What if Earth's population was only 100?

by FlyingHighNow 69 Replies latest jw friends

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  FlyingHighNow

  Burns, you know that the Republican party promotes "everyone for himself." They do not believe in "united we stand, divided we fall." That is my whole point in making this thread, to get people to think. That survival of the fittest thinking devalues individuals, making it seem dutiful to promote a society where people do not look out for each other and make sure every single citizen has good medical care and enough pay or resources to have good housing, food and enough time to recuperate between work shifts.

  If you have only 100 people, you have to ensure 100 people have what they need to be strong, healthy & stable or the small society will not thrive and will probably fail. When you multiply that hundred to come up with millions and billions, it's still true. When human beings become divided against each other, they will not thrive.
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  FlyingHighNow

  This thread is not talking back then, though. We are talking if you have 100 people now. Doctors today know that they need to wash their hands and use antiseptic. People keep bringing up MRI's and very sophisticated procedures and speclities. I suppose if you have 100 people on an island, they might have a cat scanner or an MRI, but that is not the point.

  My point is, you have only 100 people, you need to keep this tiny population as healthy as you can, otherwise, your numbers will dwindle. So instead of only providing health care for some, you make sure what ever level of health care there is, it is available for all.
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  Black Sheep

  When human beings become divided against each other, they will not thrive.

  The dominant groups thrive.

  I've recently read the pre European history of a group that would have started out as a small group of individuals, but by the time the Europeans arrived they had divided themselves into tribes and had a long tradition of killing and eating weaker tribes.

  When the population expands to the limits of the available resources it only takes someone to offend a chief's god, or laugh at his hat, and the neighboring tribe becomes dinner.
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  FlyingHighNow

  Hey, Black Sheep, you are talking about primitive, less enlightened tribes. Even so, not all primitive tribes are brutal like you describe. Have you seen the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy? The Bushmen in the film are a peaceful people who look out for each other. They stick together and are able to thrive under the most spare conditions and environment. They are also happier.

  Here's a song and video that contrasts a society that is selfish with one who is not. To give into this every man for himself spirit that is growing stronger everyday, is to promote the complete breakdown of humankind. "There won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgement day, on the bloody morning after one tin soldier rides away."

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTBx-hHf4BE
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  Black Sheep

  I'm not talking about a continent with virtually unlimited resources. I'm talking about a fertile tropical island that can quickly over-populate.

  Also, at the time the missionaries arrived, they were peaceful people who looked out for each other, (They had eaten their competitors), and they still look after each other and you couldn't find more peaceful and hospitable people anywhere.

  What the Kalahari tribesmen are now, doesn't tell the stories of the tribes that disappeared when times got tough.
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  FlyingHighNow

  Also, at the time the missionaries arrived, they were peaceful people who looked out for each other, (They had eaten their competitors), and they still look after each other and you couldn't find more peaceful and hospitable people anywhere.

  You make my point grandly then. They looked out for each other, so they stood united against their competitors and were the victors. If they had been divided against each other, keeping some healthy, happy and thriving, but the majority oppressed, hungry, poorly housed and in poor health, they would have fallen much more easily once the competitors attacked.
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  FlyingHighNow

  The dominant groups thrive.

  Ultimately, the dominant groups today may be the undoing of humankind.

  When I was a child, I used to ask, "What will happen to Earth when aliens to come to attack? Earthlings are so divided and selfish, they will be easy pickings. Either that or they will learn to work together in a crisis with the ultimate goal of preserving humankind."

  Then you look at the USA right now. Don't you ever think about this? The armed forces are limited in numbers. They are being exhausted in the middle east. The country is divided against its self. The leaders, democrats included, have either aided or allowed the banks and corporations to take over America and deplete the resources, health and energy of millions. What easier time to is there for people from the outside to attack? America isn't the super power they used to be. And they have pissed a lot of people off. I say they because I am speaking of our governors and these controlling elite who are sucking American citizens dry.

  I heard something interesting the other day that gave me a lot of food for thought. If you successfully destroy the middle class everywhere in the world, you have no one to buy all those products that are keeping the elite wealthy. If you weaken the health and morale of most of Earth's citizens, there will be no armies to protect the governors and the elite.
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  PSacramento

  Well, if there was only 100 people all over the world then there COULD be some trouble, but as it was pointed out, there was only 100 people at onepoint in time and we did just fine.
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  jgnat

  I love mental exercises like this. Thanks for bringing this up, FlyingHighNow. I've seen such a demonstration with nine people and one child at a TED video. I haven't found that same presntation, but I found one similar.

  http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html

  In truth, a population of a hundred would put humans in to the endangered species category. Civilization as we know it would collapse, and we would be reduced to survival activities (gathering water and firewood, subsistence farming). I'm not sure if a tribe of a hundred would necessarily reach optimum compassion.

  http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/aftermath/environment/index.html

  We need activities that shrinks our world and reminds us that every human being is our neighbour, child, grandchild, and grandmother. The internet might help.
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  Black Sheep

  they stood united against their competitors

  Not too many generations earlier, these 'competitors' were always family and were looking after each other. We are talking about a group that may well have arrived with less than 100 individuals. The only outside competition came from other islands, but being good navigators, even they all new each other and were related and intermarried.

  When you get several decades of balmy weather, good crops, and your family has grown to thousands, then you get the 20 to 30 year drought, like they had this year, and you don't have international telecommunications, aid agencies, airports and cargo ships, Cuzzy Bro next door starts looking tasty and your branch of the family needs his crops and land as much as he does. Now all that is needed is an excuse for a family feud and the food shortage can be resolved.