“The answer to anyone who talks about the surplus population is to ask him whether he is the surplus population; or if he is not, how he knows he is not.” —G.K. Chesterton
Anyone who is consistent won't believe anything different just because it applies to them. If I think my country is overburdening its natural resources and is overpopulated (and I do) then of course I'll understand that I'm part of the problem. Happily, along with all other sane people, I think that once born people have the right to a good life so I'm not likely to try and end my own because I'm a self acknowledged part of a surplus population.
That only seems to matter if you're trying to off people. I just want them to not be born.
In that case would it be fair to ask him [sic] whether his unborn children are the surplus population?
It would be pretty silly to ask whether people who don't exist are anything at all.
Should you have not been born?
I think I'm willing to bite that bullet
How is that a relevant question?
A lot of things in the past should not have happened, it's easy to waste time with useless hypotheticals.
Thanks for the great quote. I had several discussions where I couldn't quite formulate this exact thought.