problem by broadening the base of the expansion," we must increase food production.
Elaine . Why?
Daniel . You know the answer to that.
Elaine . To feed the starving millions.
Daniel . Of course. You see, the assertion had been made that I couldn't just "let the starving millions starve." My reply was that I'm not God. I don't "let" earthquakes happen, I don't "let" plagues occur, I don't "let" hurricanes and tornadoes happen — and I don't "let" people starve. This reply is what made me an obscenity.
Elaine . Yes, I see. But — forgive me — we don't have any choice in the matter of hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes.
Daniel . First, I don't want to hear any more of that "forgive me" stuff. I don't want your acquiescence. I don't want you to accept things just because they come out of my mouth.
Elaine . Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't even hear myself saying it.
Daniel . Okay. We can't as yet do anything about hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes, but we can do something about hunger. The example I hear about most often is the starving millions in Africa. We can ship enough food over there to feed them all. So? Take it from there.
Elaine looks at him blankly.
Daniel . You're not here to listen to my answers. You're here to find them for yourself.
Elaine . God... I don't know where to begin.
Daniel . All right, I'll get you started. Why are they starving?
Elaine . Well, obviously because they don't have enough food.
Daniel . Come on, Elaine. That's just the definition of starving. Why don't they have enough food?
Elaine . Because... because the population has outstripped local resources.
Daniel . And why has this happened?
Elaine . Well, either their local resources have diminished or their population has grown beyond the point where it can be supported by local resources.
Daniel . Or both. As any population grows, its food supply diminishes. This is perfectly predictable. It's a cycle familiar to any biologist. As a population grows, it depletes its food supply. And as its food supply diminishes, the population begins to decline. As the population declines, its food supply begins to recover. As its food supply recovers, the population grows. As the population grows, its food supply begins to diminish. And so on. This is the way it works throughout the living community: populations growing and declining as food availability grows and declines.
Elaine . I see that.
Daniel . Then why are so many millions of Africans starving?
Elaine . Because they've outstripped the food that's available to them locally.
Daniel . So their population is declining.
Elaine . No, because we've said, "We're not going to let their population decline."
Daniel . They're starving, but, thanks to our generosity, they're staying alive. And because they're staying alive... ?
Elaine . They can reproduce and bring up a new generation to starve.
Daniel . Which we can generously keep alive so that they can reproduce and bring up yet another generation to starve. Our benevolence is breathtaking.
Elaine . If we left them alone, their population would decline to the point where they could live within their own resources.
Daniel . But it would be immoral to let that happen. Better that more of them should starve on our beneficence than fewer live tolerably within their own food resources.
Elaine . Yes, apparently.
Daniel . How did it come about that their populations grew to a point where they could no longer live within their own local food resources?
Elaine . I hadn't thought about that... We've put a lot of effort into helping them build up their populations. Eliminating disease, lowering infant mortality. Showing them how to increase food production. Helping them convert their lands to cash crops for export.
Daniel . For hundreds of thousands of years they'd been living perfectly well where they were and as they were, but they weren't living up to our standards , and it's our divine mandate that everyone in the world must
Elaine . Why?
Daniel . You know the answer to that.
Elaine . To feed the starving millions.
Daniel . Of course. You see, the assertion had been made that I couldn't just "let the starving millions starve." My reply was that I'm not God. I don't "let" earthquakes happen, I don't "let" plagues occur, I don't "let" hurricanes and tornadoes happen — and I don't "let" people starve. This reply is what made me an obscenity.
Elaine . Yes, I see. But — forgive me — we don't have any choice in the matter of hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes.
Daniel . First, I don't want to hear any more of that "forgive me" stuff. I don't want your acquiescence. I don't want you to accept things just because they come out of my mouth.
Elaine . Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't even hear myself saying it.
Daniel . Okay. We can't as yet do anything about hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes, but we can do something about hunger. The example I hear about most often is the starving millions in Africa. We can ship enough food over there to feed them all. So? Take it from there.
Elaine looks at him blankly.
Daniel . You're not here to listen to my answers. You're here to find them for yourself.
Elaine . God... I don't know where to begin.
Daniel . All right, I'll get you started. Why are they starving?
Elaine . Well, obviously because they don't have enough food.
Daniel . Come on, Elaine. That's just the definition of starving. Why don't they have enough food?
Elaine . Because... because the population has outstripped local resources.
Daniel . And why has this happened?
Elaine . Well, either their local resources have diminished or their population has grown beyond the point where it can be supported by local resources.
Daniel . Or both. As any population grows, its food supply diminishes. This is perfectly predictable. It's a cycle familiar to any biologist. As a population grows, it depletes its food supply. And as its food supply diminishes, the population begins to decline. As the population declines, its food supply begins to recover. As its food supply recovers, the population grows. As the population grows, its food supply begins to diminish. And so on. This is the way it works throughout the living community: populations growing and declining as food availability grows and declines.
Elaine . I see that.
Daniel . Then why are so many millions of Africans starving?
Elaine . Because they've outstripped the food that's available to them locally.
Daniel . So their population is declining.
Elaine . No, because we've said, "We're not going to let their population decline."
Daniel . They're starving, but, thanks to our generosity, they're staying alive. And because they're staying alive... ?
Elaine . They can reproduce and bring up a new generation to starve.
Daniel . Which we can generously keep alive so that they can reproduce and bring up yet another generation to starve. Our benevolence is breathtaking.
Elaine . If we left them alone, their population would decline to the point where they could live within their own resources.
Daniel . But it would be immoral to let that happen. Better that more of them should starve on our beneficence than fewer live tolerably within their own food resources.
Elaine . Yes, apparently.
Daniel . How did it come about that their populations grew to a point where they could no longer live within their own local food resources?
Elaine . I hadn't thought about that... We've put a lot of effort into helping them build up their populations. Eliminating disease, lowering infant mortality. Showing them how to increase food production. Helping them convert their lands to cash crops for export.
Daniel . For hundreds of thousands of years they'd been living perfectly well where they were and as they were, but they weren't living up to our standards , and it's our divine mandate that everyone in the world must
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