"May we live long and die out" A maxim of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement

[Makalakumu]

Interesting thought experiment at the very least...

http://www.vhemt.org/

What is the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement?

VHEMT (pronounced vehement) is a movement not an organization. It's a movement advanced by people who care about life on planet Earth. We're not just a bunch of misanthropes and anti-social, Malthusian misfits, taking morbid delight whenever disaster strikes humans. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Voluntary human extinction is the humanitarian alternative to human disasters.

We don't carry on about how the human race has shown itself to be a greedy, amoral parasite on the once-healthy face of this planet. That type of negativity offers no solution to the inexorable horrors which human activity is causing.

Rather, The Movement presents an encouraging alternative to the callous exploitation and wholesale destruction of Earth's ecology.

As VHEMT Volunteers know, the hopeful alternative to the extinction of millions of species of plants and animals is the voluntary extinction of one species: Homo sapiens... us.

Each time another one of us decides to not add another one of us to the burgeoning billions already squatting on this ravaged planet, another ray of hope shines through the gloom.

When every human chooses to stop breeding, Earth's biosphere will be allowed to return to its former glory, and all remaining creatures will be free to live, die, evolve (if they believe in evolution), and will perhaps pass away, as so many of Nature's "experiments" have done throughout the eons.

Are they really serious?

We're really vehement.

Many see humor in The Movement and think we can't be serious about voluntary human extinction, but in spite of the seriousness of both situation and movement, there's room for humor. In fact, without humor, Earth's condition gets unbearably depressing -- a little levity eases the gravity.

True, wildlife rapidly going extinct and 40,000 children dying each day are not laughing matters, but neither laughing nor bemoaning will change what's happening. We may as well have some fun as we work and play toward a better world.

Besides, returning Earth to its natural splendor and ending needless suffering of humanity are happy thoughts -- no sense moping around in gloom and doom.

Thoughts?

 

[Carol]

Someone saw a "Save The Planet, Kill Yourself" bumper sticker and got VERY inspired.

 

[CoryKS]

I think that anybody who wants to be in a group like this, should be in a group like this.

But seriously, it bears watching. I'm glad they explicitly named it a Voluntary movement, because the tendency in social 'progressivism' is to follow a pattern: 1) It would be nice if we all did this (personal choice); 2) We all should do this (increased social pressure); and finally 3) We all must do this (legislation or activism).

It's not difficult to imagine a "vehement" follower of this doctrine deciding to help others make the choice that they were too unenlightened to make for themselves.

 

[Xue Sheng]

You know it could be that we are better off without the members of this groups DNA anyway…. Maybe after they are all gone we will find that Global warming was actually all thier fault.

Sorry, but I just had to say it… and some of you were thinking it… so I am not to alone in my transgression

I’ll go now

 

[Cryozombie]

I'm waiting for all this evolution I keep hearing about to make Air breathing Sharks with Legs so mankind ceases to be the top of the food chain...



Of course, those VHEMT guys would love me, as I have not bred. (breeded?) Not by choice mind you... but I still havn't.

hehe.​

 

[CoryKS]

Y'know... if they really wanted to help out, they could stop clinging greedily to life and offer themselves to feed the hungry in developing countries. I'm just sayin'.

 

[stone_dragone]

Each day one of these folks meets their purpose, the earth spins a little faster.

Each second I think about these folks, I get a little bit dumber.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Physically impossible even if it were attempted.

 

[Makalakumu]

I read about this group in a book from Andy Weissman called "The World Without Us." This is a thought experiment that examines what would happen to the world if humans suddenly dissappeared. What would break down? What would last? What would our geologic record be?

The existance of such a group surprised me immensely. For one thing, for all I can tell, they really are serious. That, if you really think about it, is sad. No matter what their claims are regarding misanthropism, I can't think of much that is more hopeless then this idea.

It sucks to be them. I would hate to hate myself that much.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

How come this group is not the first to volunteer and dispose of itself or is lead by example not part of their philosophy?

 

[grydth]

Y'know... if they really wanted to help out, they could stop clinging greedily to life and offer themselves to feed the hungry in developing countries. I'm just sayin'.

"What is the incredible secret of Soylent Green?":barf:

 

[mrhnau]

I'm not too surprised that groups like this exist. We seem to be bombarded with guilt regarding every aspect of our existence.

Rather than taking a fatalistic approach though, actually use your cranial capacity and do something productive. Create or do something that changes peoples minds/habits and gives them alternatives...

Still, hard telling if they are serious... there are enough wackos out there that I'm not surprised by much these days.

 

[MA-Caver]

Advocating voluntary removal of one's self from existence is advocating suicide... nothing funny about that at all. Though I do have to agree with Cory

I think that anybody who wants to be in a group like this, should be in a group like this.

 

[Hand Sword]

Finally! Some group of Homo sapiens has become enlightened enough to finally get it! :highfive:

 

[morph4me]

Why rush the inevitable? Nature has a way of balancing itself out, species comee and go, so it's only a matter of time anyway.

The big question in my mind is, just because someone decides not to procreate does that mean the can't practice?

 

[SensibleManiac]

This has to be one of the stupidest groups I've ever heard of in my life.
Aside from the physical impossibility as someone else stated, of what they claim they want to accomplish, they're even trying to make money off of this by selling t-shirts.
Their logic is VERY flawed.
Either way it's better they don't breed.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Just another group of saddos from the first world who like to think they have a solution to the worlds woes but cannot see beyond their own country's borders. Imagine trying to spread this philosophy in India or South America. It would be viewed as a bizarre threat to maleness in those sort of macho places.

There is no doubt that overpopulation is the biggest problem we have (even including climate change), but it is not the first world that needs to reduce it reproductive rates. Those rates are already negative in most of those nations described as first world.


I suspect, if you look carefully at the movement, you will find some religious crazy with some form of sexual or reproductive phobia is the instigator.

 

[Senjojutsu]

Different beliefs - but sounds like history is repeating itself, as in "THE SHAKERS":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers

They made good furniture, but allowed no sex.

I'll take a pass.
:uhyeah: