Black Hole Radiation

Friday, January 26, 2023

Do we need an emperor of the world?

Right now we live in a free world, generally speaking. Governments can surveil, command, and oppress their citizens, but they don’t bother with most of us. I guarantee my government does not know who I am, where I am, or what I am doing, nor does it care.

Most people in the world generally consume what they can afford to consume, marry who they want, have as many children as they like, and dispose of their possessions however they want. In the wealthiest countries, people can use as much water, power, and other resources as they want, provided they can pay.

Nations are not accountable to each other in any real sense. Each does what it likes, and makes what rules it likes. As long as this is done within its own borders restrictions are few. Even if one nation wanted to restrict human reproduction, limit resource use, and impose draconian rules about waste, other nations would not have to do this, and citizens have little tolerance for making sacrifices nobody else has to make.

Unless we can somehow manage to limit our population growth and reduce consumption and waste without diminishing our comforts, such things are going to have to be imposed by some form of world government. And this is going to mean uniform control. Much more control than we are used to. Perhaps more control than we can easily tolerate. Depending on how radical the remedies needed, many people might not be willing or able to adapt to unfamiliar and unwelcome restrictions, and may end up being imprisoned or killed for defying authority or fighting back.

For example, at some point the birth rate will have to be restricted worldwide. China has shown it can be done. This will be difficult for many people to accept–that they have to give up their right to have as many children as they want. Can a humanity divided into many nations, most used to the idea that the right to a family is fundamental, ever cooperate on this? Or is this something that is going to have to be imposed?

Carbon emissions, consumption of things like beef that use lots of resources, replacing things that don’t require replacement, trashing rather than recycling… there are too many of us, and we have too much power to use up and pollute.

Maybe we can’t afford freedom anymore.