Message-ID: <199702121148.HAA12344@bud.peinet.pe.ca> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 07:48:15 -0400 From: Stan Sandler <mailto:sandler@CYCOR.CA> Subject: THEORY: Population and Development To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Hello ALL:>I certainly did not mean to imply that peasants are having too many
children--I merely >used them as an example of folks who are "living lightly" as it were, but
even if they >don't own two cars, a rolex, and a vacation home on Maui, 15-20 billion
people is too >many people, period.
I wholeheartedly agree, and think the issue cannot be ignored in formulating development strategies. If the last part of the above sentence is true Brett, and I think it is, then why DON"T you want to imply that peasants are having too many children? The developed world is clearly guilty of grabbing hugely inequitious amounts of resources and the pressure for sharing is going to have to be very intense before people lower their standard of living. But the need to control population in the developing world as well cannot be swept under the carpet because it is not "politically correct".
In countries where there is absolutely no social safety net there is a bit impetus to have a lot of children to try and guarantee some security in old age and infirmity. Some will probably die, hence the need for many.
It is difficult to ignore the fact that it takes a huge effort by the local population and perhaps some outside "development" assistance to make water supplies more accessible to people in many parts of Africa, and the water table keeps dropping because of the increasing demands of the evergrowing population. The "rate" of development does not seem to be keeping pace.
Where population growth rates have declined we know that prosperity seems to be involved, but we also know that the level of prosperity is unsustainable. China has achieved low growth by authoritarian means. Perhaps in this case the end justifies the means. I know this is not a very politically correct or culturally sensitive thing to say, but I do not think that starvation, plagues, wars and other apocalyptic scenarios are going to be very correct or sensitive either.
Regards, Stan