There Goes the Planet: Part II

In my population control model, everyone is issued a “gene pool” (or GP) credit by the government.  If the government can issue everyone a social security number, they should be able to issue everyone a GP credit.  When a child is born, both the mother and the father are charged a credit.  One child, two credits. 

As long as a person only uses their one credit, they will not be effected in any way.  Now, not everyone intends to, or is able to, or gets around to having a child.  These people will be able to sell their GP credit back to the government for a permanent tax-break deductions.  The flip side of that is that anyone who has a second, or a third child, will be penalized and/or have their taxes permanently increased by a certain amount per child.

Between those people who sell their credits off, or people who die before their time, there would be a large unclaimed GP credit pool that would be available to be tapped.  Anyone who wants to have more than one kid would be able to apply for additional credits.  However, there are circumstances in which other people would get a higher priority.  For example, rape victims.

How does the system deal with rape?  

Simple.  If the father is known, he will be charged for both of the GP credits.  The mother will not be penalized for such an act of violence.  If the father’s identity is unknown, the credits would be pulled from the credit pool to balance everything out.

What about adoption?  

The adoption process, strangely, has nothing to do with the GP system.  When a child is born, the biological parents are charged, regardless of whether or not they intend to keep the kid.  They still had sex; it’s part of the responsibility.  Besides, charging the adopting couple for a child would only deter them.  In this system, adoption is actually being promoted.  Yes, they are raising a child, but seeing as they themselves did not bring another being into the world, there is no reason to charge them for it.  They are just taking care of a person who is already here. 

What about families that actually need multiple children?  

There are special scenarios in which a family actually needs more than one child.  Farming communities are one of them.  The government can use the GP credit pool to endorse farm families until their family reaches what is determined to be an appropriate size.  Otherwise, the government could pardon them the taxes, and pull the credits out of circulation as they turn up.

What if a child dies?  

Assuming the child is below a certain age, the parents would be reimbursed and allowed to have another kid.

These are just a few questions that I’ve been asked.  There are undoubtedly dozens more out there.  I can’t hope to answer them all.

China’s 'One Child' Policy

There are, of course, logistical issues with the system, as has been seen in China’s implementation of the “one-child” program.  I’ve read the particulars of their program, and have realized that there are many holes in the system. 

Excused population types.  

Once all is said and done, only 35% of the country is effected by the program.  My program excludes no one.

Increased amount of undocumented births.  

Well, if a child wants a social security number at some point it his or her life, or a car, or a job, or an education, the parents have to eventually reveal the kid’s existence.  At that point, the parents would be tax retrospectively. 

Inflated incidents of abortion and female infanticide.  

To a point, people cannot be stopped from doing it.  However, the China program is very black-and-white:  if you have a second child, you are fined and taxed.  I do not believe that they have a GP credit pool that they can apply to for additional credits.  I would hope that option would minimize the occurrence these events.

On a larger scale, the greatest challenge is instituting the program.  It may be easy for the U.S. with its extensive local and federal infrastructures to manage such a program, but other countries may not be as well organized.  Regardless, I feel with today’s global communication, connectedness, and international relations, it would be far easier to usher in such a program now than it would have been back in the ‘70s.  And with international efforts such as the United Nations in place, it would be a great deal easier for the world as whole to simultaneously participate in and monitor such a program.

Global Population depicted by bubbles sized relative
to a country's population. 

The two countries with the highest populations are China and India, both of which attend these international functions.  They would be held accountable by the other nations.

My politics end there.  Let them figure out the particulars. 

Ultimately, if this system could be followed for one generation - only one generation - the world population would be cut in half.  We’d go from 7 billion to 3.5 billion.  If we did it for two generations, world population would dive to 2 billion.  In reality, it would take more along the lines of three or four generations given loopholes and program flaws.  However, after that target number was reached, the system could shift to two GP credits per person instead of one.  Every couple would be able to have two children.  Two children for two parents.  It would be an even replacement system, and the world population would at last plateau.

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