These two articles from The Militant provide a consistent Marxist critique of Paul Ehrlich's "population bomb" theories, framing them not as scientific inevitabilities but as ideological tools used by the capitalist class to shift blame for social crises away from the profit system.
Based on the articles, here is a summary of the core arguments used to refute Ehrlich's Malthusianism:
1. Productivity vs. Distribution
The Marxist perspective argues that hunger and resource scarcity are not caused by an absolute lack of food or space, but by the social relations of production. As noted in the Brian Williams article, Frederick Engels pointed out as early as 1844 that capitalism creates "poverty amidst plenty." The problem is not that there are too many babies, but that food is produced for profit rather than human need, leading to artificial scarcity and waste.
2. The "Food Explosion" vs. the "Population Explosion"
The articles highlight that Ehrlich's predictions of mass starvation in the 1970s and 80s failed because he ignored the "food explosion." Scientific and industrial advances—the application of labor and technology to land—have allowed food production to grow far faster than population. The articles argue that human labor is a source of wealth and innovation, not just a "mouth to feed."
3. Malthusianism as a Political Weapon
The Marxist critique views Ehrlich's "hysteria" as a way to justify:
* State Control and Coercion: The articles link population control theories to the history of forced sterilizations (noting that 33 U.S. states had eugenics boards) and the targeting of women in the semicolonial world (such as Puerto Rico).
* Austerity and Rationing: By claiming the planet has reached "carrying capacity," liberal pundits and "experts" provide a pretext for rationing healthcare, nutrition, and resources for the elderly and the working class.
4. Human Beings as the Solution, Not the Problem
While Ehrlich views humans as "cancerous" or a burden on nature, these articles emphasize the socialist view that human beings are the most precious form of capital. They argue that under a planned economy—one run by the working class—society could effectively combine labor power and science to provide for 8 billion or 10 billion people without destroying the environment.
5. Legacy of Joseph Hansen
The articles reference Joseph Hansen's 1960 pamphlet, Too Many Babies?, which was written specifically to combat the early waves of this hysteria. Hansen's work serves as the foundational Marxist text for The Militant, asserting that "overpopulation" is a myth designed to mask the failures of the capitalist system.
In short, these refutations characterize Ehrlich's work as Neo-Malthusianism: a pessimistic, anti-working-class ideology that seeks to "check" the population rather than overthrow the capitalist system that fails to support it.
