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Malthus Sandwich

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    Malthus Sandwich

    This thread is nothing to do with butties

    We all know that a really good insult is to call someone a 'Malthusian'. We all love it when we hear , in social sciences, that Malthus was some sort of anti human retard, who couldn't find his @rse with both hands and a map.
    But what was Malthus on about ? and what's it got to do with Sandwich ?

    Well, I was down in Sandwich a couple of months ago, on family business, and I saw this very interesting plaque near the main bridge into town.

    This is a list of charges for crossing the toll bridge. a team of oxen for a shilling

    Malthus was an alarmist. He saw that food production was growing and he saw that population was growing faster and he concluded that this would lead to famine and disease. What he did not take into account was that technology , organisation and ingenuity would step in to fill the gap.
    And this is where the term 'Malthusian' becomes an insult.

    It describes a person who sees the problems of tomorrow being attacked by the solutions of today. Solving all your kids problems for them. before they are born.
    Solving all your grandkids.....
    Assuming, with some massive arrogance that here and now is the pinnacle of human achievement.

    Malthus , of course was wrong.

    And that brings me on to Sandwich. If you look at that plaque, you will see a charge for taking oxen over the bridge. one and six (7.5p) for 4 or more beasts, a bob (5p) for less.

    I found this to be very entertaining. my imagination ran riot. I mean, oxen impies stables, ostlers, sh!te in the street. The smells. Hay . Straw. A whole economy.

    A massive economy, to enable the Sandwich toll bridge to collect a bob ot two
    and now it's all gone. history. just an interesting old plaque on an old bridge.

    and all that oxen economy was just a hundred years ago.

    What did they know of mobile phones, computers, home deliveries, sputniks, package holidays
    breast implants, fosters, computer games ?


    This thread is obviously about Global warming.


    We are now told that if we dont destroy our way of life, by trashing all of our fossil fuel energy, we MAY cause problems for our childrens childrens children, in 200 years time.

    we have a new set of Malthusians.
    (\__/)
    (>'.'<)
    ("")("") Born to Drink. Forced to Work

    #2
    Originally posted by EternalOptimist View Post
    Malthus was an alarmist.... What he did not take into account was that technology , organisation and ingenuity would step in to fill the gap.
    And this is where the term 'Malthusian' becomes an insult.

    It describes a person who sees the problems of tomorrow being attacked by the solutions of today.
    Originally posted by EternalOptimist
    We are now told that if we dont destroy our way of life, by trashing all of our fossil fuel energy, we MAY cause problems for our childrens childrens children, in 200 years time.
    If someone suggests we start researching and developing the solutions of tomorrow what are they called?
    Last edited by doodab; 12 May 2013, 19:23.
    While you're waiting, read the free novel we sent you. It's a Spanish story about a guy named 'Manual.'

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      #3
      Originally posted by EternalOptimist View Post
      I found this to be very entertaining. my imagination ran riot. I mean, oxen impies stables, ostlers, sh!te in the street. The smells. Hay . Straw. A whole economy. ..
      In the 1870s people were alarmed by the increasing volume of horse dung in the streets of ever growing cities, and there were lurid projections of it being six feet deep everywhere within a few years. Plans were being drawn up to fit an elaborate system of horse dung removal pipes throughout London, a kind of second sewer system, and then horseless carriages appeared ..

      This thread is obviously about Global warming.

      We are now told that if we dont destroy our way of life, by trashing all of our fossil fuel energy, we MAY cause problems for our childrens childrens children, in 200 years time.

      we have a new set of Malthusians.
      Same applies to nuclear waste, which greens get so hung up on.
      Work in the public sector? Read the IR35 FAQ here

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post
        In the 1870s people were alarmed by the increasing volume of horse dung in the streets of ever growing cities, and there were lurid projections of it being six feet deep everywhere within a few years. Plans were being drawn up to fit an elaborate system of horse dung removal pipes throughout London, a kind of second sewer system, and then horseless carriages appeared ..



        Same applies to nuclear waste, which greens get so hung up on.
        What's the half life of horse dung?
        How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think

        Comment


          #5
          I often wonder about the problem of an ageing and expanding population in the UK, and the need for the right proportion of working people to support those that have retired.

          The solution promoted by many is to keep immigrating labour from overseas until the problem goes away. Is that Malthusian? Or something else?

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