In The Population Bomb, published in 1968, Paul and Anne Ehrlich notoriously forecast that humanity confronted an imminent danger of mass starvation. This threat, they argued, came from the explosion in population. Today, however, people like US vice-president JD Vance worry about a shortage of people, as fertility rates plunge below the replacement rate. The Ehrlichs were mistaken about those looming famines. Is it possible that alarmists on the other side are wrong, too? Yes. People can get hysterical about babies. Why not relax and enjoy them instead?
1968年出版的《人口炸弹》中，保罗·埃利希（Paul Ehrlich）和安妮·埃利希（Anne Ehrlich）曾著名地预言，人类正面临大规模饥荒迫在眉睫的危险。他们认为，这一威胁源自人口的爆炸式增长。然而如今，随着生育率跌破更替水平，像美国副总统J.D.万斯（JD Vance）这样的人则担忧人口短缺。埃利希夫妇当年对即将来临的饥荒判断失误。是否有可能另一边的危言耸听者也错了？答案是：是的。人们对“婴儿问题”容易歇斯底里。何不放轻松，去享受他们带来的快乐呢？