Are wars actually as pointless as they seem?
in Philosophy ·
Malthusian principles—that whole messy intersection where geometric population growth meets the arithmetic reality of food supply—have been sounding the alarm on this exact danger for ages. These theorists have actually been quite vocal lately regarding population surges; they’ve even started drawing lines between demographic shifts and terrorism, though plenty of people argue that particular connection is a bit of a stretch.
If we don't rein in this unchecked population explosion, it could very well trigger massive wars—but let's be honest, the wars we see today aren't usually about overpopulation; they're about power and who gets to hold it.
And frankly, war is a wrecking ball for a nation's mental health—it leaves behind a trail of depression, instability, and deep-seated grief. You simply can't expect an unhappy nation to function with any sense of logic or productivity.
A more humane alternative to warfare would be leaning into contraception—think birth control pills, better access to various methods, abstinence, or perhaps just moving away from treating the Bible as if it were a literal scientific textbook. Even things like a general decline in libido might play a part. I mean, if we stopped breeding like locusts, the situation would improve drastically, giving us more time and resources to actually focus on the children we *do* have and ensuring their progress. To me, that matters way more than raw numbers, because children ultimately dictate the direction of their generation. But, of course, we Americans have always tended to worship at the altar of selfishness.
If we don't rein in this unchecked population explosion, it could very well trigger massive wars—but let's be honest, the wars we see today aren't usually about overpopulation; they're about power and who gets to hold it.
And frankly, war is a wrecking ball for a nation's mental health—it leaves behind a trail of depression, instability, and deep-seated grief. You simply can't expect an unhappy nation to function with any sense of logic or productivity.
A more humane alternative to warfare would be leaning into contraception—think birth control pills, better access to various methods, abstinence, or perhaps just moving away from treating the Bible as if it were a literal scientific textbook. Even things like a general decline in libido might play a part. I mean, if we stopped breeding like locusts, the situation would improve drastically, giving us more time and resources to actually focus on the children we *do* have and ensuring their progress. To me, that matters way more than raw numbers, because children ultimately dictate the direction of their generation. But, of course, we Americans have always tended to worship at the altar of selfishness.