Population and the Human Time Bomb
By Thomas Randall
As our world approaches the seven billion mark in population one must wonder how long can the planet support such growth? How long before mankind comes to realize our resources are not endless?
According to Vaughn's Summary in the year 1650 the world population was about 500 to 600 million. By 1810, 160 years later it had doubled to 1 Billion. By 1930 it again doubled to 2 Billion in a span of eighty years. Then doubled again fifty years later in the 1980s at 4 Billion. And if left unchecked and allowed to continue would reach 8 Billion before 2020 and 16 Billion in less than 10 years after that by this formula.
If we are stressed with our current population, what will happen when it reaches 16 Billion? Perhaps the Hunger Games is not so far off the mark on this one.
Nature has a way of controlling populations in the wild. Starvation, and predators are natures answer to over population. A culling of the herd leaving only those most fit to carry on. It is neither pretty nor humane.
To simplify allow me to use agriculture as an example. If you owned a dairy herd of one hundred cows and had pasture to support one hundred animals everything is balanced. However the reality of dairy production is in the breeding which allows for continued milk production. This breeding results in calf's and a continued rise in population of your stock.
Since your farm can only support 100 head you need to get rid of the non productive stock by either sale or slaughter. Keeping choice animals to replace older stock that will also find its way to the slaughterhouse in time.
If you were to fail to cull the herd it would result in less feed. That in turn would result in less production of milk and soon you would be out of business. Just as the human race is fast putting itself out of business.
Now I am not saying we as a race need to kill off a couple million people. Even though there are a few conspiracy theory's that claim the governments are doing just that right now. Until it is proven they are just that, theory's and nothing more. But it is time to start watching the numbers and controlling them.
It is time for a world wide de-population mandate. Before the starving children in Africa become the starving children of North America, and Europe. Before the resources of the world are depleted we need to start dealing with the problem. We need to do it before the overwhelming consequences arrive.
Because the bomb is ticking. At a rate of 212,000 a day currently. While our planet struggles to supply their needs already. The future is not written yet. How the story ends is up to us and what we are willing to do now.
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History War of 1812
It is funny how history can read differently from one culture or country to another. It really is a matter of prospective.
But what of the war of 1812? US history told us that the British invaded the US in an attempt to reclaim the lost colony's. US history taught us that Dolly Madison saved the Constitution from destruction when the British set fire to the capital. That Andrew Jackson repelled the landing of British troops in New Orleans. And that on all fronts the US vanquished the invaders. But did they? Or was there something left out? Something that might in a century or two reveal a desire to make all of North America US domain.
During and after the US Revolution colonists loyal to the crown headed north to upper and lower Canada, now known as Ontario, and Quebec. The vast majority choosing Upper Canada where large numbers of Irish and Scots had settled. Here they again became subject to the crown. Not realizing they would in time be put in a position of defending that choice.
There is but a footnote in most US history books regarding the invasion of Upper Canada. Like wise the surrender of Detroit gets little attention. But it is a fact that during the war of 1812 the US did invaded it's northern neighbor. Fort George, Niagara on the lake was the scene of many battles as the US attempted to secure a toe hold in Upper Canada. And in 1813 US forces did take the fort, using it as a staging point for the invasion of Upper Canada. The advance ended at the battles of Stoney Creek, and Beaver dams. Fort George was retaken by the British with the aid of their Canadian militia and Native peoples in December.
Detroit was another story altogether. There believing themselves outnumbered by overwhelming odds US general Hull surrendered the fort. In fact he was the one who's force had the superior numbers with 2,500 men. Since the British had but 100 regulars, 300 Canadian militia, and a force of 150 Indians led by Tecumseh.
By wars end the US held a portion of Canada around Windsor that it had retaken, after reclaiming Fort Detroit. While the British held a portion of the state of Maine. All of these territory's were returned at wars end.
One has to wonder if the invasion of Upper Canada was a strategic move to gain a military advantage, or to establish new territory's. The US was growing, it had only been 8 years since the Lewis and Clark expedition. Madison like Jefferson realized the need to expand. So could there have been another motivation or was there a military advantage to trying to take Canada. Just some food for thought.
This is not to say that the US does not deserve to be proud of it's victory's in the War of 1812, there were many New York, New Orleans, Baltimore. As well as the endearing song written during the battle for Fort McHenry “The Star Spangled Banner”.
But equally Canadians should take pride in the fact that their frontier was defended. While maintaining the security of their own border. As well as remembering their hero's of the war such as Sir Issac Brock.
History is perceived through the eyes of those who record it. And what looks grand today may meet with a deeper scrutiny in the future. One thing is certain, we all have a history and can take lessons from it.
When Things were Black and White
In resent years there has been a lot of accusations of racial prejudices. And though I personally feel that anyone who judges a race by their color is a Pea Wit. That is not what this story is about. Men of color have served the US military since the revolution against Great Britain. Some with distinction, all with honor equaling their white counterparts. But in those days before Truman desegregation the military one group stands out.
The Tuskegee Airmen blazed their way into history behind the 50 caliber wing guns of their P51 Mustangs. Only losing 25 allied bomber under their protection on hundreds of missions, they owned the sky. And as yet another movie about the 332nd is about to come out let us all remember there struggle.
They started out as an experiment. There were people on the hill in Washington that went to great lengths to discredit them before they even reached their primary flight training. Sighting from study's that proved Black men didn't have the education, eyesight, even or mentality for dog-fighting.
This in a time when the US Marines had totally confused the enemy in the pacific with their Navajo code talkers. Japanese Americans using Japanese in some theaters of Europe in the same manner. Or Cheyenne Indians used for long range reconnaissance by elements of Patton's army.
Yet it took proving themselves over and over for the men of Tuskegee to even get to the European theater. And when they did they sent them to North Africa, not England, or France. Even acceptance within their own group came hard.
The 332nd are known by their red tailed P-51s, but that wasn't always the case. When they first deployed they did so in the P-40 Warhawk {one of the oldest planes the AAF was still flying}. These were later replaced by the P-39 Aeracobras. Then they got the P-47 Thunderbolts and the Mustangs the planes they painted the tails of.
They did double duty like any other fighter group. Escorting bombers, and close support. Close support could be more dangerous than playing tag with the Germans at 12,000 feet. Dropping down close to the ground and releasing a pair of 500lb bombs, while dodging flack, and small arms fire.
The problem with this is when the bombs detonate you need to be a good distance away or you could be caught in the blast yourself.
Of the 996 men trained at Tuskegee 445 were assigned to the group overseas. Of those 66 were killed in action while only 32 fell into enemy hands. But there were great accomplishments at the same time. Red Tails received distinguished unit citations for there parts in Pantelleria, Monte Casino and the longest escort mission of the entire war.
Red Tail pilots also received,
A estimated 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses
One Silver Star
Fourteen Bronze Stars
744 Air Medals and countless Purple Hearts some posthumously
They did all of this while proving every day that a man is a man. No matter what his color, or where his father or grandfather came from. They proved the equality of themselves and their people. So as I started out everything can be broken down to black and white. But let me ask you this one thing? If the story I just presented lacked the white background, or the black letters what would it be? We are all one if we have learned nothing else in the military. And if I could quote a Petty Officer from my own training days at Great Lakes on the subject of race. “There is no white there is no black, here we have only Navy gray”.
 Pictured above John D Voelker AKA Robert Traver author of Anatomy of a Murder |
The Ghosts That Wander The Stream By TR Wallace I fish the quiet waters alone now, and those waters they haunt me so. Where once in my youth he had lead me along, and around the deeper holes. My Grandfather, Pat, and John, they now fish a stream beyond. I miss those things they shared with me, they seem more important now. My Grandfathers wisdom, Pat's Irish humor, and John's written works that will outlast us all. So I lift my tin cup and with a taste of bourbon remember, those ghosts that wander the stream. I know they fish on, on a heavenly pond with no mosquito's or black fly's to contend with. And in the beyond I'll again fish with John, his wisdom and whimsy so enlightening. As Patrick no doubt will first limits out, for he knows how to talk to the trout. My grandfather smiling that familiar smile, the one that meant all was right. So if the bourbon holds out and the stream doesn't rise, and the almighty don't start checking creels. We'll all have some fun, until we are done. And perhaps John will finally catch that mermaid. |
Law in the Frontier lands
Imagine if today the government was to throw two million acres of land up for grabs. Would the public today endure the hardships of homesteading lands in exchange for a clear title. Even more so how many would subject their family's to living in a place with little to no law enforcement to protect them.
Yet in the 1880s thru the turn of the century many did. In places such as the Oklahoma territory, New Mexico- Arizona territory, Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon. To ensure a certain amount of safety the governments of the US and Canada employed frontier marshals and deputy's, these lawmen who are better known as the US Marshal's, and the Northwest Mounted Police. Men like the Earp's, Hickok, Bill Tilghman and JJ McAlester in the States. These men sometimes had a million square miles or more to call their own. In the territory they faced gangs of horse and cattle thieves, murderous outlaws and other known men who had hidden in these territory's for years and knew the lay of the land. Living by the quickness of their wits, and their guns these men slowly forced the bad elements to recede deeper into the west and Southwest.
In Canada no lawman stands out more than the Lion of the Yukon, Sam Steele. Superintendent Steele is a man known for many things. Among them the administration of the customs point of entry at Chilkoot Passe during the Yukon gold rush. Putting down revolts in the NWT, meeting with Sitting Bull, and leadership of the Lord Strathcona's Horse, a Canadian Light horse Cavalry in the Boer War in South Africa.
As a lawman Steele kept order in the Yukon by denying entrance to anyone who did not possess a minimum of one ton of supply's at the check point. As well, to limit the amount of gun play that might ensue in the rough mining camps, he banned all hand guns, men with prison records and those who's stated intentions when interviewed, would be detrimental to order. Those who could not meet this standard were sent back into Alaska. By doing so the Yukon gold rush was to be known as one of the most orderly in history.
The same things that brought booms to the territory's, also brought a bad element. With the gold and silver of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Alaska, and the NWT came the gambling, prostitutes, and thugs intent on taking the hard working miners money. Just as the land rush in Oklahoma brought farmers and ranchers, it also brought the rustlers. While at the same time in all these places territorial disputes with the native people brought dangers to both sides.
It was into this mix that the individual lawmen of the time found themselves. In the US, a Marshal may have to take a prisoner several hundred miles to get him to the nearest territorial court. Some courts actually covered several million square miles of jurisdiction. Some such as the territory of New Mexico covered what is now parts of five states.
So again I have to wonder, if today people had an opportunity to live in a new territory would they accept the challenges. Knowing their opportunity would draw attention as it did at the turn of the last century from the criminal element. And what of the modern lawmen, bound by so many rules of conduct. Could they function effectively given vast areas to protect individually.
I suspect we all know the answers to those questions. And it is there that we should remember the solitary lawman, bound only by an oath.
