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Dialogue with Opinions Against Population Control, etc.
 
(Toward a Sustainable World Population (2))

(August 14 2023)



(1) Dialogue with "Population control violates human rights. A country has no right to demand that other countries suppress their population."

Basically, we believe that each individual is free to decide how many children to have and that this right should be respected. Therefore, in order to achieve population control, it is important to implement policies that have an indirect effect. For example, in areas where population control is needed, consideration should be given to creating incentives for people to have fewer or no children. One such mechanism is a "reverse child benefit". This is a benefit paid in inverse proportion to the number of children.
I also believe that instead of one country demanding that other countries implement population control policies, a fair and neutral body, such as the United Nations, should compile and coordinate the population control policies of each country.

(2) Dialogue with "Everyone has a different sense of wealth. It is not a common ideal that "everyone should be wealthy."

I understand that there is affordability in a natural way of life, and I do not believe that everyone necessarily needs to pursue material wealth. However, I do believe that it is desirable to have a society in which all people can enjoy at least a certain level of consumption that they can afford. This is because we should create a situation where people can freely choose to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle or to consume a little more. I believe that a sustainable society requires a certain level of material wealth.

(3) Dialogue with "Against Population Control for Religious Reasons."

I respectfully understand the idea, but on the other hand, we need to consider reality. Certainly, religious beliefs may cause people to find it meaningful to have more children, but it is hardly desirable to have an unlimited number of children in a situation where it is difficult to provide enough for them. The result could be increased competition for food and resources. We all want to build a prosperous society, and sustainable population control is essential to achieving this. While respecting religious beliefs, we must understand that the future of our planet and its people requires the achievement of appropriate population control.

(4) Dialogue with "I am against population control because a decrease in population will result in a shrinking market and a decrease in revenue."

It may seem that a decrease in revenue will result in less happiness. But if too much population makes many people unhappy, then not everyone is happy. For everyone to be happy, we must strive to make both ourselves and others happy. I agree that some income is necessary for people to be happy, but I hope that in generating income a balance is struck between self-interest and altruism so that everyone is happy.
I also believe that it is generally possible to maintain or increase revenue by introducing benefit policies such as a basic income, even if the market shrinks. This is because the increase in disposable income from a basic income, etc. will result in an increase in consumption equal to or greater than the total amount of the market contraction, and therefore the increase in income can be expected to be maintained. This is not true for all consumption, but we believe it is generally true.

(5) Dialogue with "I am against population control because a declining population will destroy the country."

Certainly, excessive population control can threaten the sustainability of a country. On the other hand, if the world's population is too large, the existence of many countries, including that country, should be endangered. Therefore, I believe that it is necessary to successfully tackle population control on a global scale while maintaining the demographic trends necessary for the maintenance of a country.

(6) Dialogue with "If the population becomes too large, we should expand into space."

Considering the possibility that the earth and the sun will eventually explode, it may be necessary to expand into space in the future. From this point of view, we agree with the direction that the problem of population expansion should be solved to some extent by expanding into space. However, the first priority must be to ensure that people on Earth lead prosperous and happy lives, and we should not rush into space without addressing the ongoing problems of conflict, poverty and hunger, etc. Our first priority must be to address the various problems on Earth, and we should work to enable people to lead more sustainable and fulfilling lives.

(7) Dialogue with "Shouldn't we pursue a sustainable world through methods other than population control?"

Perhaps there are other ways to achieve a sustainable world than population control, even if the world's population is too large. Unfortunately, I cannot think of them. Many population control advocates would probably agree with me. If the world's population is too large, I believe that a sustainable world, a world where everyone is prosperous, can only be achieved by having a sustainable population, or an optimal population.