Steven Hsu has studied everything and has intelligent opinions on everything. He was sacked from his post as research director with a big budget for blogging on human diversity, and now he talks carefully. Why is the population falling everywhere? Human societies, traditionally, were built on exploitation, on oppression. Females were second class everywhere, their salaries were lower than men's, intellectually gifted women could be primary teachers or librarians, and they were expected to make homes and bring up healthy children. They were oppressed, sure. That is how humanity survived.
I add that most people were always oppressed by military classes, they had to work and give up half of their earnings. Slavery existed everywhere. This order of things was not hidden but emphasized in the laws, dress, and accents. The military - conquerors or political leaders - appropriated the rents. Rebellions were dispersed by force. Things have changed since the French Revolution, and now distinctions are not tolerated. The French ideas made Western-type societies rich, but they are dying off.
Steven thinks that this may be reversed suddenly, like Prohibition in the drunken happy nineteen twenties. Who knows?
(2) In the last twenty years I am not drinking alcohol. In the last two weeks, I stopped taking Valium and other tranquilizers. I am sleeping well, but working less. I find that I focus and work better with Valium in my body. I am surprised by how easily I gave up the habit. The doctor said that at my age (and I was younger then) it would make no difference to my health, and I may drink and take tranquilizers as much as I desire. But I am not.
I don't know why. I don't like to analyze myself. All the mistakes of my life were committed under one of the two or both, like driving accidents and insulting important people, so I may be afraid.
