In June 1798 Thomas Malthus wrote An Essay on the Principal of Population. In the introduction he states “it is an obvious truth …. that population must always be kept down to the level of the means of subsistence” The Malthusian mindset is one of population control. In essence the more people there are the worse life is. In order to have joy and prosperity human kind must not be allowed to reproduce at will.
Today the Malthusian mindset is that of an authoritarian. The Malthusian states I know what is best and for the sake of humanity you must follow my edicts. The overriding goal is hedonistic couched behind a humanitarian veneer. For my pleasure and fulfillment to be maximized I must limit the number of people allowed to exist. However this messaging would never gain traction so the Malthusian goal is packaged as a benefit for all of humanity and thus must be embraced regardless of how catastrophic the results might be. Failure to adhere to the Malthusian mindset makes you a heretic who takes delight in human suffering.
Throughout the centuries since Malthus penned his essay the rhetoric has changed but the overarching goal has remained the same. People must suffer and die now so that the future for humanity will be bright. Or in other words I will destroy humanity in order to save humanity. There can be no compromise and any dissent is vilified.
Today’s Malthusians have latched on to green energy policy and abortion as cornerstones for success. Abortion as a means of birth control meets the Malthusian mindset of population control. To push the discussion from rare and tragic to on demand and praiseworthy normalizes abortion and cements it as a plank in the successful population control category. My body my choice rings out with glee as a hedonistic generation destroys humanity in order to save humanity.
Green energy policy provides the Malthusian another opportunity to argue for population control. If we don’t enact policy now that will adversely effect millions if not billions of people then in the future billions of people will die. The necessity of destroying millions now for the sake of billions later justifies the actions.
Today’s Malthusian mindset manipulates those with good intentions. The desire in most people to support their fellow man provides ample cover for Malthusian goals. Even still the Malthusian mindset cannot allow for discussion and must use fear to ensure that the actual goal of depopulation is not discovered. Fear is used to motivate an otherwise disinterested population.
Malthusians have to drum up urgency with proclamations of doom such as the world is going to end in 12 years in their hedonistic pursuit of power. Untold suffering must occur because there is no other option. Oil and gas must be abandoned before their replacements can handle the same load. Livestock must be slaughtered now leading to food shortages because humanity must be destroyed to save humanity.
Governments throughout the West must go to war against their own people because the Malthusian mindset requires it. Depopulation will not occur without the guiding hand of the Malthusians. In the United States gas prices must continue to increase. People must accept rolling blackouts and meat must be abandoned. People must suffer now for the good of the future.
The Malthusian agenda is currently on display in the Netherlands. Livestock must be slaughtered now to save the future. Farmers of today must be driven out of business to save tomorrow. Food shortages today must occur so that tomorrow’s population will be smaller and better off.
The Malthusian mindset cannot bend because it has the loftiest of goals in mind. The Malthusian mindset is required to save the world even at the cost of millions of lives.
Unfortunately today’s Malthusians didn’t adhere to Malthus himself when he stated “The finest minds seem to be formed rather by efforts at original thinking, by endeavours to form new combinations, and to discover new truths, than by passively receiving the impressions of other men’s ideas.”
Today the Malthusian mindset is stuck on a centuries old theory instead of creating new ideas and it will lead to human suffering that need not occur.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
Five days ago, we began with a simple question: How do you measure potential?
Over the course of this week, Sydney Carton has challenged us to reconsider what potential really means.
We met a man whose careless appearance concealed remarkable intelligence. We watched him make observations that others overlooked, only to receive little recognition for his contributions.
We discovered a man who recognized in Charles Darnay a reflection of what he might have become, yet seemed unwilling or unable to pursue that possibility.
We examined his relationship with Mr. Stryver and considered what it means to become a jackal: someone who possesses the ability to contribute to another person’s success while neglecting the pursuit of his own.
Finally, we learned that Carton’s habits began long before his professional career. Even as a schoolboy, he devoted his abilities to completing the work of others while neglecting his own.
Carton attributes some of his disappointments to bad luck. Perhaps circumstances have indeed worked ...
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Poet, Critic, Philosopher
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the most gifted literary minds of his generation. A poet, critic, and philosopher, he possessed extraordinary intellectual abilities. Yet his life was marked by unfinished projects, difficulties with discipline, and an increasingly destructive dependence on opium.
Coleridge produced some of the most memorable poetry in English literature, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. But he also struggled to translate his ambitious intellectual plans into completed works. His friends recognized his extraordinary abilities, even as they witnessed the difficulties that prevented him from consistently applying them.
Unlike Sydney Carton, Coleridge achieved lasting recognition. Nevertheless, both men illustrate the distance that can exist between ability and accomplishment.
Consider the comparison. Was Coleridge's potential diminished by his inability to complete everything he envisioned?
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