Guardian edges closer to Malthus

In: Uncategorized

21 Mar 2009

The Guardian, traditionally seen as the voice of the liberal left in Britain, edges ever nearer to fully embracing Malthusianism. This comment comes as close as it can without explicitly stating that Malthus was right.

No doubt the reason for the popularity of the New Malthusianism, also espoused by the likes of Thomas Friedman and Jeffrey Sachs, is that it chimes with the contemporary mood of severe cultural pessimism. The fact that the gloomy predictions of Malthus and his followers have proved so dramatically wrong in the past should make them more cautious about embracing the outlook.