PHIL'S ISSUES: An Explosion?

PHIL'S ISSUES: An Explosion?: The Population Bomb is a book authored by a Stanford University Professor named Paul R. Ehrlich and his wife Ann. In it he argues that popul...

An Explosion?

The Population Bomb is a book authored by a Stanford University Professor named Paul R. Ehrlich and his wife Ann. In it he argues that population growth the world over has to be tamed or else, it is a bomb waiting to go off. Some critics dismissed him as an alarmist seeking attention but wait till you read the following figures.

Before the Industrial revolution, it had taken all of human history up to the year 1800 for the world population to reach 1 billion, the second billion was attained after 130 years(1930), whereas the third billion came in less than 30 years (1959), yes, and we hit the fourth billion in 15 years (1974), we even did better with the fifth which came in 13 years (1987); by the year 2011 we made seven billion!

Closer to home, by the year 1980 Uganda had approximately 12.6 million people, 1990-- 17.7, 2000-- 24.4, 2010-- 34.5 million people, do you get the drift?

Do we have enough resources to support this madness, for that is what it is?

The Gag bill

The parliament of Uganda, in a move that has been criticised by the Opposition and Civil Society organisations, has passed a bill that has so far been described as autocratic, an affront to democratic principles and the catalyst that is beginning the big slide back into the dark days of dictatorship.

The man in the news yet again for not so noble reasons is the not so Honourable Jacob Oulanyah, the Deputy Speaker of the house. He is (dis)credited for a couple of other controversial rulings in the past regarding the passing of unpopular laws.

The Public Order Management Bill seems to be in direct contravention of Article 29 of the constitution which provides for the freedom of assembly and to demonstrate together with others, peacefully and unarmed.

This reminds any student of Uganda's history of the Detention without Trial Act which later caught up with one of its Chief architects-- Grace Ibingira. There is popular belief that history is going to repeat itself and this law is going to eventually haunt its architects and aye-sayers who have since been dubbed voting machines who troop to parliament in large numbers to vote on issues they know nothing about as long as it pleases the powers that be.

Grieve for the Pearl.