[speeder]

This is not coincidence.

The "traditional" policies and politics that many people claim that are "backward" or "evil", came from eras where the most important thing was breed soldiers like there is no tomorrow to fight against other tribes, then cities, then countries...

The point of allowing men having multiple wives, but not women with multiple husbands, prohibiting homosexual relationships, virgin marriage, encouragement of marriage, prohibition of adultery, prohibition of divorce, militarism, and a long string of other policies, are geared to one simple thing: make women "pop out" babies that can pick up weapons and fight (as soon as 12 years old if needed) the fastest as possible.

Those that follow these rules, will on long term always win, out of sheer numbers and resiliency.

[Aelinsaar]

Except that a few billion people can be exterminated by a few people if it comes to that, which is a very new situation.

[mrexroad]

Likewise, having a population of 1-2B also introduces the risk of scaling beyond the food production capabilities of the land. Obviously an overpopulated country can (and likely will) take from an underpopulated country, but modern weapons create a new dynamic if an invading force attempting to occupation farm land or capture grain stores is viewed as mortal threat.

[Aelinsaar]

That's exactly it, and it creates a situation in which relatively poor, very densely populated countries fight with each other for resources, rather than attempting to take from an underpopulated country armed to the teeth. I think we've seen a preview in the Middle East and North Africa, and gotten a hint of how Western nations are going to respond to the inevitable influx of refugees.