Subtlety, Intimacy, Motivation V

Women are like geopolitics--unless you only try to manipulate them in very simple ways, they make life complicated. Likewise, a good geopolitical relationship can bring wonderful improvements into your life that could not be imagined without it. So. When we think about the best way to increase global population size, competing nations all rushing towards glorious military and technological conquest drive not only economic growth but also population growth. Like pruning rosebushes so they grow better. If you're willing to accept large-scale mayhem, population can explode following an Industrial Revolution. And the world ecology could support that sort of contest between a certain number of people using certain types of weaponry. Once nuclear weapons and huge population densities arrive on the scene, world ecology has a tougher time keeping up.

That means social relations have to change (assuming that most people in the world are not REALLY looking forward to an environmental or military apocalypse--possibly an inaccurate assumption). Women could probably make the same comment about men and geopolitics from a differently-gendered perspective: social relations have to change. One of the reasons I am big on mindfulness is that mindfulness practice provides a way to appreciate what we have without grabbing for more. Again, that acquisitive mindset is fine and fitting if the world can handle an increasing population. But generally, in an evolutionary sense, most species will increase if there is an abundance of food. (If there is enough food for populations to increase, we can consider that an abundance--not every member of a species needs to be fed in order for populations to increase. We can come back to a discussion on humanistic ethics later if desired.) Pandas are a somewhat more delicate case since bamboo isn't very nutritious, but even pandas face more difficulty from human expansion than from the lack of nutrients in their food supply. There is more bamboo than the current world population of pandas can eat, and humans can produce more food than the current world population needs. Due to human impact on the environment, though, pandas are having a tough time. Due to economics and distribution, not every human will eat. What does large-scale starvation have to do with love?

Well, I am less of a bleeding heart than some, so I'll leave compassionate care of starving millions to others and begin with a selfish perspective on my love life. Hopefully, as we go, we can enlighten that self-interested position. If we can't, there will never be a global organization of our population that consistently supports continuing improvements in the life of the lowest economic classes. Without economically-supported, self-interested motivations, it won't happen. Ever. EVER.

I'm many things, but I'm not a cynic. I don't fear our (singular) population density and I don't fear my self-interest (or yours--there's a little enlightening). Of course, I do accept that people have always starved and that quite a few more generations of our (singular) society will face significant amounts of starvation. I don't like that any more than I like using condoms, but there it is. This generation has produced, is producing, and will continue to produce more kids in certain areas than will be fed whether we produce enough food or not. Many, many, many adults and children have been left behind, are being left behind, and will be left behind in the future. I accept that as how it is but I do not find continuing this situation acceptable.

So not only does my national economy and the availability (or lack) of secure (for example, post office) jobs affect my love life, but the fact that we are over-fishing the ENTIRE worldwide ocean (it's really BIG) to feed our massive population (growth) also affects my...ummm..."romantic" decisions. Because we cannot follow the British Raj in colonial India and enforce sterilizations (didn't work all that well for them anyway), progressive organization of our global society necessarily includes self-interested motivations that are strong and consistent enough to avoid worldwide environmental or social cataclysm due to a continually increasing population. (Unless you believe that the last Imam or Jesus or someone really important WANTS and DEMANDS such cataclysm.) When a species outgrows it's necessary resources, massive starvation, disease (befouling an over-crowded nest), internal conflict (like rats and bears, etc. just eating unwanted young--we use weapons as well as teeth) will eventually prune the population back to a sustainable size. I prefer Occam's Razor (the idea that the simplest explanation is worth considering) over seeing signs of divine planning in people: treating each other like shit, fucking like rabbits, and lacking a sense of organizational vision and personal/political will on a global scale. But if the situation as is strikes you as necessarily miraculous, well, enjoy your imaginational potential; I like stories too.