Natal conference, to be held in Austin in December, promoted on far-right podcast circuit and set to host self-described eugenicists

Natal conference, to be held in Austin in December, promoted on far-right podcast circuit and set to host self-described eugenicists

A high-end hotel in the liberal Texan enclave of Austin is playing host to a conference whose theme is boosting global birth rates, but which will in fact feature racist and eugenicist internet personalities and far-right media figures.

The Natal conference – whose website warns that “by the end of the century, nearly every country on earth will have a shrinking population, and economic systems dependent on reliable growth will collapse” – is scheduled to be held on 1 December at the Line Hotel.

  • Flying Squid
    31•1 year ago

    The world has almost 8 billion people. Maybe we could do with a few less.

      • @rexxit@lemmy.world
        9•1 year ago

        For reasons I don’t understand, people seem to be incapable of separating any discussion of overpopulation from racism and eugenics. I think it’s at the point where it’s disingenuous, willful, or at the very least a massive blind spot in people talking about the problem. You should understand that bad people can embrace overpopulation with bad conclusions, and that should not taint reality. Hitler was an animal lover - does that mean it’s wrong to love animals? That’s the level of flawed argument we’re dealing with here.

        • DessertStorms
          -2•1 year ago

          Jfc…

          For reasons I don’t understand, people seem to be incapable of separating any discussion of overpopulation from racism and eugenics.

          It’s because they’re fucking inseparable, you not understanding why or how (never mind being as wilfully ignorant as you are since you clearly didn’t read word in the links I posted) doesn’t change that

          Let me copy pasta myself for the sake of anyone who actually wants to learn more before I leave this dumpster fire:

          In reality overpopulation is a myth and rather population decline is a real concern in many countries.
          Now of course we can talk about who this concerns and why (under the current system? It concerns those who need workers to exploit, white supremacists looking to “overturn” the “great replacement”, in some cases both, and it also concerns the aging population that will end up with very little support, something which wouldn’t be as big an issue if we had stronger communities, but alienation and all that jazz, as well as the fewer workers who will remain to keep the economy going for minimal pay as they get bossed around by AI, because capitalism), and also about who pushes the overpopulation myth and why, but the bottom line is - the population isn’t and never has been the problem (we already produce enough food to sustain everyone alive today and then some), it is capitalism and it’s dependence on creating infinite growth in a finite world, at the expense of everyone and everything on the planet (themselves included except for the handful who will end up in orbit or whatever. And then die) that is the problem, and what we need to get rid of if we want to stop this dystopian spiral.

          • @rexxit@lemmy.world
            6•1 year ago

            Well that was a totally reasonable response from someone who is totally capable of considering the merits of an argument without relying on bad articles trying to drum up weak support for the author’s preordained conclusion with circular reasoning. Nothing to see here folks. This guy has it all figured out and we should totally worship his correctness without debate.

            IMO the only myth is the belief that it’s a myth. The evidence is overwhelming.

    • flipht
      4•1 year ago

      This is a fine position if you’re ok with your worst enemy getting to make the decision about who gets to procreate and live.

      • @kent_eh@lemmy.caEnglish
        9•1 year ago

        That’s not what is being suggested in this thread.

        The suggestion is that people (all of them) should have better access to, and education about, contraception.

        • flipht
          1•1 year ago

          I responded to this:

          The world has almost 8 billion people. Maybe we could do with a few less.

          Which is vague. And vagueness is often used to give plausible deniability when eugenicists are on the march. So cool on you for giving such grace to an internet stranger, but when I read things like this, it always includes what is between the lines.

    • @utopianfiat@lemmy.worldEnglish
      -1•1 year ago

      And which social or ethnic group in particular do you suggest should be the ones to be sacrificed exactly? The answer to eugenics is not more eugenics.

      • Flying Squid
        20•1 year ago

        Why does there have to be a sacrifice? Why can’t people just be encouraged to use contraception?

        • @kent_eh@lemmy.caEnglish
          5•1 year ago

          Because the pope says I can’t wear a little rubber thingie on my old chap.

        • @utopianfiat@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0•1 year ago

          How do you encourage marginalized people who have been historically discouraged from breeding due to eugenics reasons to voluntarily stop breeding because the people in power just lowkey want them to?

        • DessertStorms
          -6•1 year ago

          Because the people causing the collapse of the planet are not the same ones you expect to stop reproducing (literally eugenics btw)

            • DessertStorms
              -3•1 year ago

              You clearly stated it - the ones you think need encouragement to use contraception, and lets not pretend you mean rich people or even just the “middle class” in wealthy countries who are having fewer and fewer children to the point where they fear population collapse.

              It’s also interesting that you’ve responded here, but not to the comment with the links proving you wrong.

              • Flying Squid
                6•1 year ago

                Why not rich people? I meant all people. If rich people don’t understand condoms, they should. And use them. I have no idea why you think I would say otherwise.

                • @utopianfiat@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  0•1 year ago

                  You’re talking about this as if there’s no overriding socioeconomic context that carries forth implications. Any time birthing restrictions have been tried, rich and privileged groups always get exemptions.

                  People should be encouraged to take advantage of contraception because they should have the right to plan their families- not because we’ve decided we want to look down on people who breed.

                • DessertStorms
                  -4•1 year ago

                  No, you didn’t, no one who brings up overpopulation ever does, it’s a dog whistle (so even if we pretend you didn’t mean to, you’re advocating the same bullshit as those who do mean it).

                  But hey, double down away if it makes you happy, just know that your choice to die on this hill instead of putting your hand up to admit you had a shitty uninformed take doesn’t do you any favours… ¯_(ツ)_/¯

                  • Flying Squid
                    3•1 year ago

                    Please point out one single thing that I’ve said that makes me a racist. One thing.

                  • @orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
                    1•1 year ago

                    He’s right, and saying there’s too many people on the planet to live sustainably isn’t racist or a dog whistle. Suggesting that there’s too many of some specific race or class of people would absolutely be racist (or classist or some other -ist), but nobody should get a pass. Everyone helped get us into this situation and everyone should be working to solve it. While it is true that using our current factory farming methods we can produce enough food today that’s absolutely not going to be the case forever and it’s also forcing our hand with regards to using incredibly environmentally damaging and unsustainable farming methods. We have to use factory farms because we literally couldn’t produce enough food otherwise. Everybody should be encouraged to limit the number of children they have. And before you start, I practice what I preach, I have no children.

                    Prime example one of the problem is Muskrat and his what, nearly a dozen kids? That should be completely unacceptable. There’s absolutely no reason why anyone should have more than 2 kids at worst, ideally 1 or no kids. At least until global population levels have dropped to a point where we can meet our food needs using smaller farms that don’t require truck loads of fertilizer and antibiotics and pack so many animals into such a tiny space that they can barely move.

          • @ieatpillowtags@lemm.ee
            5•1 year ago

            You put a lot of words into someone’s mouth and then had an argument with yourself. That was funny but I doubt that was your intent. Maybe try not constructing so many straw men?