A grim prediction

[Edena_of_Neith]

On the Science Forum, as is being discussed in the thread there, is is revealed that Mankind is discovering the secrets of true longevity, and the possibility of extending life for hundreds of years may soon exist.
In fact, the possibility of extending life for a thousand years may soon exist.

Well ...

The Powerful and Elite of this wretched world will want that longevity, for themselves and those they deem worthy of it (read: not you, if you are reading this. You are peons, not worthy of being tread underfoot.)

Unfortunately for the Powerful and the Elite, there are 7 billion people in the world, and this interferes with the idea of anyone having longevity.
Read: It interferes with *them* having the longevity.

And besides, from their point of view, who needs 7 billion people anyways? All looking for jobs that no longer exist, all seeking resources that are increasingly scarce, all causing hassle and trouble for the Powerful and the Elite?

Well, then, how to get rid of 7 billion people, quickly, and solve the problem?
The answer to said problem, lit up the world in 1945.

The Good News? Longevity, the Fountain of Youth, will be here at last.
The Bad News? You can't have it. But hey, at least you can be incinernated in an instant, so other people can.

That's how it is going to be.
Probably would have been that way even without longevity. With longevity at hand, they aren't going to pass this chance up.

You can substitute biological or chemical mass destruction, for nuclear mass destruction.
Either way, they live (for hundreds or thousands of years) and most everyone else dies. Better get used to it. Peons get screwed, the powerful reap the benefits.
That's how it always was, and that's how it always will be.

Edena_of_Neith

[Pigs in Space]

Why would they want to live in a world without anyone else?

That would be pretty lonely.

[shiningbrow]

Besides, where will they find a source of cheap labor if there aren't enough peons to do their bidding? The less there are the more they have to be paid.

[Edena_of_Neith]

Oh, they can keep a few hundred million surviving peons around.
Those few, and the new World of Machines, will be quite sufficient for all their needs.

One day, Earth will be a Paradise ... for the privileged few.
With science and technology, medical breakthroughs, new understandings on all fronts, Earth's wealthy will live lives undreamed of, in terms of prosperity, health, and luxury.

Earth's swarming billions? The rest of us? Gone. Removed.

In any event, if population rise continues at the current pace, Earth's population by 2100 will be around 15 billion people.
By 2200 it will be 20 to 25 billion people.

Do you really believe the Power Elite will allow that?
Well then ... how to stop such a future? There are a lot of ways to stop it, none of them particularly nice or pleasant. But since when are niceties or pleasantries, ways of choice for the Power Elite?

Or why do you think AIDs is a death sentence for all ... except the privileged few with 32k a year to pay for the drug cocktail to check the disease ... and of course they can have all the sex they wish, and thus kill as they wish, as many as they wish?

[shiningbrow]

This reads like a movie review of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis." I always liked that movie. Especially the female robot, modeled after Maria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzINI3au9q0

[Edena_of_Neith]

(chuckles, smiles ever so gently)

Glass, if you keep up with the griefing, you know what I'm going to do?

I'll just have to create a thread just for that. And I'll take all those nice, lovely things you've said about me, and paste them all there, every last one.
Then we can all have a nice little thread about those statements, and about you - yes, about you - and we can all talk about you.
Isn't that what you want? For us to talk about you? You'll get your wish: we shall talk about you.

If you do not want this, I suggest you cease and desist talking to me at all. I would suggest that.
However, that's up to you. One more thing, just one more, and that thread starts.

(To the Admins: Compliments of Glass and his lovely statements, a Flame War is imminent.)

[Glass]

Gods forbid that someone express disapproval of your neckbeard Chicken Little behavior. Poor you.

[Edena_of_Neith]

Very well.

Flame War commences (on another thread.)

[Trainz]

It's much easier if you want to reduce world population to regulate births, if you have a totalitarian world government.

Just saying.

[Aloysius]

It's much easier if you want to reduce world population to regulate births, if you have a totalitarian world government.

Just saying.

You don't need a totalitarian government to regulate birth... Look Japan : China is following the same road.

[Trainz]

You don't need a totalitarian government to regulate birth... Look Japan : China is following the same road.

You would in Europe and the Americas. You would have an uprising if you'd put in a law only permitting one child per family.

[Varaj]

You would in Europe and the Americas. You would have an uprising if you'd put in a law only permitting one child per family.

Aren't most western country already at a negative population growth in the native population?

[Trainz]

Aren't most western country already at a negative population growth in the native population?

Yes.

I was just speculating WRT longevity solutions...

[Varaj]

Yes.

I was just speculating WRT longevity solutions...

More wars?

[Trainz]

More wars?

No, WRT the OP.

[Varaj]

No, WRT the OP.

OP TLDR

[Trainz]

OP TLDR

Oh but you should, it's a gem of an OP.

[Varaj]

Oh but you should, it's a gem of an OP.

Why do I feel like this is a trap?

[Aloysius]

You would in Europe and the Americas. You would have an uprising if you'd put in a law only permitting one child per family.

No need for such a law. Wanna slow the natality ? Just make sure having children is a real financial burden. Sure, the UK poll tax was very unpopular, but you may use more subtle incitements.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html?countryName=Norway&countryCode=no&regionCode=eur&rank=160#no

Nearly one half of the world countries have already a fertility rate below the population replacement threshold, and more and more will join them in the coming decades.

[Trainz]

No need for such a law. Wanna slow the natality ? Just make sure having children is a real financial burden. Sure, the UK poll tax was very unpopular, but you may use more subtle incitements.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html?countryName=Norway&countryCode=no&regionCode=eur&rank=160#no

Nearly one half of the world countries have already a fertility rate below the population replacement threshold, and more and more will join them in the coming decades.

:what:

Are you saying world population is diminishing?

[Ergeheilalt]

:what:

Are you saying world population is diminishing?

Are you being intentionally obtuse? He said half the world's countries have negative growth rates, not half of the world's population. China and India are 2 out of ~180 countries and they can still throw things outta wack.

[Pigs in Space]

No need for such a law. Wanna slow the natality ? Just make sure having children is a real financial burden. Sure, the UK poll tax was very unpopular, but you may use more subtle incitements.
Ur, in any 1st world country it is a massive financial burden. A couple losing an income doesn't compare to any benefits whatsoever that are available from our governments.

We need to raise the living standards of the 3rd world to make that true there, as well.

[Scutisorex Shrewlord]

I'm not worried about world population AT ALL. It's a "problem" that will take care of itself.

[Name Lips]

I'm not worried about world population AT ALL. It's a "problem" that will take care of itself.

Well that's true of a lot of problems, like climate change and peak oil.

I just don't want the "taking care of the problem" to involve widespread death and destruction -- possibly including the elimination of ME.

[Pigs in Space]

I'm not worried about world population AT ALL. It's a "problem" that will take care of itself.

Sure, if you call famine, war, mass migrations and political instability "taking care of itself".

[Trainz]

Are you being intentionally obtuse? He said half the world's countries have negative growth rates, not half of the world's population. China and India are 2 out of ~180 countries and they can still throw things outta wack.

No, I'm being unintentionally obtuse.

[Aloysius]

:what:

Are you saying world population is diminishing?

Not yet. Demography is something with a strong inertia. The peoples who were born in the last 30 years won't die before another 30 to 50 years for most of them.

So, some countries who don't reach the population replacement threshold may still experience a strong population growth, simply because there are far fewer old people dying than young ones being born.
However, in 50 years from, there will be huge number of old people dying, and, even if the fertility rate has somewhat recovered, there won't be enough young females available to compensate those deaths.

When you think about demography, always look for the pyramid of ages and the current fertility rates, and don't forget to imagine its base "pushing" high-ward, if you want to understand what is happening.

(btw, I don't know how much the "female deficit" due to selective abortion in countries like India or China is accounted in current demographic projections... Males don't grow pregnant, if you want to think about the demographic potential of such or such country, it's the girls who should be counted...)

[doc]

Why would the Elite TELL ANYONE that the can live forever ? Just go under ground for a few decades in the elitish compounds and let the peons of thier generation die off

[Trainz]

Why would the Elite TELL ANYONE that the can live forever ? Just go under ground for a few decades in the elitish compounds and let the peons of thier generation die off

Like Anne Rice's vampires.