Maybe the real problem is we "native born" Americans aren't having enough kids. If we didn't have all the immigrants our population would be shrinking which in the long run is bad news for everyone.

If a country's birthrate is not above the replacement rate you get a rapidly ageing population - more old people which must be supported by fewer younger workers and a stagnating economy. Japan in particular and several European countries are facing this huge problem. Japan, Russia and several of these countries have very low birth rates and zero growth from immigration.


From wikipedia:

The total fertility rate in the United States after World War II peaked at about 3.8 children per woman in the late 1950s and by 1999 was at 2 children. This means that an imaginary woman (defined in the introduction) who fast-forwarded through her life in the late 1950s would have been expected to have about four children, whereas an imaginary woman who fast-forwarded through her life in 1999 would have been expected to have only about two children in her lifetime. The fertility rate of the total U.S. population is at around the replacement level of about 2.1 children per woman. However, the fertility of the population of the United States is below replacement among those native born, and above replacement among immigrant families, most of whom come to the U.S. from countries with higher fertility than that of the U.S.[citation needed] However, the fertility rates of immigrants to the U.S. have been found to decrease sharply in the second generation, correlating with improved education and income.[7]

There should never be laws regarding procreation but I would not object to the U.N., (or anyone else), starting an educational campaign throughout the world warning people about the population explosion and its effects on the planet and life in the future.

A country needs greater than 2.8 babies per couple in order to grow $$$

What's better in the long run -- an economic system based on continually increasing the population, or an economic system that is stable and sustainable?

_

Our government controlling the population?

Ridiculous!!!

What would come next...............forcing us to buy health insurance?

Never happen! :)

Although the world wide population explosion is a real problem and an educational campaign about the population explosion is a good idea, maybe the real pressure put on our planet by this exploding population is that many of them aspire to our lifestyle. I'm sure the figures are available with google but I feel certain that we Americans on a per capita basis consume far more than our "fair share" of the worlds resources.

Much of the rest of the world would just look at any "educational campaign" as another example of us Americans coming up with a do as I say, not as I do campaign.

It is true that the best thing I can do for the world's ecological future is to not have children. One of mine would consume more than 300 of theirs, (assuming that "theirs" is some 3rd world person).

Lots of truth here.

Watch the online series, "Money as Debt". It explains how our economic system demands ever-increasing productivity (population growth is one mechanism to achieve this) to pay the debt (usury, interest) on today's and yesterday's expenditures for consumption of finite resources. It's a nice watch and simple enough to understand while shining the light on often-wonkish topics like fiat currency creation, fractional reserve banking, the case for a "real" currency based in something like gold, etc.

Our "leaders" are powerless to stand up to the banking interests that perpetuate this system that dates back hundreds of years, instead doing everything possible to continually stoke the fires of consumptionism to ever-higher levels, which includes incentivizing procreation, even if it's at the hands of ill-equipped or poor people. It all ties together and all comes down to the deeply-held greed of a few select individuals who REALLY control things and will stop at nothing to retain their power - no matter what it does to the planet or anyone else. It might sound conspiracy-theory-ish but it's all very real and it all fits together.

How many other decisions are YOU going to make for me and everyone around me?


A responsible man says I'm going to do ...... a progressive says everyone else should do ........

There was this guy back in the 1940's over in Europe who had it all figured out..

Is over population a huge problem? Yes!

Is govement intervention the answer? He11 no!

Education and free birth control? I'm all for it.

the reality though is there isn't a problem. 1st world nations have extremely low birth rates. so much so that some are even worried of a shrinking population,and have holidays/rewards for those in couples to procreate. this is because modern family planning's availability in the 1st world.

when this ability to controls one's reproduction spreads to the 3rd world, population won't be nearly the problem it is today.

The problem we have is not quantity but quality.

Not enough of the "intelligent" genetic material being spread around the planet! ;)

Which is why it behooves those of us with the goods to get busy.

I'm doing my part!

as JYL noted, world pop'n growth is slowing dramatically

still, there are way to many bald monkeys on this planet

and... the best way to reduce popn. growth is to educate women

Can you kindly substantiate how population growth across the world is a problem? By substantiating this premise I mean please provide some facts and references to support your assumption -- rather than your highly biased opinion.

Thanks,
-Z-man.

As if the American government telling us how to live wasn't bad enough, let's get the UN in on the act!!! No thanks.

Why don't you ask the Pope ?? Would be a good place to start.