Post by lowkey on May 5, 2008 6:54:25 GMT -5
Overpopulation is huge a global problem, but it's not that big of a concern for developed nations, like the US. Not directly anyway. Developed nations have better planned parenthood education and programs. In some parts of Europe they are actually almost to the point of zero population growth, even though life expectancy is very high, and infant mortality is probably about as low as it can get--if it wasn't for immigration it would be at zero growth in some places.
Developed nations do make the problem worse, by importing so much food. Instead of growing our own, we outsource the labor, and create severe shortages in developing nations. The situation reminds me of what my grandparents went through growing up as cotton share-croppers. Their landlords forced them to grow as much cotton as possible, and would threaten eviction if families "wasted" too much space growing enough food to survive. My grandpa's family did do a little better, because their father and uncles were moonshiners too, and were better able to support their families that way.
In the third world today, corporations own all the farmland, and force laborers to focus almost exclusively on cash-crops that can be exported, creating severe food shortages locally. Many third world peasants live in conditions that basically amounts to slavery too. There's really no reason people in resource rich areas in places like Mexico, Brazil, or parts of Africa should be so poor. NAFTA and other globalization treaties, agreements, and programs have only served to make this problem worse--it's one reason I despise Hillary Clinton so much, and refuse to vote for her.
Developed nations do make the problem worse, by importing so much food. Instead of growing our own, we outsource the labor, and create severe shortages in developing nations. The situation reminds me of what my grandparents went through growing up as cotton share-croppers. Their landlords forced them to grow as much cotton as possible, and would threaten eviction if families "wasted" too much space growing enough food to survive. My grandpa's family did do a little better, because their father and uncles were moonshiners too, and were better able to support their families that way.
In the third world today, corporations own all the farmland, and force laborers to focus almost exclusively on cash-crops that can be exported, creating severe food shortages locally. Many third world peasants live in conditions that basically amounts to slavery too. There's really no reason people in resource rich areas in places like Mexico, Brazil, or parts of Africa should be so poor. NAFTA and other globalization treaties, agreements, and programs have only served to make this problem worse--it's one reason I despise Hillary Clinton so much, and refuse to vote for her.