Replying to a message of Jeff Snyder to Lee Lofaso:

 JS> Hello Lee. Thanks for sharing your pointers and views regarding
 JS> FidoNet and FidoNet users.

 JS> Well, being as this is the conspiracy theory echo, let me throw
 JS> something really wild out there and see what people think.

 JS> Have you ever stopped to consider that promoting abortion and gay and
 JS> lesbian rights might actually be a subtle form of government
 JS> sanctioned population growth control?

No.  If only because bureaucrooks aren't smart enough to have thought of it.
And both of the things you mentioned have been around for centuries, long
before population control became an issue.

 JS> Think about it. Every nation has limited resources, and some more than
 JS> other. A country can only comfortably support a total population of a
 JS> certain size before it begins to strain those limited resources.
 JS> Consider how slowly the population of the USA has grown over the
 JS> decades, while some other nations' populations explode.

Actually most of Europe has the same "problem" - native
population not reproducing
enough to maintain the numbers and therefore slowly declining population (IOW a birth
rate of less than 2.0).  So, AFAIK, does Russia (but for different reasons, I think).
The only areas where populations seem to be exploding are areas where the people are
not educated, are poor and do not have access to either education or
materials for birth
control, and areas which have strict religious control of the population
(read: Islamic
nations, but Christian nations in general and Catholic nations in
particular would be the
same way if the people in them allowed it to happen).  In this country the
television set
is quite likely the most effective form of birth control and has been since Jack Paar
(Carson's predecessor) took over the Tonight Show.

 JS> By promoting abortion, birth control, and gay and lesbian rights, the
 JS> government is in effect deceiving the people into thinking that it is
 JS> their idea, that is, the people's idea, to keep the size of the
 JS> population in check, but is it really the people's idea, or is it
 JS> really the government, which realizes that there are only so many
 JS> resources to go around, and that if there is a short supply of those
 JS> resources, due to an extended population, there is going to be
 JS> trouble?

Actually the government is not promoting abortion, birth control or gay/lesbian
rights.  It is not suppressing them, but that isn't the same thing as supporting
them; it is not persecuting religionists either, although some would have people
believe that it is.  Mainland China is actively promoting abortion and birth control,
this country isn't.

 JS> Abortion cuts down on population growth.

It also reduces the numbers of unwanted/abused children, and reduces the
number of children in orphanages and foster homes.  Some of the anti-abortionists
claim that fifty million abortions have occurred since the 1970s - assuming that's
true, does this country really need to have fifty million more people in it?

 JS> Birth control cuts down on population growth.

Yes it does.

 JS> Being gay or lesbian cuts down on population growth.

Not necessarily.  Some of them want to raise children.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+