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> Don't want so many people? Mandate reversible sterilization at birth. No. Forced sterilization is eugenics, and we've seen what happens with that [1]. Eugeni
by apozem 10y ago
> Don't want so many people? Mandate reversible sterilization at birth.
No. Forced sterilization is eugenics, and we've seen what happens with that [1]. Eugenics is unconscionable for moral, ethical, legal and humanitarian reasons. When you give government or the private sector or any human being the ability to control other humans' reproduction, that power is ripe for horrific abuse. We know this because that's exactly what happened last time [2].
Not to go full Godwin on you, but eugenics is literally the philosophy behind the Nazis (see [1]).
Overpopulation will be an issue eventually. Better to solve it through more creative means, like becoming a 2+-planet species.
[1]: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/1796 http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/1796
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States#Compulsory_sterilization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States#...
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- brianwawok 10y agoThere is a range between eugenics and no population control. I.e. free birth control, no tax breaks past 2 children, etc. Even a small change in birth rate makes a big change in 200 years.
- rimantas 10y agoOverpopulation will not be an issue. IIRC we are already past "peak child".
- tasuki 10y agoSource: https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_religions_and_babies https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_religions_and_babies
- blamestross 10y agobeing a 2+ planet species wont help local overpopulation. it is too much more effective to ship a highly diverse sampling of frozen sperm and ova manufacture most of your people onsite. Moving that many people just does not make sense when you have more cost effective alternatives. plus adding planets inside the solar system only gives you 2 real targets (mars and venus) mining asteroids to build spinning habitats is a much more viable colonization target.