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.
William Wilberforce has been called an agitator for his commitment to ending the slave trade. One of his well known speeches on the subject was given on May 12, 1789.
Cardinal Richelieu has been hailed as a great statesman and as a subversive authoritarian. Depending on who you talk to he was a man needed to strengthen the monarchy in France, or he was a tyrant seeking personal power. Next week I will have a book review that may shed more light on Cardinal Richelieu.
When Lenin was working on his major writing projects he would often pace across the room formulating the ideas that he would write down by saying them out loud. Once he had the idea for what he wanted to write he would often repeat the idea to Nadezhda Krupskaya, who would provide feedback. Once this process was complete he would then write the ideas down.
Here is an AI rendering of what that might have looked like when he was drafting What is to be Done.
This month this community will focus on political subversion. What is subversion? When is it justified? What is the interplay between subversion and agitation? These are some of the topics to be discussed this month.
“You get used to the despot’s shortcomings, when they are not great vices, and the change of an autocratic ruler leads to involuntary fear.”
Sergei Trubetskoi
