By Dave Andrusko
National Right to Life President and Pro-Life Perspective Host Carol Tobias uses a thoughtful analysis written a few years ago that debunks the overpopulation myth to explore its connection to abortion and euthanasia.
The article was written by Philip Longman and was a distillation of his fascinating book, “The Empty Cradle.” (Steven Mosher will be talking about this myth at the National Right to Life Convention. See www.nrlconvention.com.)
Suffice it to say that the “Population Bomb” hysteria of the 1960s was wrong, wrong, and wrong. Nowadays, even in China, the fear is not of too many children but of too few to support a growing number of older people.
As Mrs. Tobias explains at www.prolifeperspective.com
“Some countries have realized that they are heading down the road to ruin. One report from China found the government running an incentive program, offering parents money to keep their baby girls rather than have abortions. Other countries, including Italy, have also considered monetary incentives to parents who are willing to have more than one child. While money is a nice incentive, it will take more than that to change ingrained attitudes about the value of children and family.”
Longman was among the first to talk about the impact on the population pyramid and the devastating impact of sex-selective abortions. As he wrote, “Making demographics there even worse, the spreading use of ultrasound and other techniques for determining the sex of foetuses is, as in India and many other parts of the world, leading to much higher abortion rates for females than for males.”
As Mrs. Tobias notes,
“Negative population growth has the potential to usher in a host of new problems and attitudes regarding life. Sadly, while there may be a backlash against the abortion industry, the euthanasia business could enjoy a big boost.
“A country that fears overpopulation will undervalue families and children, pregnancy and childbirth. A country that experiences underpopulation will target the elderly. Those seen as ‘detrimental’ to economic survival will be placed in the cross-hairs of pro-death activists.”
In Part Two, Mrs. Tobias will continue this discussion on dangers of the overpopulation myth, especially as they relate to the elderly and the growing threat of euthanasia.
Be sure to listen to Mrs. Tobias at www.prolifeperspective.com and to pass that URL along using your social networks.
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