Djerassi Says "Oops!

A friend of mine once told me that the entire history of the world can be given in two sentences: "What harm could it do?" followed quickly by "Oops! Who knew?" Dr. Carl Djerassi, the inventor of the oral contraceptive pill, was once of the "What harm could it do?" school of thought. Now, he says oops:

Djerassi outlined the "horror scenario" that occurred because of the population imbalance, for which his invention was partly to blame. He said that in most of Europe there was now "no connection at all between sexuality and reproduction." He said: "This divide in Catholic Austria, a country which has on average 1.4 children per family, is now complete."

He described families who had decided against reproduction as "wanting to enjoy their schnitzels while leaving the rest of the world to get on with it."

The fall in the birth rate, he said, was an "epidemic" far worse, but given less attention, than obesity. Young Austrians, he said, were committing national suicide if they failed to procreate. And if it were not possible to reverse the population decline they would have to understand the necessity of an "intelligent immigration policy."
Since Malthus, the world elites have peddled the theory that over-population was the problem, a theory that has unfortunately been embraced by ecologists and economists the world over. The facts are quite the opposite. Neither the economic nor the ecological problems can be solved in the face of falling populations. (See The Birth Dearth and Demographic Winter)

We like to say that "Children are the future," and then refuse to have any children. Somehow, we want to escape the obvious conclusion that we will have no future.

5 comments:

Paleocrat Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 2:06:00 PM CST  

I have found it curious since becoming a Catholic just how many Catholic families look no different than their Protestant counterpart. In fact, I have seen a greater number of large families in classical Reformed churches than I have in many of the Catholic churches I have visited.

All of this to say that it would do Catholicism well to reemphasize the beauty and strength of large families. Talk about the fact that contraception is still a sin, and that treating natural family planning as you would contraception (using mathematics rather than chemicals) is not, or should not be, the intention of NFP. Remind everyone that getting "the surgery," whether a man or woman, is not acceptable. Most importantly, teach them why large families are good as well as what role they play in Christ's dominion.

Let's not forget about the potential for training here. Train the young men what their responsibilities will be as a husband, and a father of what may very well turn out being a large family. The same for the young women. They shouldn't have to learn this stuff in CCD or RCIA. They shouldn't have to wait to "fake it til they make it."

As for those a tad older who may have the 2.5 kids, they should be strongly admonished to continue having children. Get to the root of the issue. Why only 2.5? Then deal with them appropriately.

Thanks for this post, John.

Drew Costen Friday, January 9, 2009 at 7:04:00 AM CST  

Young Austrians, he said, were committing national suicide if they failed to procreate.

Why is this a bad thing though? As someone who doesn't understand the concept of nationalism I just can't grasp what the problem here is. There are still more than enough humans on the planet, more humans than ever really, so does it really matter where on the planet they're being born?

Anonymous,  Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 4:21:00 AM CST  

The Christian Heretic's boutade may seem witty, but why is national suicide better than individual suicide? Why is it more Christian--because it's more PC? Last time I checked, nations are made up of persons, and a nation's common good has something to do with the good of persons.
We ought to be a bit more critical of individualistic assumptions.

Anonymous,  Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 2:21:00 PM CST  

Quote: "Since Malthus, the world elites have peddled the theory that over-population was the problem, a theory that has unfortunately been embraced by ecologists and economists the world over."

Actually Malthus just stole his ideas from the defrocked Venetian monk Giammaria Ortes,a well know shill for the venetian `conversazione filosofica e felice'' a "think tank" for the Venetian oligarchical families.

It is the eternal instinct of the Oligarch that wants to reduce growing populations because upward mobility threatens their power monopoly.

Since Euripides and even in the Illiad Zeus complains about overpopulation and the "high technology" of the Athenian navy that was allowing for rising standards of living.

The problem in our society is that is ruled by corrupt pagan postmodern Oligarchs who think value is created by paper and moving consumer goods around (trade) and not found in the human beings endowed with the Imago viva Dei who work and create the wealth.

It this corruption that hates growing families, hates production, hates work, that hates Christian discipline, that hates real science and learning, hates truth and beauty that has filtered down to whole of the population and ripping apart our civilization.

Anonymous,  Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 3:48:00 PM CST  

Quote from Heretic: "Why is this a bad thing though? As someone who doesn't understand the concept of nationalism I just can't grasp what the problem here is. There are still more than enough humans on the planet, more humans than ever really, so does it really matter where on the planet they're being born?"

If you think there is more than enough humans on Earth you are just really saying there are too many humans and therefore some nations should die. So what gives you the right to decide who dies and who lives? Are you God to overrule the command to multiply and fill the earth?

As for the reason for why humanity needs different nations and national sovereignty it very simple; as Henry Carey says in the Manual of Social Science commerce depends on diversity in labor and production because if we all have the same culture then there would be a thermodynamic breakdown in organization of society because everyone would be doing the same thing and learning nothing.

Evolutionary science tell us that bio-diversity of inherited physical traits is needed for biological evolution and same this true social evolution and if in a species lacks in internal variation it quickly becomes over dependent on certain environment conditions and when those conditions change the species becomes extinct as it lacks the internal diversity to adapt.

Since this a true of nations i.e. people it must also be true interaction of the governments just a you need fire doors in safe building and you just can't remove all the door to allow quicker movement of persons throughout the building. One of the problems we facing now is because globalization and deregulation removed all the firewalls between speculation and proper banking functions and then spread that dysfunction throughout the entire world. I can say the same about McDonald's destroying diets around the world and a thousand other community destroying effects of "Globalism" i.e. British-American Imperialism.

To say you don't understand the need for sovereign nations is like saying you don't understand the reason why music must be composed of the harmonies among separate notes and not just one tone.

As for why we you can't say human reproduction should be stopped or be limited has to do with understanding what human being is in creation.

Man is NOT just another animal to find his niche and remain in "equilibrium" but rather man's place in creation is of a higher order of being.

That higher order being is "to till" and "subdue" i.e. make progressive changes in nature to bring about a higher order in nature. Man is a force in nature that continues the creative work of God throughout the universe and thus human creativity is not opposed to nature order of creation but a necessary aspect of God's ongoing plan in creation thus any attempted to destroy the increase in population i.e. man's creative potential is to oppose the work God and human nature which why Imperialism will fail because it is opposed to the natural order, human destiny, and God's will.

The nature of our Liebnizian Universe is to move a higher order and that's means more diversity, decentralization, and increasing capacity.

The biggest lie in our culture and the lie of all Oligarchy is that centralization is an increases efficiency and complexity rather than its destruction.

Complexity is found in distributed energy patterns and therefore Distributism is simply trying move humans economy to a higher level of social organization by increasing the ownership of productive property.

But the one thing I'm not sure how Distributism answers is how it is going to increase not just the distribution of the ownership but also increase the distribution of technical and scientific capacity needed to maintain and further distribute productive capital.

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