-----Original Message-----
From: pete <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: September 2, 1998 8:46 PM
Subject: FW: Re: Basic income
> "Thomas Lunde" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
>>Thomas: Population is a problem, but I believe that when people are able
to
>>fulfill some of their goals and needs is will become less of a problem.
In
>>those western countries that experience affluence, the tendency is for the
>>birth rate to drop. I think a Basic Income, over time will act as a form
of
>>birth control.
>
>
>Perhaps, but this is a different situation than that which drives low
>birth rates in affluent countries. I wonder what the birth rate is
>among the moderately independently wealthy, that is, those whose
>fortunes allow them to live just comfortably without ever having to
>work. That is a more relevant comparison for people who will have
>a modest but secure income and freedom from financial worries.
>
>It is possible that such security will lead to increased birth rate.
>
> -Pete Vincent
Thomas:
Of course we don't know and I only threw out my tiny bit of intelligence
which has been garnered from reading. And as other writers have pointed out
there is the whole cultural/religious viewpoints that would also have to
change. I guess that this is a question about the Basic Income that I don't
have a definitive answer on. What I would say though is that we are at 6
billion and growing by 80 million a year, (which is 2 1/2 Canada's every
year) and something is going to give. That is going to create a need at a
most graphic level for some change, euthanasia, limit children per couple,
write off a few billion by natural disaster, drop a few A Bombs in the
Middle east, make abortion mandatory, who knows. At some point our
governments and religious leaders are going to have to come out of denial on
this problem and make some decisions. In the meantime, could we please
start exploring some other ways than our present mess in redistributing
income?
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
