Julian Simon Says
2 June 2006
Editor, The Christian Science Monitor
Dear Editor:
Jeffrey Shaffer asserts that growing population inevitably threatens to lower individual living standards ("Overcrowding at the gas pump," June 2). Baloney.
Are Americans today poorer than we were, say, in 1800? According to Mr. Shaffer's logic, we should be. Back then U.S. population was 5.2 million; today it's 57 times larger at nearly 300 million. And the world's population now is more than six times larger. Yet, of course, our standard of living - along with that of everyone living in open, market societies - is today inexpressibly higher. The reason is that free markets ensure that, for all that we consume, we produce even more.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Editor, The Christian Science Monitor
Dear Editor:
Jeffrey Shaffer asserts that growing population inevitably threatens to lower individual living standards ("Overcrowding at the gas pump," June 2). Baloney.
Are Americans today poorer than we were, say, in 1800? According to Mr. Shaffer's logic, we should be. Back then U.S. population was 5.2 million; today it's 57 times larger at nearly 300 million. And the world's population now is more than six times larger. Yet, of course, our standard of living - along with that of everyone living in open, market societies - is today inexpressibly higher. The reason is that free markets ensure that, for all that we consume, we produce even more.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Posted by Don Boudreaux on
Saturday March 17, 2007 at 12:52pm