I think this is a perfectly fair perspective — even if I disagree with many of its assumptions. As Derb noted the other day, there’s nothing wrong with saying “I like my country the way it is.” From a reader:
Sir,
It seems that most you who call yourselves conservatives really miss the
boat on the population issue. I don’t kid myself about doing good for
humanity: I would restrain and reduce population just for my preferred
quality of life. Beware the do-gooder.
I like the outdoors, hunting and fishing, I like the wide open freedom
that I have always experienced as a person from the Western US. Maybe
those raised in the East with no connection to the farm or country life
have no clue on this. I can’t see how the American traditions of outdoor
life, hunting and fishing can continue with a country with 500 million
people. So why can’t we just be more like Europe? An heap of cultured
intellectuals and welfare recipients all living programmed lives. Well,
I’ve lived there and you can have it.
I see a difficult conundrum with regard to how the liberal view is to
restrict population (and everything else) and the kick-out-the-jams
conservatives/libertarians who would just like to see the US population
rise to the levels of India and China. For the cheap labor, of course to
fuel the economy.
It just seems that conservative leaders like yourself don’t recognize
that a congested country, in terms of population, is at odds with what
(I think) most of us want. That is a high standard of living that
maximizes the nature, space, freedom, is NOT like Europe or Japan, and
an economy not driven by an unsustainable population growth.
I’ve seen the population of the US double, so far, in my life and I
don’t like it.
Me: Of course, the only acceptable policy “solution” for this supposed problem is to curtail immigration. That’s not my argument. But, I would hate to hear conservatives embracing some sort of state plan to restrict people from having as many kids as they want just so they can have a more enjoyable time hunting and fishing.