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HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
Michael Cook rates the world’s miserabilists, including a leading local Geothermian:
Tim Flannery, science’s answer to Stephen King, insists that the population Down Under (where I live) should contract from 20 million to an optimum level of six million to keep us from wreaking havoc upon the environment. He was named 2007 Australian of the Year, so his message seems to have struck a chord amongst the extra-skinny soy latté set, at least.
Flannery is beaten out in Cook’s list, however, by South African academic David Benatar, author of the brilliantly-titled Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence.
Bad news for Dr Flummery this week—the “optimum” of six million will be much harder to achieve, because we just passed 21 million on the population scale. That means he’ll have an extra 1 million bodies to get rid of.
Posted by Alex of Canberra on 2007 12 08 at 04:11 AM • permalink#6
According to these chuckleheads we’re good to go with 21 million living a “modest” lifestyle.
Whilst I live a “modest” lifestyle, I doubt Flummery does.That’s an awesome and devastating book review. I’m sick of all these people haters.
Posted by daddy dave on 2007 12 08 at 05:24 AM • permalink1321 million Chinese/ China area 9,596,960 sq km = 137.6 people per sq km
20 million Australians /Australia area 7,686,850 sq km = 2.6 people per sq kmI’d ask what Emperor Tim of Geothermia thinks the optimal population of China should be but I suspect the answer would be that China is irrelevant.
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 12 08 at 05:33 AM • permalinkOK, today’s Courier Mail, book review of Tim Flannery’s An Explorer’s Notebook, by Caroline Gardam. You can thank the Gods no link is available but you’ll just have to take my word for the following:
The cover picture looks like a young Flannery trying to kiss a large lump of poo, though I’m sure the enlarged version will review some sort of vermin. (Um, other vermin).
“...a delightful and gentle introduction to Flannery’s work…”
“...Flannery’s written voice, which strides out from the first pages, self-conscious and confident (interesting combination) - ...”
“Less engaging is the middle section…if only for the lack of focus on the author.”
“Hence the final section, Climate: 2006-2007 (that’s a time period to assess climate?) is the book’s strongest. Close to the present and aching in their immediacy, these chapters include Flannery’s acceptance speech as Australian of the Year…and a fascinating account of the international launches of The Weather Makers.”
Talk about upchuck.
“Less engaging is the middle section…if only for the lack of focus on the author.”
awwww… someone’s got a crush!
Posted by daddy dave on 2007 12 08 at 06:37 AM • permalinkI want to see a book called “From Nerdy Scientist to Green Hero: How to Get All the Hippy-Chick Ass You Can Handle”
Posted by daddy dave on 2007 12 08 at 06:38 AM • permalinkLook out Aussies! The Flaninator has identified his mission (as a paleontologist he just sees you as a future fossil)
Posted by Col. Milquetoast on 2007 12 08 at 06:49 AM • permalinkI can understand how environmentalists, thinking in ultra-logical steps, come to the conclusion that there needs to be fewer human beings. But when your ‘logic’ leads you to that sort of conclusion, you need to take a good long look at your basic values and where, fundamentally, you are coming from.
Some of these people haters are in academia.
Academic people haters have an open forum to preach their hatred of humanity and an assembly line feeding new useful idiots into their program on a regular basis.Some of these academic people haters also have say over who gets into what post grad program.
All we need now is for an academic people hater that decides to become true to his convictions that’s in control of a post grad program dealing with micro biology.
Yep. It’s all just a difference of opinion and questions of intellectual freedom vs censorship. Remember that while your families die of a suddenly spreading contagion that has never before been seen and has no counter treatment.
There’s only one thing you need to say to somebody who thinks we need fewer people on this planet: “After you.”
Posted by Jim Treacher on 2007 12 08 at 01:36 PM • permalinkThe question I want answered is:
“Does David Benatar support cannibalism?”
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 12 08 at 04:47 PM • permalink#16 So true Apple. It’s a common logical error.
If you arrive at a wrong result by using the right reasoning, then a mistake has been made, probably one’s assumptions. How do you know DEATH TO HUMANITY is a wrong answer? Well, it’s counter-productive to say the least. Unnatural is how I’d argue it as the biological imperative is to procreate and grow.
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 12 08 at 05:01 PM • permalink#19 No Rebeccah. These people congregate together, in universities, national media corporations and sundry state departments.
They are comfortable with each other, and drink champagne and dien and have sex together. And besides, its not these wise, Platonic philosopher kings who will be doing the dying anyway.
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 12 08 at 05:06 PM • permalink“Does David Benatar support cannibalism?”
He’s a vegetarian! I did a quick google of ‘david benatar vegetarian’. He has written several articles about the issue, including
“The chickens come home to roost” and
“Why the Naive Argument against Moral Vegetarianism Really is Naive”it’s the same old thing.
Humans= evil.
All other animals = must be revered.Posted by daddy dave on 2007 12 08 at 05:13 PM • permalink#16, #25
But when your ‘logic’ leads you to that sort of conclusion, you need to take a good long look at your basic values and where, fundamentally, you are coming from.
It gets even sillier than that. Why stop with humans? If it is wrong for the human species to breed, then there’s nothing to stop that argument spreading to all animals.
He’s not just anti-human. He’s anti-life-on-Earth.Posted by daddy dave on 2007 12 08 at 05:21 PM • permalinkAsh_ asked:
So these people are so supporting of death… exactly why are they still alive? Wouldn’t they have sacrificed themselves to Mother Gaia by now if they were serious?
They have to make sure the Culling succeeds before they sacrifice themselves.
Oh, its possible they don’t include themselves in the list, but would it really be better if they sincerely planned to off themselves after wiping out the entire human race?
It’s not the sincerity that disturbs me. It’s the plan itself.
Posted by Patrick Chester on 2007 12 08 at 08:29 PM • permalinkIt just occurred to me that Prof. Benetar must watch The Terminator and sigh wistfully.
Posted by Jim Treacher on 2007 12 09 at 10:11 AM • permalink
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Pro-death! That sums up the whole mob.