A few socioeconomic issues causing me to lose sleep
I should preface my concerns with a few humanizing facts because the next paragraph is going to have some depressing undertones. I love life. I understand that humankind only exists by chance, and I feel honored that evolution granted my species intelligence. Now that we've confirmed the proper functioning of my brain's limbic system, let's get grim.
Too many people, too few resources.
This is issue number one for me. There are currently 7.2 billion people using Earth's precious resources. In 1927, that number was just 2 billion. With people in underdeveloped countries already dying from starvation, how can we argue that this isn't an issue? Check out the World Population Clock.
If my first concern doesn't support my argument, think about this one. Hop in an airplane, and fly over the US. Look down from your first-class window seat, and what do you see? Forty-one percent of US land is considered farmland.
In November 2013, Dan Savage was asked by an audience member during the Festival of Dangerous Ideas what dangerous ideas he thought had the potential to change the world for the better. His answer? Population control. He thinks mandatory abortions should be enforced for the next thirty years. This is a chillingly dangerous idea, but it would be extremely effective. Check out the video clip.
A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that about twenty percent of the population is attracted to their own gender. As logic might guide you to understanding, those who act on their attraction to their own gender are less likely to contribute to the population crisis. Frustratingly, society keeps fighting some should-be assistance from biology here. We discourage homosexuality through shaming and denial of rights, and subsequently we punish ourselves through sociology. These young men and women are often pressured into heterosexual relationships resulting in contributions to the population crisis. The young men and women who decide to pursue their own interests despite the opinions of the critical mass often adopt existing children.
If you ask me, gay rights are substantially more pleasant than forced abortion.
Not everyone needs a job.
This problem lies in our own intelligence. If there's one thing we can take away from human successes in the last 100 years, it's that we are really getting good with automation. From software that replaces workers to unmanned delivery drones, we're learning to do more with less...which really conflicts with the fact that we have more people than ever before.
Our sociological intelligence falls short of meeting our more-evolved technical intelligence, and that's why this is a concern. Those of us who are more intelligent (i.e. those of us who design automation) will be the only employable individuals if we continue our current rate of growth in efficiency. The hard-working American ideology is going to have to die or else our primitive emotions will cause society to implode.
Have a great week!