Overpopulation: The Coldest Hot-Button Issue

Any politician who is pro-life is so full of it that not even the septic tank at an All You Can Buffet could keep up. Pro-life in this odd time period is often mistaken for being anti-abortion, but to hell with abortion for now. Let's look at pro-life in the most general of definitions: for life, more importantly human life. Getting back to septic tank politicians and their pro-life propaganda, America is fat. Sure, you're probably thinking, "That's insensitive. Obesity is a serious problem affecting this country," but get your mind out of the gutter for a minute.

America is fat and growing at a break neck rate. With a population that is at 301,186,439 (as of June 27^th, 2007) we are no China, but give it fifty years and we very well could be. While this is going to be geared towards Americans, it is important to note that overpopulation is a problem that affects the whole of humanity not just us Americans. Nevertheless, if anything can be learned from China-other than how to turn an entire country into a giant factory-it is population control. In response to their overwhelming population growth, the Chinese government passed a law in 1980 prohibiting families from having more than one child. Certainly, such a law creates a more than awkward situation for dealing with the occasional love (lust) child who appears by accident. But that's another article for another time.

Currently, US population growth is starting to rear its hideous head. Unemployment rates are up, natural resources are beginning to become strained, and poverty is creeping up on this country at a steady, ninja assassin pace. All of the latter examples were precisely what prompted the Chinese government to address the overpopulation concerns. Unlike China, it is integral that the U.S. does not delay on drafting up regulations that will help thwart overpopulation. The average fertility rate for U.S. women is 2.1335 births per woman. For the sake of comparison, the fertility rate in the United Kingdom is 1.7, Canada's is 1.4, and Germany's is 1.3. One could argue, "That's because American women are superior," but that is irrelevant and not entirely true. Spain is chock full of hotties.

Um...overpopulation, right! Since our current population is about 600 million short of what China's population was at the time of their big problem-which still exists-we wouldn't have to limit families to just one child. By nipping this guaranteed problem in the butt early, families can be allowed to have two children, which is more than enough considering the cost of raising a child-roughly $100,000 from birth to age 18 per child; add college and daddy is working three jobs at age 50. As mentioned earlier, the negative aspects of overpopulation, especially in regards to a capitalist country, are not manageable by any means. In a country with an economic system that relies on its citizens to be able to afford the standard of living and then some, unemployment and poverty are not ideal for maintaining national prosperity.

But as you will come to learn from reading my work, there always comes the radically crazy part. Until the law makers realize the growing problem, we will be forced to rely on nature and other high-casualty tragedies as our form of population control. This is unfortunate, but is just another necessary part of life. Overpopulation in the long run will work to wipe humankind out. It will put an overwhelming strain on the land, causing natural resources to dwindle and therefore, increase in price. With unemployment being overwhelmingly high-again thanks to overpopulation-people will not be able to afford the overpriced items such as food and clean water. And if they happen to have the money for food and water, they certainly won't have the money for condoms and birth control pills, leading to further overpopulation. Let us not forget the great strides being made in medical technology, helping to increase the life expectancy, allowing for more generations to be alive at the same time.

Pro-life politicians are senile, insane, dumb, or lying through their teeth, but what's new? A true pro-lifer would propose a population regulation bill, and any fool who claimed pro-life and voted against it should be run into the ocean by a horde of abortion doctors. Without some form of population control, human life will eventually join the ranks of the dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts. After all, when looking at the big picture, being pro-life is for the preservation of human existence for centuries to come, not saving unwanted fetuses.

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