Some years back, media mogul Ted Turner, who was born in 1938, drew attention to the rapidly growing world population, when he said, “When I was born, the population of the world was estimated to be 1.5 billion.”
World population has enjoyed continuous growth since the end of the Great Famine and Bubonic Plague of 1350. It is also important to remind everyone the Earth is covered with 71% water. Conversely, we 7+ billion are standing on the 29% of the terra firma.
To no one’s surprise 60% of the world population lays in Asia. China and India represent 38% of the globe’s inhabitants. Africa’s population of 973 million is expected to double in the next 50 years. Occidental Europe is dying. The Iberian Peninsula, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom all have negative birthrates (i.e. parents who are NOT replacing themselves). Critics of that statement passionately deny that account, claiming Europe is not evaporating. Now, I re-enter the world of political incorrectness by stating the dying populations of Europe are being replaced by the Muslim and other Third World populations of western Asia, whose value system is arguably quite different than Europe as we know it. Patrick Buchanan wrote of this very subject in his book, Death of the West.
The United States is also a growing population but perhaps not in the way you may envision it. Today’s estimated population in the USA is about 307 million and is scheduled to grow to 352 million by 2025.
Due to the devastating effects of mass illegal immigration, the face of the United States is dramatically changing and those illegally entering will produce more children who will be undereducated and not inculcated in American culture. The workforce provided will be substantially unskilled and woefully inadequate based on today’s technology expectations.
Indeed, I am concerned the population of Earth is heading in a trajectory which may be irreversible and will not embrace the social mores and expertise of our parents.
I am concerned there will be fewer and fewer people who are qualified and skilled to perform more and more for those folks who have no skills. Some say that cycle may be irreversible. The tipping point in this country may have been already reached. By birth, the have-nots will soon far outnumber the haves.
The question came to me recently. How many people have ever lived on Earth since human beings started occupying the planet? According to the Population Reference Bureau and its director, Carl Haub, it is estimated to be between 100-115 billion humans have populated the Earth in its history. Using the numerator of 7 billion and the denominator of 100-115 billion that means somewhat less than 7% of the total world’s population is alive today. Staggering!
Despite great strides made by Agricultural scientists in drastically improving crop yields, dire predictions of world hunger loom on the horizon. Economist Thomas Malthus in 1798 incorrectly predicted the world would run out of food by the middle of the 19th century. Economist Paul Erlich in his 1968 book, The Population Bomb, incorrectly predicted likewise in the 1970s and 80s… At some point, as the world population continues to climb, economists’ prediction of starving populations will be realized.
Until then, the ticking time bomb continues: 8 billion by 2027; and 9 billion by 2046; 12 billion by 2075.
These sobering statistics are not anything we should be congratulating ourselves about.
I believe in America as envisioned by our forefathers. It is my strongest belief that with this awareness, we Americans can turn this tide.
Roger Gitlin is an alumnus of College of the Canyons, a retired teacher and member of the National and Del Norte Tea Party. He also founded the Santa Clarita Valley Independent minutemen. He lives in Crescent City, California and can be reached at [email protected]. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.