A Modest Proposal

This week, a writer in Canada's Financial Post opined that the primary solution to the world's ills lies in the China one-child policy. She uses phrases like "disastrous global birthrate" "unsustainable" and "overpopulation." These are the typical fear mongering tactics the demagogues use when science is not on their side.

Usually, I chafe at environmental wackos like this, but not this time. I think Diane Francis has a point, thus my modest proposal.

How about all government workers, humanities department academics, and journalists voluntarily adopt a no child policy. I specifically choose these people because they are the non-productive members of our world. They do not contribute to the community in a positive way and they demand the producers support their self-important girth. If we can shrink the amount of resources being poured in to the non-productive sector of society, then we can cut back on the amount of materials required from our natural resources. Thus the land gets a rest, we won't need to listen to these self-important academics, bureaucrats, and journos pontificate about our excess as they jet off to another meeting of the self-admiration society, and resulting plenty can be shared.

Now I know that my proposal will be ignored for two reasons: First, it is not a mandate where the "policy is imposed" so the elites will be denied their control and second, it makes too much sense to cut the unproductive sectors of the world.

UPDATE: Turns out that Diane Francis has two children, Indeed!!