The Overpopulation Shivers: A Blend of Spurious Philosophy, Elitist Economics, And A Racist/Diversionary Politics

Author Jude Godwins
DOI https://ww

Country : Nigeria
Subject : Philosophy

Keywords : Population management, global trade, international cooperation, partnership, industrialization, modernizing agriculture.

Abstract

Population planners and some ill-informed demographers have dealt a deadly blow on our psyche. They have gradually drummed it into our collective consciousness that population growth is a universal catastrophe: myriads of theories, nay, myths, have been evolved to help ram down our throats this ill-intentioned propaganda.
These alarmists, as it were, say the world has suddenly become too small to contain its inhabitants. They argue that soon we shall begin to stand on our neighbors’ shoulders for want of space. They say the earth s resources are fast being exhausted. They link poverty, especially in the third world countries, to so-called population explosion.
But that fact remains that this propaganda is based on a faulty philosophy of elitism and racism. It is traceable to a few pseudo-theories, especially Margret Sanger s theory of polite genocide. She and others had advocated a calculated and systematic elimination of what is termed the human weeds. In their view, the 'unfit members' of the human community need not be (Walters, 2022).
Yet the vexing problem is, Europe and America having altered their populations to dangerous levels, now wish the third world to share their ugly experiences. One such experience has been the problem of ageing. Informed, perhaps, by the knowledge that the strength of a nation depended on its human potentials, they utilize fascinating avenues and organs to propagate their racial philosophy. Hence, we have today the overpopulation shivers. In fact, what is labeled overpopulation is but a mixture of spurious philosophy, elitist economics and politics with ominous neocolonial intents.
In this paper, therefore, we shall attempt to uncover the myths surrounding population growth. To do this, we shall first trace the issue to its origin, namely elitism and racism; we shall also outline a few informed objections to the overpopulation theory. In the end, we intend to show that the panacea to population growth is to be sought not in depopulation, but in an aggressive agrarian policy, coupled with industrialization, trade, and international partnerships.

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