Thursday 11 December 2014

World and human species in jeopardy. What's to be done?


There could be one hundred billion trillion Earth-like planets in space, making it "inevitable" that extraterrestrial life exists, according to a  leading astronomer. (The Telegraph science correspondent).

A brief observation like this blog of the present state of the planet and human civilization as if "from outside" (possibly by such as the Syai?) may seem too sweeping to be taken seriously. Ignore it? No. It may be a tiresome cliche to refer to "elephants in the room", but "elephants" there are, and I dare to name them (as I think T. and the Syai would). 

(1) The retentive-come-expansive expectaions of the rich are the main cause of the plundering of the planet reaching unsustainable intensities.  
(2) Human fertility with its relatively recent explosion of numbers. Notwithstanding that the pace of that expansion appears to have slowed for the time being, there's no sign that increase in numbers will not continue - not without radical changes in global cultures.

Valiant efforts are indeed being made to lift some of the world's most crowded and climate-affected areas out of poverty, as well as to oblige the well-to-do to accept more transparency and less corruption, but the "elephants" remain. Rather, the world should unmask the "elephants" as dragons, biding their time to break out eventually, in full fury. Well-meaning reformers can damp down small fires started here and there by the dragons' breaths, but the dragons themselves have very thick skins.

What would "outsiders' like the Syai advise us to do?  Well, we can act on the expectation that the rich will continue to have all they need for a comfortable, interesting life, even after they have been sheared of their source-assets and their power monopolies and (in many cases) their obscene salaries and perks. Sources of prosperity must be taken into 'commonwealth' and managed accordingly by dedicated servants of 'commonwealth'; persons of good education and ethical integrity. Those who have established themselves to become very wealthy, often allow their offspring to live in a fools' paradise; 'princes' and 'princesses', with no need to exert themselves and contribute anything to 'commonwealth'. Let's put an end to that.

The line must be crossed (especially for men) over the present non-regulation of fertility. Except in extraordinary circumstances, every adult person should be licensed to have one, two or three children and no more. There might well be some encouragement to reduce even that quota. China with its experience of population-growth limitation might well take a leading role in global enforcement of this regulatory program.  Nations that refuse to follow should face ostracism and blockade. Proselytizing religious leaders who seek "tribal-style" population increases in their followers to overwhelm non-believers and take theocratic power, should be exposed as dangerous enemies of peace and prosperity.

It's a survival agenda, and hardly likely to happen. But with reference to the opening of this blog: only one acorn in hundreds of thousands from a single oak ever puts down roots and lasts long enough to become a mighty tree.


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