist only philosophically. Religions instituted a God with 7 main characteristics so that their logical scaffold can hold: God should be One, Unique, Omnipresent, has absolute authority and rights over everything, that obeisance to God consist in justice and charity, that Heaven and Hell are the consequences of our behaviors, and finally that God is forgiving because everyone is a sinner. Faith does not dwell on whether God is fire, spirit, light, or thought.
Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais published “The Wedding of Figaro” in 1781. This manuscript said of the aristocrats “You were given the pain of being born, and nothing else”; and thus was blamed for disturbing the social construct. Beaumarchais published also “The Barber of Seville”
“Praise of Folly” (L’Eloge de la Folie) by Erasmus of Rotterdam was indexed in 1511. Under the mask of irony, Erasmus creates a Foul dominating the World and supported by ignorant idiots with humongous Ego; he attacks the theologians and scholastic specialties whom thrive in adding subtlety over subtlety in order to obscure any kind of comprehension. In just the same century, the manuscript is re-edited 600 times.
“The Prince” of Nicolas Machiavelli is published in 1513 in Florence. The book explains how a Prince should behave to acquire and then retain power and would be one of the founders of modern political thinking.
“The Third Book” of Francois Rabelais was published in 1532. The previous publications “Pantagruel” and “Gargantua” were not spared indexing too. The art of mockery far exceed that of Erasmus and his farces scorch all the princes. Moliere would rely on Rabelais’ works for his comedies.
The Essays” of about 107 of essays by Michel Montaigne are published as of 1580 and was censured by the Church Inquisition. The Church didn’t like the offhandedness of mixing sacred topics with profane subjects and the manuscript was judged morally too permissive.
“The new Stories” succeeds the famous fables of Jean de la Fontaine and are published as of 1674 and mocks the clerics and was indexed for “corrupting the moral and inspiring libertine behaviors”. Before he dies, his confessor forced him to recant, and he did so that he may die in peace of that pest of cleric.
“The Spirit of Laws” by Charles-Louis of Montesquieu was published in Switzerland in 1748 to avoid censuring. The author demanded that the three branches of executive, legislative, and justice enjoy independent powers for check and balance in governance.
“Therese the Philosopher” by Jean-Baptiste Boyer was published in 1748, in the same year that “Fanny Hill” of John Cleland was published. This manuscript described in details the bacchant sacrilegious ceremonies that a Pope relished. The Marquis of Sade would imitate that genre of pornography. It is rumored that these kinds of books influenced the French Revolution more than any other manuscripts. The French National Library cataloged this book under “Hell” section.
“Emile” by Jean-Jacques Rousseau was published in 1762. Rousseau offered a new educational system for kids so that the natural kindness of humankind is preserved; that kids enjoy their lives as kids and refrain from reading before the age of 12; that they wear loose garments to play leisurely. The manuscript was indexed and publicly burned in Paris for inciting man to follow his instincts. Rousseau will publish “The Social Contract” in 1766 and Geneva Council banished it. In reaction, Rousseau abandoned his Switzerland nationality.
Adonis Diaries 