<< ELIMINATE YOUR WAY TO FREEDOM ~ MAIN ~ SIGNS IGNORED >>

300 MILLION

The Springfield, Missouri, News-Leader despairs over American growth:

America’s population is reaching a huge milestone next week. According to the Census Bureau, sometime Tuesday morning, the 300 millionth American will be born.

And what will the nation do?

Stick our heads in the sand and hope nobody notices.

That’s a far cry from 1967 when the nation celebrated its 200 millionth resident with fanfare.

This number is more depressing, frankly. We’ve added 100 million new residents without much thought toward the future. Many of them are immigrants of some form or another ...

And then there’s the matter of our own reckless growth.

What does 300 million mean to global warming? What does it mean to the future of our environment? The fact is, we should pause and wonder about the 300 million number and begin a serious debate about the direction of our country.

That “depressing number” of additions to the US population since 1967 will include many staffers at the Springfield News-Leader. I wonder how they feel, knowing their reckless growth depresses whoever wrote that editorial. Please celebrate 300 Million Tuesday by sending family photographs, to be posted on the day. Email address is at left.

Posted by Tim B. on 10/15/2006 at 03:25 PM
  1. 300 million accidents, even ahead of ladders and bathtub falls.  Yet there are no government programs addressing it, except for congressional pages and anti-smoking campaigns.

    Posted by rhhardin on 2006 10 15 at 03:35 PM • permalink

  2. I’m surprised it wasn’t refered to as a grim milestone.

    Posted by JSchuler on 2006 10 15 at 03:39 PM • permalink

  3. I’m surprised it wasn’t refered to as a grim milestone.

    The writer substituted “depressing milestone”. Close kin of “grim milestone”.

    Posted by rinardman on 2006 10 15 at 03:43 PM • permalink

  4. America’s population is reaching a huge milestone next week. According to the Census Bureau, sometime Tuesday morning, the 300 millionth American will be born.

    Well, not exactly. The 300 millionth American resident crossed the southern border under cover of night some years ago.

    Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 10 15 at 03:43 PM • permalink

  5. Many of them are immigrants of some form or another

    Oh, that’s rich. “Of some form or another”. What tremendous insight, what astounding perspicacity! Maybe our porous border has something to do with it? Maybe that’s more of a problem than the absolute number of 300 million.

    Posted by paco on 2006 10 15 at 03:47 PM • permalink

  6. The US is 4-ish times bigger than India; India has about 1,080,264,380 people (2005).  What is this newspaper’s writer so agitas about?

    Posted by ushie on 2006 10 15 at 04:19 PM • permalink

  7. The fact is, we should pause and wonder about the 300 million number and begin a serious debate about the direction of our country.

    I agree. Kill yourself.

    Posted by Dave S. on 2006 10 15 at 04:52 PM • permalink

  8. How the hell does 100 million people moving from one part of the globe to another part of the globe affect global warming? Does the writer of this pile of dreck think that the immigrants invaded from another planet? You know, if these people were really worried about global warming, they’d shut their mouths to at least keep more hot air from being released into the atmosphere.

    Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 10 15 at 04:56 PM • permalink

  9. Yep, to combat the problem the whiners should assume room temperature immediately.

    Posted by Some0Seppo on 2006 10 15 at 04:57 PM • permalink

  10. “What does 300 million mean to global warming? What does it mean to the future of our environment? The fact is, we should pause and wonder about the 300 million number and begin a serious debate about the direction of our country.”

    It means there are more minds available to think of means to ameliorate the effects, unless global warming is just a crock of BS, as seems likely, or is the result of the Sun going through a warming cycle (as is possible) in which case no number of Kyoto Treaties will have the slightest effect.

    For the future of the environment it means more minds to think about what to do, and maybe to identify real problems rather than focus on the false ones the eco-hysterics blather about.  It also means more hands to plant trees.  Isn’t that nice?

    It also means that there will be Americans in the future, when there are no more French and Russians and Germans due to their death-spiral birth rates.  That means there will be people to act to do something about crises, when Europe is populated by Wahhabi Muslims who think the desertification of France, caused by their beloved goats wandering freely, is just The Will of Allah and there is nothing to be done about it.

    But a debate might be useful.  Unfortunately it will be a debate among factions of the Right, like all serious discussions in the USA of contemporary problems are, domestic and foreign, because the Left has no original ideas to contribute.  All we get from liberals and lefties is warmed-over Marxism or a determination that now, at last, we’ll really put in place what FDR wanted.

    Posted by Michael Lonie on 2006 10 15 at 05:00 PM • permalink

  11. Tim, some photos are on the way!

    In the meantime, I suggest a letter campaign to the cretins editors of the News-Leader:  Show your committment to getting population under control by requiring anyone employed by the paper to get “The Operation” (vasectomy, tubal ligation, etc) after having two children. 

    I’m sure that
    Population Connection (aka Zero Population Growth) will be pleased to hear from you.  Who, by the way, sound awfully familiar, for some odd reason.

    Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 10 15 at 05:03 PM • permalink

  12. PS:  A little poem for the News-Leader editors, food for thought, as it were:

    Through early morning fog I see
    visions of the things to be
    the pains that are withheld for me
    I realize and I can see…

    [REFRAIN]:

    that suicide is painless
    It brings on many changes
    and I can take or leave it if I please.
    I try to find a way to make
    all our little joys relate
    without that ever-present hate
    but now I know that it’s too late, and…

    The game of life is hard to play
    I’m gonna lose it anyway
    The losing card I’ll someday lay
    so this is all I have to say.

    [REFRAIN]

    The only way to win is cheat
    And lay it down before I’m beat
    and to another give my seat
    for that’s the only painless feat.

    [REFRAIN]

    The sword of time will pierce our skins
    It doesn’t hurt when it begins
    But as it works its way on in
    The pain grows stronger…watch it grin, but…

    [REFRAIN]

    A brave man once requested me
    to answer questions that are key
    is it to be or not to be
    and I replied ‘oh why ask me?’

    [REFRAIN]

    ‘Cause suicide is painless
    it brings on many changes
    and I can take or leave it if I please.
    ...and you can do the same thing if you please

    Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 10 15 at 05:06 PM • permalink

  13. TheRealJeffS, thanks for that.  I’d forgotten about that little ditty.  Brought on memories of laughs long past.

    My Part Of The 300 Million is on the way to you, Tim.

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2006 10 15 at 05:14 PM • permalink

  14. I agree. Kill yourself.

    Think globally, act locally!

    Posted by Brian O'Connell on 2006 10 15 at 05:29 PM • permalink

  15. This number is more depressing, frankly.

    Then go kill yourself and help retard this grim event by another 11.55 seconds. Sheesh.

    Posted by PW on 2006 10 15 at 06:30 PM • permalink

  16. In a nutshell:

    “Room enough for me, but not for anyone else.”

    If I make that into a bumper sticker, wouldn’t leftists buy it?

    Posted by Rittenhouse on 2006 10 15 at 07:08 PM • permalink

  17. ABC News (US) just finished it’s broadcast with a story on the 300 Millionth. To it’s credit, it reminded viewers that in 1967, when the population hit 200 Million, alarmists said the US would be out of resources and choked by pollution. Didn’t happen.

    Today, they did mention The Warmening and said the US is running out of room. Both complete bullshit, of course, and given the trends in technology, easily overcome if the Nation avails itself of all the land located outside the Washington Beltway.

    I will celebrate on Tuesday.

    Posted by JDB on 2006 10 15 at 07:08 PM • permalink

  18. Sent you my maternal grandparents’ 1905 wedding pic, Tim.  (Haven’t gotten around to digitizing most of the family photos yet.)

    In case you can’t use the note I sent, I’ll also paste it here:

    “I’d like to memorialize my maternal grandparents, John Cyrus Jones and Sophronia Patterson Jones (otherwise known as Pop and Nannie), who contributed their two grandchildren (my brother and me) to that 300,000,000.  Attached is their wedding photo from 1905.
    Pop’s ancestors emigrated from Wales to America (the “Colonies”) before our Revolution, and Nannie’s ancestors emigrated from Scotland around the time of the War of 1812.  (My dad was of German and Moravian extraction, hence the non-Albion last name.)
    I am grateful every day my ancestors got on those boats.
    Barbara Skolaut, American by birth, Southern by the grace of God.  ;-p”

    Thank you Tim, and Australia, for being our friends.

    Posted by Barbara Skolaut on 2006 10 15 at 07:11 PM • permalink

  19. #11 Jeffs:  “Show your committment to getting population under control by requiring anyone employed by the paper to get “The Operation” (vasectomy, tubal ligation, etc) after having two children before having any children.  Fire any who won’t.”

    There - fixed that for ya’.  ;-p

    Posted by Barbara Skolaut on 2006 10 15 at 07:14 PM • permalink

  20. I agree, the world will be a better place in about 50 years if liberals just decided to honor a voluntary no-child policy. Of course, many of them are already doing just that, so this should really appeal to them, given their penchant for grand gestures that don’t actually require any effort. So, keep up the good work!

    Posted by PW on 2006 10 15 at 07:18 PM • permalink

  21. There is still plenty of room in the US for those Americans who weren’t born here.  You are out there and you know who you are.

    Come on in, and welcome home.

    Posted by trainer on 2006 10 15 at 07:30 PM • permalink

  22. It’s all blowback from discouraging smoking and cholesterol!

    Posted by Henry boy on 2006 10 15 at 07:45 PM • permalink

  23. And then there’s the matter of our own reckless growth.

    Those damn little wrigglers, they’re so tenacious.

    Appropriate Python quote:

    “It’s a fair cop, but society is to blame.”

    “Right. We’ll be chargin’ them too.”

    Posted by Henry boy on 2006 10 15 at 07:47 PM • permalink

  24. I have a new colleague and friend from Germany.  Due to a personal tragedy, he is not liked much there.  (They still seem to have a strong preference for ‘perfection’ in the Aryan form.)  He went ‘home’ this summer to visit his parents, where he was roundly ignored by one and all and left in difficult circumstances by his relatives, their friends and neighbors, and by various for-profit organizations.

    He flew back to Toronto and then drove to the US, crossing at Port Huron, Michigan.  He said he was feeling awful and then, as the sun was setting, he spotted Old Glory flying on the US side of the bridge and, “I could hardly see to drive because my eyes were suddenly filled with tears.  HOME!! I was coming HOME!! To friends and colleagues who cared about me.  And I realized that, even if my citizenship is not finished yet, I was no longer German.  I AM A PROUD AMERICAN!!  I *LOVE* the US and its people.”

    I told him I think there are a lot of Americans all over the world who just haven’t realized it yet. It’s not about where you live, it’s about thinking and acting like an American.  (Ozzies are at the very least honorary Americans—cousins to the south is all.)

    I like illegal immigrants.  They’re just Americans who had the misfortune to be born in the wrong country.

    Posted by JorgXMcKie on 2006 10 15 at 07:57 PM • permalink

  25. Re #19, thanks, Barbara!  Much better!

    Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 10 15 at 08:04 PM • permalink

  26. Jorge—a beautiful story!  Please pass my warm welcome to your friend and our fellow citizen.

    Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 10 15 at 08:05 PM • permalink

  27. Barbara Skolaut missed out on Welsh Motorways

    Posted by Rob Read on 2006 10 15 at 08:11 PM • permalink

  28. #24 - tears here, dude. Damn you.  ;-)

    Posted by Dave S. on 2006 10 15 at 08:11 PM • permalink

  29. There are vast areas in the midwest that are depopulating. We have lots of room.

    Posted by Dave S. on 2006 10 15 at 08:13 PM • permalink

  30. Odd indeed that those so agitated about rising populations aren’t inclined to think globally, act locally and stick their pointy heads in the gas oven?

    Perhaps it’s because LPG is a greenhouse agent, and they don’t want to add to global warming by releasing same into the atmosphere, and then there’s the cremation to think of- hey, they’re being responsible!

    Of course they always could open up an artery, or scoff down an excess of the assorted worrywart medication they no doubt have in bushels.

    C’mon malthusian moonbats, top yourself for Gaiea! You’d be doing the planet (and the rest of us) a HUGE favour.

    Posted by Habib on 2006 10 15 at 08:58 PM • permalink

  31. There’s amnesia in a hang knot,
    and comfort in the ax,
    But the simple way of poison will make
    your nerves relax.

    There’s surcease in a gunshot,
    And a sleep that comes from racks,
    But a handy draft of poison avoids the
    harshest tax.

    You find rest upon the hot squat,
    Or gas can give you pax,
    But the closest corner chemist has peace
    in packaged stacks.

    There’s refuge in a church lot
    When you tire of facing facts,
    And the smoothest route is poison
    prescribed by kindly quacks.

    (Chorus)
    With an ugh!and a groan, and a kick of the heels
    Death comes quiet, or it comes with sqeals -
    But the pleasantest place to find your end
    Is a cup of cheer from the hand of a friend.

            - Jubal Harshaw.

    Posted by Dminor on 2006 10 15 at 09:03 PM • permalink

  32. There are vast areas in the midwest that are depopulating. We have lots of room.

    An interesting experiment is to compare photos from around 1900 to photos of the same spot today. The bit that popped out to me most was the number of trees—in the modern photos. The older ones are rather bare.

    Posted by Rob Crawford on 2006 10 15 at 09:14 PM • permalink

  33. I am very worried about the effect of other people on the environment. We should do all we can to keep the number at 299,900,000 or so. To state we could have a “rally against overpopulation,” and deport every useless cretin who shows up to some part of Africa without Gaia-killing indoor plumbing. Or France.

    Posted by bobpence on 2006 10 15 at 10:23 PM • permalink

  34. Better idea: Finally decide on a disposition for Puerto Rico as an independent nation. (They did field an Olympics team.) Our dangerous population size would drop about four million, to a safe 296. Plus it would remind those pesky Tennesseans to keep in line, lest we “independence” them, too.

    Posted by bobpence on 2006 10 15 at 10:28 PM • permalink

  35. LOL, Dminor!  I’d forgotten about that poem from “Stranger in a Strange Land”!!!!

    Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 10 15 at 11:08 PM • permalink

  36. Last month the world past another truly historic turning point, for the first time in human history there were more obese people on the planet than malnourished people. Now given that the vast majority were people who were neither obese nor malnourished but just perfectly well fed I thought this a magnificent point in human achievement. Think about it, since the dawn of time man has struggled to feed his family but now we have reached the situation where more people have too much food than have too little, brilliant.

    A reason to celebrate? I certainly thought so, but no instead all we heard were doom and gloom mongers moaning about using up scarce natural resources blah blah blah.

    It amazes me you know because these lefties all claim to be “humanists”, you know, fans of the human race but they seem awful slow to show their appreciation.

    When will the droners accept Mark Steyn’s advice and realise that governments should stop worrying about their populations using up vital natural resources and instead understand that their populations ARE their most vital natural resource?

    In the 1960’s Russia and the US had fairly similar populations, now the US is 300 000 000 and rising whilst Russia is about 140 000 000 and falling precipitately, so according to the lefties Russia should be a lot healthier and happier and more prosperous now that they aren’t “over-populating”, sure doesn’t seem that way!

    Posted by Harry Flashman on 2006 10 15 at 11:36 PM • permalink

  37. I’ve lurked here for a year or so,absorbing the wit and wisdom of my brothers to the south.I was compelled to respond to this item as a resident of the Ozarks(so. of Springfield about 60 miles).The Springfield News-liberal as it’s refered to in these parts,is what passes for print media in this area.No need to actually read it because it’s so predictably liberal.There’s quite a contrast between Springfield and the area where I reside, beautiful Table Rock Lake.We’re conservatives, hunters, and fishermen,hell our town shuts down during deer season.We still smoke in the barber shop and hardware store,really pisses off the city folk in the summer when they invade us for thier lake fun.We let them use our lake and in return they leave us thier trash.They do provide entertainment.You can kill an afternoon down at the public boat ramps,cooler filled with your prefered beverage,lawn chair,and video camera,and your ready to watch these idiots launch and land thier boats. We do not venture out on the lake on the weekends during the summer.But back on topic,at least 2 or 3 of these morons remove them selve’s from the gene pool every summer for lack of swimming or boating skills and failure to navagate our winding,hilly roads.

    Posted by lp-usa on 2006 10 16 at 12:20 AM • permalink

  38. lp-usa, you’d make a fine Mainer.

    Posted by Dave S. on 2006 10 16 at 12:22 AM • permalink

  39. Spell check is your friend.Jesuua, what an introduction

    Posted by lp-usa on 2006 10 16 at 12:24 AM • permalink

  40. Doomscreamer, circa 1975 - “There will be worldwide famine in 2000! We’re doomed!”

    Doomscreamer, 2006 - “Everybody’s fat, we’re doomed!”

    Lefties will only be happy when it’s a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, everybody makes the same amount of money, and we’re all at 10% body fat.

    Posted by Dave S. on 2006 10 16 at 12:26 AM • permalink

  41. At 300 million, the population of the US is approx 5x that of the UK.

    Noone worries about overcrowding in the UK.

    The US occupies an area of 9,984,670 km2 or 41x that of the UK.

    Assuming the same population density as the UK, gives a US population of 2.45 billion.

    A bit of room to grow then.

    Posted by pommygranate on 2006 10 16 at 12:27 AM • permalink

  42. re#38
      you humble me sir

    Posted by lp-usa on 2006 10 16 at 12:34 AM • permalink

  43. The Springfield, Missouri, News-Leader
    The New York Times it ain’t.
    Wasn’t Springfield where Jesse James or was it the Dalton Gang got to work with their guns?
    Hick town with a hick paper by the sound of it.

    Posted by Bonmot on 2006 10 16 at 01:40 AM • permalink

  44. Well, I know plenty of people my age (30s) who aren’t reproducing (on purpose), which just means more room for my kids. Only 3 so far, but there’s plenty of time before menopause…

    I just wish that those people taking up Manhattan real estate would move to Europe or something. Come to think of it, I bet alot of those prime Manhattan locations are pieds a terre, which is just damn annoying. I want my 5th Ave penthouse!

    Posted by meep on 2006 10 16 at 06:57 AM • permalink

  45. Barbara, JorgeX, thank you for those comments.

    Posted by Baby M on 2006 10 16 at 08:14 AM • permalink

  46. #27 Rob Read - maybe not. 

    I grew up in a small town in the mountains of far western Virginia, surrounded by the George Washington National Forest.  ;-p

    Posted by Barbara Skolaut on 2006 10 16 at 12:27 PM • permalink

  47. I’m told the state of Texas could accommodate the entire world’s population, even providing each individual with breathing and stretching space. If that’s indeed true, I don’t think we need worry too much about 300M spread around our entire country. And as for those ever-dwindling resources, who would put them to better use than the 300,000,000+ folks in the good old USA? If there really are going to be dire consequences to GW GC CC, whose free-wheeling (well, sort of) economy is most likely to come up with the solutions? America, fuck yeah!

    For a more measured, less calamitous point of view, see the Christian Science Monitor.

    Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 10 16 at 12:29 PM • permalink

  48. Well, you know, the whole Paul Ehrlich ‘we’re-running-out-of-food-and-room’ over-population thing a few decades back never panned out for the permanent hand-wringing set, so all they’ve got left is fretting about however many of us there are, anyway.

    Pathetic.

    Posted by cosmo on 2006 10 16 at 01:11 PM • permalink

  49. lp-usa:  Spent some excellent childhood summers at Table Rock.  The Ozarks are an underrated national treasure.

    kyda:  I’ve heard the same thing.  Reminded me of that description of the Alaska pipeline, the one that was supposed to destroy the entire eco-system of the State:  an aerial photo of it would look like kite string crossing a golf course.

    Comes a real disaster—not that these idiots will ever see it coming—and none of the rest of us will be willing to pay attention to them.

    Posted by cosmo on 2006 10 16 at 01:23 PM • permalink

  50. #24: a Nepali friend of mine who had not yet started the citizenship application process had a similar experience.  He flew back to the old country for a visit, and on his way back, changing planes in Houston, he realized he was “home” again.

    Posted by Baby M on 2006 10 16 at 01:58 PM • permalink

  51. Humanities greatest asset is genius: that faculty to make revolutionary leaps foreward that separates one-in-a-million from the rest of us the way a handful of genes separate us from bonobos. As the oldest of seven, I’m proud my family has contributed more than it’s share to the next million or so needed to make one leap away from collective harm.

    Posted by Nathan on 2006 10 16 at 07:06 PM • permalink

  52. Humanity’s, that is. Make whatever foul blows seem apt about my rank in that million.

    Posted by Nathan on 2006 10 16 at 07:07 PM • permalink

  53. Many of them are immigrants of some form or another ...

    In other words, they added themselves, and CERTAINLY wouldn’t be contributing to global warming or resource consumption if they stayed in, say, Venezuela, Mexico or Honduras…

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 10 16 at 08:17 PM • permalink

  54. 21:38 AEST. Tim’s late.

    I blame global warmenating and Wronwright.

    MarkL
    Canberra

    Posted by MarkL on 2006 10 17 at 07:38 AM • permalink

  55. Page 1 of 1 pages

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Members:
Login | Register | Member List

Please note: you must use a real email address to register. You will be sent an account activation email. Clicking on the url in the email will automatically activate your account. Until you do so your account will be held in the "pending" list and you won't be able to log in. All accounts that are "pending" for more than one week will be deleted.