(Nimue)
I am in favour of reducing the number of humans on the planet. I also feel strongly about doing that without violence, without eugenics, or any other kind of oppressive cruelty. I think that's all entirely feasible and that mostly what we ned to do is make it easier for people who do not want children, or as many children, to be in control of their family sizes.
It's not easy to be sterilized, most places. (If you know anywhere with a better attitude to this, do please say.) It can be hard to do this when you are young, in the UK if you are female then getting it done when you don't have a long term partner is hard (what, even?) it's hard if you haven't got children already.
If you have an intervention so that you cannot have children and then later regret it, this will not ruin your life. It's ok to make mistakes and have regrets, and it's not like having children is the only good or meaningful thing you could ever do. Why are we so collectively stuck on the idea that we have to protect people from making this mistake? Or that it will later seem like a mistake? Why are we so unwilling to accept the idea that some people really don't want children and really do know this about themselves?
If you have a child you don't want, in circumstances that don't work, where you can't afford it… that can ruin your life, condemning you to poverty, misery and difficulty. Not only that, you can ruin the other parent's life, and you can create a life of misery for the child. Ruining your life options certainly exist, along with the scope for causing some other person serious harm or distress. Why don't we take this more seriously?
Reducing the size of the human population would reduce the pressure we put on the planet. However, what we most need to reduce is the billionaire population, as they use a hugely disproportionate amount of resources and are the cause of a great deal that is wrong in the world. That kind of wealth depends on exploitation, and the more people you have to exploit, the more profit you can make. Little wonder, then, that the systems we have favour reproduction.
Being able to control our family sizes, and our populations is actually about valuing human life. It's about not being a disposable commodity here to benefit the few. It's about raising wanted, cherished children we are able to support and nurture. It's about self determination, body autonomy and social justice.
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