The advantages of overpopulation

Overpopulation is said to be a major problem for the human race. Many scientists agree that the human population is quickly reaching the point at which the planet will be unable to sustain it. There are more than 6 billion people on this planet, and the population is expected to reach 7 billion people sometime in 2011. This growth has placed a huge strain on the planet's finite resources and done serious economic damage to nations all over the world, but some people believe that there are a few advantages to having an ever-growing worldwide population.

One obvious advantage that some people believe can be found in a large population is a greater number of human resources. This will most likely not lead to an increase in jobs in places in which unemployment has been a major issue, but with more people there will be an increase of people willing to work for less. Whether that is a good thing in a socioeconomic climate that has historically placed a great value on class and wealth is open to debate, but some people believe that an abundance of people willing to work may have a positive effect on society.

Logic would dictate that a country with a higher population will ensure more of a demand in certain industries. Since North America is a consumerist and capitalist society, many people would view this as a positive effect of population growth. A company that sells a good or service with a high demand will obviously be very successful as long as it has an output large enough to meet said demand. This is a slippery slope, however, as resources are finite even if demand is not.

If a country can control its large population, it can have a significant military advantage over smaller countries. If the economy is stable, and if the government can properly manage its increasing number of people, the military size will increase, along with the military supplies. Additionally, an increase in population can lead to an increase in technology, which will allow for the production of more sophisticated military products.

Having cheaper and more readily available products and services is something that is probably only a serious advantage in the short term, but it is an effect that overpopulation can have on a society. Having more people who are willing to work will mean there will be more goods and services available to people. Since there will be a large supply, prices will go down and certain things will become more affordable.