Quote: (09-08-2012 01:11 PM)Blackhawk Wrote:
Syria's population has grown from 3.5 million in 1950 to 20 million in 2010 (source). Of course they're fighting continuous wars and rebellions there. They're crammed together like rats in a cage.
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Like this $300 a month cab driver with two wives and nine children.
~6x population growth in 60 years sounds like a lot. Arizona went from 750k in 1950 to 5 million in 2010 (~7-fold increase), somehow they're not revolting.
"continuous wars and rebellions" - there was a small uprising in 82 which was brutally crushed by the dictatorship. Nothing since then. Not continuous wars and rebellions. "Arab spring" revolutions came to Syria in the form of some teenager graffiti, the government severely overreacted, sparking protests which were then armed by the Gulf & West - there's your cliff notes for the civil war, not a Malthusian bottleneck.
"crammed together like rats in a cage" - I lived in Syria for a year, in Damascus and Latakia, and visited Aleppo a few times, Homs, Hama, etc. So who should I believe? A bullshit Reuters article, or my lying eyes? Damascus and Aleppo are big cities, but they're not "crammed" - they're sprawling. Statistically, population density of the whole country is ~Ohio/Pennsylvania (110/sq. km). Most people live in the Western provinces, more like Maryland density (~200).
As far as war in general being dysgenic, the "best and brightest" in Syria mostly leave the country to go make money in the gulf, Europe, etc., where they can earn 20x higher wages. I've no doubt the war will change demographics significantly, though.