Doomsday theories implode

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 06/02/2002 | MARK STEYN

[berned]

Hey, let's not leave out our ol' pal Y2K. We better all buy those generators that run on re-cycled sewage because it will be until mid 2001 at least, before we have heat and electricity again. (Those of us that live in rural areas, that is -- cities will all be abandoned to roving gangs of wolves)

[#3Fan]

I haven't heard that, do have a link?

From here:

Russia Sets Out to Tackle '2003 Problem

[Editor's Note: This important short article was brought to my attention by a friend in Austria who found the Sept. 13 Reuters article on an economic discussion board. Boris Gryzlov, leader of Russia's Unity faction let the cat out of the bag when he told reporter Shukshin that Russia would "have to deal in 2003 with a massive population shrinkage." President Putin himself was quoted as saying that the '"anticipated chain of disasters due to hit the country in 2003" were "...a serious threat for the existence, I want to stress this, for the existence of Russia". The very next day, the story was substantially 'sanitized' and converted into a ho hum, crumbling infrastructure cover story, with Putin's remarks completely removed from the story...Ken Adachi].

by Andrei Shukshin, Reuters,
Sept. 13, 2000
http://educate-yourself.org/cnrussia2003problem26aug01.html

Russia's Parliamentary leaders and President Vladimir Putin agreed Wednesday to embark on a three-year crash course to thwart what they said was an anticipated chain of disasters due to hit the country in 2003. "(These are) issues of extraordinary importance, strategic issues which may degenerate into a serious threat for the existence, I want to stress this, for the existence of Russia," former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov told reporters. Pro-Kremlin Party Brought Up The 2003 Problem Boris Gryzlov, leader of the pro-Kremlin Unity faction which was the first to raise the issue, said Russia would also have to deal in 2003 with a massive population shrinkage. Gryzlov said the problems had already been discussed with cabinet ministers and the parliamentarians had agreed with Putin to set up a commission to tackle the issue head-on. "The question was discussed at length and the president approved our initiative and said he would dispatch representatives of his administration to the working group," Gryzlov said after the Kremlin meeting.

Massive population shrinkage? Very strange. Maybe it's just political bluster. It may not be, though.

[BJClinton]

I think he's referring to a shrinkage of the Russian population. They've had a low birthrate for decades(except in Muslim areas).

[Rocko]

Bump.

[steve-b]

Population is self-correcting if the government refrains from screwing up the economy. Once people get to a standard of living comparable to the Western middle class, it makes sense to have few children and concentrate resources (education, particularly).

[palo verde]

I read the date in the Mayan Calendar is Winter Solstice 2011
(the ''due'' date anyway, could be lil earlier or lil later)
and it means consciousness will switch from sub-conscious to fully conscious
sound like good thing to me
(what Bible means by Millennium)

[FreedomPoster]

Population is self-correcting if the government refrains from screwing up the economy. Once people get to a standard of living comparable to the Western middle class, it makes sense to have few children and concentrate resources (education, particularly).

Empirical evidence indicates that Moose-limb societies are incapable of not screwing up their economies. Only the Turks are half-way successful at it, and only by militarily-enforced secularism. Thus, we are doomed to see continual population pressure from peaceful, friendly Moose-limbs, on adjacent, economically successful non-Moose-limb societies.

[#3Fan]

I think he's referring to a shrinkage of the Russian population. They've had a low birthrate for decades(except in Muslim areas).

All the old people are going to die in one year?

[BJClinton]

All the old people are going to die in one year?

Good point. It may be the beginning of a trend and he wants to create some buzz so he can push some sort of "Russia First" policy to bolster the birth rate of Ruskies. I dunno.

[#3Fan]

Yes, it's probably political bluster. Luckily, we don't have politicians here in America who overblow things for their political benefit. :^)

[StopGlobalWhining]

Global warming is the most pressing danger facing mankind today. Predictions of astounding human death tolls made by visionary Paul Ehrlich back in 1968 pale before his most recent pronouncements.

Ehrlich now predicts that if the Kyoto agreement is not ratified by the U.S. Senate before the 2004 elections, earth's oceans will have completely evaporated as a result of human induced global warming by November 2102.

President Bush, in a bi-partisan move to once again reinforce the "new tone" in Washington, tonight announced a commission, headed by former Vice President and presidential rival algore, to come up with recommendations to alleviate and minimize the crisis.

Also tonight, following blistering criticism from extremist GOP lawmakers, algore denied that Ted Kaczinski had been invited to serve on the commission.

[aruanan]

In 1968, in his best-selling book The Population Bomb, scientist Paul Ehrlich declared: "In the 1970s, the world will undergo famines--hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death."

Science pee-pees on the head of Paul Ehrlich and other socialists who abuse science in order to further their political philosophies.

[aruanan]

BUMP

[BJClinton]

Nice. It fits your handle.

[BJClinton]

Yup. Although common sense and science generally disagree with all forms of liberalism.

[blam]

"BUMP"

When I was in school in the early sixties, the fear was a new Ice Age, that is if we survived the nuclear war between the US/Soviets. (I'm in to comets/asteroids/super-volcanos now)

[aruanan]

When I was in school in the early sixties, the fear was a new Ice Age, that is if we survived the nuclear war between the US/Soviets. (I'm in to comets/asteroids/super-volcanos now)

Remember the book by John Christopher in which people came up from way under the ice that covered New York City to eventually head down toward Rio?

[aruanan]

Here's a link to a page about John Christopher and his books.

[blam]

"Remember the book by John Christopher in which people came up from way under the ice that covered New York City to eventually head down toward Rio?"

Sorry, I'm not familiar with him.

[aruanan]

I think The Long Winter (written in 1962) was the one I was talking about. So they were thinking of a new ice age back in the early 60s. His books are pretty fun. I like the Tripod series in which Earth has been taken over by these creatures that travel around in walking tripods and control people via a metallic mesh cap that is fitted on capping day when a child reaches, I think, 13. These books are about the fight against the aliens.