- Joined
- May 27, 2009
- Messages
- 41
- Reaction score
- 18
- Location
- Sarasota, FL
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
You can read Bill Gross's latest market commentary here:
http://www.pimco.com/LeftNav/Featured+Market+Commentary/IO/2010/Gross+Privates+Eye+August.htm
I agree with him on the following:
+ there has been a decline in the rate of worldwide human population growth
+ the design of modern capitalism incorporates the assumption of expanding human population, consequent expanding demand, and consequent expanding industrial activity to meet that demand
+ modern massive deficit spending may be an unsustainable response to the decline in the rate of population growth by creating artificial demand (e.g., the Keynesian approach)
I disagree with him on the following:
+ there will always be sufficient production to meet demand. Sure, if you're a multimillionaire like Gross then the world seems awash in excess resources. However, a less biased look at the world quickly exposes horrendous human poverty directly linked to ridiculous levels of human overpopulation.
+ the decline in the rate of worldwide human population growth is a problem. In my opinion, the problem is with the design of modern capitalism, not with human reproductive behavior. My dream scenario would be a steady reduction in human population levels lasting for generations, until we get down to a level where there are sufficient resources for both human and non-human animals on this overburdened planet. We may need to substantially redesign capitalism to maximize general well-being in the face of a substantial ongoing reduction in human population.
Whether you agree with me or not isn't important. What's important is that this is a debate that I believe we should be having, but are not. Instead, we get clueless political and religious leaders who talk about growth (population, economic - take your pick) as if it is an unrestricted blessing. I'm sorry, but if you are grossly obese, then additional growth is not a blessing. In my opinion, we are not just individually obese, we are collectively obese; i.e., there are simply far too many of us. Where are the leaders willing to take a contrary-to-conventional-wisdom stand on this issue?
P.S. At the end of his excellent nature documentary, the Life of Mammals:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/life_of_mammals_complete_set/
David Attenborough states (paraphrasing), "We have spent centuries learning to control the environment for the benefit of an expanding human population; perhaps it is time to control the human population for the benefit of the environment." I couldn't agree more. However, voices like his are mostly lost in the wilderness.
http://www.pimco.com/LeftNav/Featured+Market+Commentary/IO/2010/Gross+Privates+Eye+August.htm
I agree with him on the following:
+ there has been a decline in the rate of worldwide human population growth
+ the design of modern capitalism incorporates the assumption of expanding human population, consequent expanding demand, and consequent expanding industrial activity to meet that demand
+ modern massive deficit spending may be an unsustainable response to the decline in the rate of population growth by creating artificial demand (e.g., the Keynesian approach)
I disagree with him on the following:
+ there will always be sufficient production to meet demand. Sure, if you're a multimillionaire like Gross then the world seems awash in excess resources. However, a less biased look at the world quickly exposes horrendous human poverty directly linked to ridiculous levels of human overpopulation.
+ the decline in the rate of worldwide human population growth is a problem. In my opinion, the problem is with the design of modern capitalism, not with human reproductive behavior. My dream scenario would be a steady reduction in human population levels lasting for generations, until we get down to a level where there are sufficient resources for both human and non-human animals on this overburdened planet. We may need to substantially redesign capitalism to maximize general well-being in the face of a substantial ongoing reduction in human population.
Whether you agree with me or not isn't important. What's important is that this is a debate that I believe we should be having, but are not. Instead, we get clueless political and religious leaders who talk about growth (population, economic - take your pick) as if it is an unrestricted blessing. I'm sorry, but if you are grossly obese, then additional growth is not a blessing. In my opinion, we are not just individually obese, we are collectively obese; i.e., there are simply far too many of us. Where are the leaders willing to take a contrary-to-conventional-wisdom stand on this issue?
P.S. At the end of his excellent nature documentary, the Life of Mammals:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/life_of_mammals_complete_set/
David Attenborough states (paraphrasing), "We have spent centuries learning to control the environment for the benefit of an expanding human population; perhaps it is time to control the human population for the benefit of the environment." I couldn't agree more. However, voices like his are mostly lost in the wilderness.
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