EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2021

The Malthusians Declare Their Intentions—Kill More!

May 18, 2021 (EIRNS)—The Schiller Institute and The LaRouche Organization are building a multi-pronged “Anti-Malthusian Resistance Movement,” to counter the fact that the historic intention of the British Empire to systematically reduce the world’s population has taken a severe up-tick over the past months. The regime-change wars of the past two decades have proven inadequate to lower the population to the level desired by the Malthusians, although many believe, as does commander of the U.S. Strategic Command Adm. Charles Richard, that nuclear war is now “likely”—which would, indeed, lower the world population, perhaps to zero.

But as Bertrand Russell once said, expressing the imperial distaste for humanity: “War has hitherto been disappointing in [reducing population] ... but perhaps bacteriological war may prove more effective. If a Black Death could spread throughout the world once in every generation, survivors could procreate freely without making the world too full.... The state of affairs might be somewhat unpleasant, but what of it?”

Will the COVID-19, perhaps together with a COVID-22 which mutates from the current virus, and aided by the famine sweeping through major war-torn areas of the world, prove to satisfy Lord Russell’s blood lust? It were indeed possible, and those who deny it would be well advised to read Edgar Poe’s Masque of the Red Death.

Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, now running the Green New Deal as the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, let it all out in an April 22 forum on the “Road to COP26: Opportunities, Challenges and the African Transition to Net-Zero.” The “carbon offset markets” must be set up and running by year’s end, he said, so that the African nations can get rich and “develop”—by not developing! By not developing their resources, and not cutting down any trees to build new factories or establish new farmland, Carney said, the African nations can sell their “non-development” as carbon offsets to the Western companies which are producing carbon. But, the good Mr. Carney added slyly, “Of course, there must be integrity around the offsets, and a degree of permanence of these offsets, with verification and monitoring of that permanence.” And who will “monitor” and “verify” the “permanence” of their non-development? We are dealing here with an open declaration that a new “Green” colonialist takeover is required, to enforce backwardness, just as the British Empire did in the good old days.

The return to these colonialist intentions is in sharp contrast to the optimism of a growing number of nations centered on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, in opposition to that evil and illegal colonial thinking. This is clearly expressed in the two views of mankind’s exploration of space, that of the Atlantic Council, a leading Anglo-American neoconservative think tank, and that of China. The Atlantic Council yesterday published in its daily “Fast Thinking” post a column called “Mars with Chinese Characteristics,” with a subhead: “Everything you need to know about China’s Mars rover landing.” Their conclusion: “The United States should respond by establishing ‘acceptable behaviors in the space domain with its allies and partners, expanding relationships like NATO to Outer Space,’ ” quoting Julia Siegel, co-author of an Atlantic Council report, “The Future of Security in Space: A Thirty-Year U.S. Strategy.” I.e., make sure that space exploration never becomes a collaborative venture of the human race as a whole, but a geopolitical conflict between imperial powers against China and Russia.

Contrast China’s view, expressed also yesterday by the Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian:

“The Chinese people have a long-cherished space dream. From Shenzhou, Chang'e and Yutu to Tiangong and Tianwen, these beautiful names are the crystallization of their infinite longing for the distant stars and unknown space. The Mars rover of Tianwen-1 is named Zhurong after the god of fire in ancient Chinese mythology. Fire brought warmth and brightness to the ancestors of humankind, and fire lit up human civilization. Naming China’s first Mars rover after the god of fire signifies igniting the flame of China’s inter-planetary exploration, inspiring those working in this field to surpass themselves and pursue space dreams. The universe is also a dream for all humankind. China has always committed itself to peaceful use of space, carried out relevant international exchange and cooperation and shared outcomes in space exploration. With the spirit of seeking benefits for all mankind, China will continue to advance international cooperation in an open and inclusive manner and make greater contributions to the lofty cause of exploring the mysteries of the universe and promoting peace and development for mankind.”

The spokesmen for Empire would deny the existence of such benevolence, or the belief in a common aim for mankind, but insist that the Chinese, and the Russians, and all other peoples, think as they do, through geopolitical glasses, as Darwinian animals that must prove themselves to be the “strongest” in order to survive. The Schiller Institute conferences in March and May were inspiring illustrations that the harmony of interests of all mankind is both real, and is being demonstrated through leaders of nations and institutions joining with the Schiller Institute and The LaRouche Organization to build the necessary creative spirit among disparate nations to a common, higher purpose.

The first step in that effort must be to counter the threat to mankind as a whole by the pandemic: to mobilize the major nations of the world, including China, Russia, and the U.S., and all others that will join, to stop the build-up for war, and instead unite in building a modern healthcare system in every nation on Earth. If China, the U.S., and the U.A.E. can each successfully deploy spacecraft to Mars, as has happened this year, then surely the world can unite behind such a noble cause as ending the mass death now striking India, Syria, Gaza, Yemen, Brazil and threatening all of Africa. The statement, “Global Health Security Requires Medical Infrastructure in Every Country—Major Industrial Nations Must Collaborate Now!” released by the Committee for the Coincidence of Opposites, calls on all peoples to join in that crucial effort, as a step towards full development for all nations, and for “Peace Through Development.”