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Take a walk, smell the roses. Any topic is fine, save people bashing.

One ray of hope is Kerala in India.

The state of Kerala is the size of Vancouver Island, and has a population of 30 million. Half the population is engaged in agriculture. Despite an average income of $550/yr, Kerala boasts: a 91% literacy rate (India's is 44%), a life expectancy closer to the first world than the third at 73 years, a sub-replacement fertility rate, infant mortality of about 14 per 1000 compared to India's overall rate of over 50, a rural poverty rate of under 20% (compared to 70% in 1970), a very high level of health care (95% of births are hospital-delivered), and a religious split of 60% Hindu, 20% Muslim, 20% Christian with very few religious tensions.

Two of the key factors appear to be a strongly matriarchal culture and a Communist government elected in 1957. That government drove social reforms that favoured tenants and labourers and facilitated improvements in living standards, education, and life expectancy. All of which goes to show that there are examples of high-population low-energy societies with a very high quality of life. We will need to learn much from them over the next few decades.

Personally, I think matriarchal power structures are a big key to their success. Let's try putting the women in charge for a while. No way could they fuck it up worse than wee have.




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  • One ray of hope is Kerala in India. - GliderGuider 06/6/0709:41:04 06/6/07 (0)

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