STRENGTHENING THE UNITED NATIONS

XII.

Zero Population Growth

To suffice, new policies must be of wide scope, heavy impact and long duration. In this memorandum, attention will be called to possibilities of fundamental world policies in six areas: population, production and distribution, armed force, justice, finance, and education.

Only a structure as strong as that posited here could bring the power of the Earth to bear upon its worst problem: the irresponsible cult of child-bearing, which grows out of religious cults, ethnic cults, and scientific advances. Most people realize the situation, and, if all people who had no wish for a pregnancy had their way, the strong measures now needed would appear to be ridiculous.

Even if the population of the Earth were held back in numbers to five billions, to raise the poor to the same economic level as the affluent would place an almost impossible burden of support upon the richer world. In a fair world society, as even today inside rich America and elsewhere, the licensing system that would be demanded for an effective zero increase population control has to be accompanied by sacrifices for the rich. Inheritances, for example, might be prohibited beyond a modest family limit, and the social wealth thereby derived be given, preferably by the testator, to philanthropic causes.

Should the population continue its increase worldwide, the exactions upon liberty would grow unbearable. Unless a forcible intervention should occur, the West would have to cut its consumption by one-half, or billions of people be let or driven to perish otherwise. For practically all of the doubling of the world population soon to occur-- a surplus of five billion people on top of the present surplus -- will happen in the poor countries.

To halt the rise in population of the earth, the 100 great metropolitan jurisdictions, into which the world population would be divided, might be given control over peopling policies. The chauvinistic sensitivities of nation-states are too great to trust them with the job. Probably a quota of licenses for births would have to be handed over by the world Assembly.