As Diamond illustrates in former collapsed civilizations, choices could have been made to create a sustained long term society, but weren’t. Looking at China and India today, as well as having traveled through them, I see history repeating itself. India maintains no National Population Policy while expected to grow from 1.1 billion to 1.55 billion by 2050. While China forces one child families, they still expect to grow from 1.3 billion to 1.5 billion. Bangladesh, at 129 million in a landmass the size of Ohio, continues growing at breakneck speed. All three countries face crippling environmental dilemmas and human suffering on a scale we can’t imagine.
That brings me to America’s predicament. Of the next added 100 million people, fully 67 million will be immigrants from Third World countries. What they bring with them are age old rituals, mores and birth rates.
In my air travel to Seattle, Washington, I talked to my cab driver from Bangladesh who had immigrated to the USA in 1990. I asked him about his country’s population. He said it sickened him so much that he would not go back. I asked him why? He said his Muslim religion encouraged every woman to have as many children as possible. I noted that his country exceeded its carrying capacity and that such massive population overload would destroy any hope of ‘quality of life’ and decent ‘standard of living.’
“Why not practice family planning?” I asked.
“It would go against Allah’s wishes,” he said.
“But it creates such human misery,” I said.
“One must not go against Allah’s wishes,” he replied.
“How many kids do you have?” I asked, in frustration.
“Seven with one on the way,” he said, proudly.
“How many do you expect to have?” I asked, calmly.
“That is for Allah to decide,” he said.
Having lived in America for 12 years, this man had not made the connection concerning quality of life and number of children. Having been influenced by America’s educational system, he was as out of touch with reality as if he remained in Bangladesh. His story stands as a glaring example why Third World immigrants continue large families of five to 10 when they immigrate to First World countries.
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