Last century, no nation
made much progress in transitioning from developing to developed until they
brought their population growth under control. In Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong
Kong, Singapore, The Bahamas and Barbados, rapid economic development, as
measured in GDP per capita occurred only after the country reduced its
population increase below 1.5 per cent per year and its average number of
children per woman to 2.3 or less.
On the other hand, of
the 41 countries designated as "heavily indebted poor countries" by
the World Bank, 39 fall into the category of high-fertility nations, where
women on average have four or more children. Countries like Thailand with low
fertility rates are improving, but countries like The Philippines, Egypt and
Nigeria with rapid population growth are basket cases. Is this really what
President Erdogan wants for Turkey?
I note the response by
a member of Turkey's Platform to Stop Violence Against Women that "I don't
think it's a co-incidence that he made the comments about birth control just a
day before his ex-ministers were being questioned about the corruption
allegations against them".
Instead of absurdly
accusing women who are doing the right thing by both their family and their country
in using birth control of treason, the Turkish President would be better
advised to conscientiously root out corruption from within the government's
ranks. Now that would genuinely improve Turkey's future.
The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a hardline Muslim. He rejects any form of "moderate" Islam. The way the number of Muslims globally has expanded is largely through high rates of fertility and migration. Overpopulation has serviced this "religion" - or political/social/legal ideology - well. Of course there are some converts, but mostly their expansion has been through high rates of fertility. Once Turkey's population explodes, people will migrate to the West, as as happened already, and conflicts will cause more refugees - and thanks to the UN refugee convention, Western countries will be forced to accommodate them. This condemnation of birth control is a thinly masked drive towards a continued global expansion, and increasing dominance, of Islam.
ReplyDeleteWhen viewed through a prism of logic and reason, President Erdogan's comments are as bemusing as they are unfathomable. I can only conclude that he is motivated by a desire to deflect attention from the corruption charges and by religious dogma.
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