Topics in Population and Health

Copyright © 2019 by Baljit Singh.

Library of Congress Control Number:    2019908004

ISBN:                  Hardcover                        978-1-7960-0310-9

                            Softcover                           978-1-7960-0309-3

                            eBook                                978-1-7960-0308-6

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Rev. date: 06/29/2019

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Dedication

To my wife, Jasdip, and daughter, Sukhjeet

In memory of my dad

Mr Balbir Singh

(1938–2016)

Preface

Chapters in this book revolve around certain postulates which influence our health and life. Prof. Adam Smith (1723–1790, Scotland), the Father of Economics, suggests that we all work according to our specialisation, interests, qualifications, skills, knowledge, aptitude, and capacities. Some are doctors, some engineers, some professors, some journalists, some writers, some musicians, some players, some actors, and so on. The list is long. The amount of reward (wages and salaries) which we receive varies owing to our education levels, work experience, and work capacities along with our skills. However, the income reward for people on low incomes in all countries of the world is so low that they cannot afford the necessities of life. Low-income earners are everywhere, including Australia. Higher wages and salaries of people on a low income would alleviate misery, hunger, and deprivation. These indices influence overall health—affordability of health care, housing, hygiene, and nutrition.

Baljit Singh

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Xlibris Publishing Australia for publishing my manuscript.

My special thanks to Carl Amba, Xlibris senior consultant, for motivating me to go ahead with publishing. I am thankful to Cherry Noel, Xlibris author services representative, for taking me through the entire publishing process, from manuscript submission to its publication. Thanks to the editing team for editing the manuscript and to the production team for the elegant design of the book cover and the content layout.

Thank you to Dr Ewen Michael, assoc. professor of tourism economics; Prof. Harry Clarke and Prof. Brian Graetz, School of Business, La Trobe University, for their moral support and for their contribution in developing my research capacity.

I am also thankful to Prof. Muralidhar Vemuri, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi (India), for his initial guidance on research publishing and his supervision of my MPhil thesis.

Thank you to Lindsay Tuffin, editor of the Tasmanian Times (Tasmania, Australia), and Cr. Jenny Mulholland, Banyule Council (Melbourne), as well as Qrius (India) and others for publishing my articles; giving me the necessary boost in communicating my research to the readers.

Thank you to Margaret Brand (Canberra) for her suggestions and improvements.

My warmest thanks to my colleagues, Karen Richards (School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne) and Dr Katherine Faull (Torrens University, Melbourne) for engaging me in the teaching of the public health course.

My special thanks to my parents and brothers for their moral support and especially my wife and my daughter, who have given me their full support and the time to write the book. I appreciate it immensely.

Last but not least, I sincerely wish to thank all the great thinkers and philosophers—such as Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Thomas Robert Malthus, David Ricardo, Warren Thompson, Frank W. Notestein, John Caldwell, and Gary Becker—for their socio-economic, demographic, and political ideologies and their belief in the ultimate social welfare of human beings. Thank you to all of the authors of the books, journals, and blogs as per my references.

Thanks,

Baljit

SECTION 1

POPULATION

Chapter 1     A Positive Note on Population

Chapter 2     We Continue on Progress and Development

Chapter 3     Does the Population Negatively Affect Development?

Chapter 4     Marx on Population

Chapter 5     The Impact of Development on Population Demographic Transition Theory

Chapter 6     The Economic Theory of Fertility Decline

Chapter 7     Prof. Caldwell on Mass Education

Chapter 8     Dr Singh’s Model of Fertility Control

Chapter 9     Impacts of Female Education and Employment on Female Age at Marriage and Fertility

Chapter 10   Good Transformation of Us: Outsiders Now Insiders

Chapter 11   The Direct Help

Chapter 12   Australia: A Study of Demographic Dominance

Chapter 13   Australia Is Trying to Optimise Socially, Economically, and Demographically: The New Population Policy

Chapter 14   Combating Poor Economic Performance Requires Action against Common Social Ills

Chapter 15   How Can the Marginalised in India Be More Educated in Family Planning?

Chapter 16   Towards Higher Ranking

Chapter 17   How Economics Helped AirAsia Create a Monopoly

Chapter 18   Public School Tax Recommended by Dr Baljit Singh

Chapter 19   A Policy Perspective: Pakistan—Some Caring Words

Chapter 20   A Shift in the Policy Procedures in Times of Saturation

Chapter 21   Real Economics

Chapter 22   An Analogy between Economics and Job-Search Motivation

Chapter 23   Perceiving the Human Value

Chapter 1

A Positive Note on Population

Human beings depend on other human beings to meet their basic needs and ensure the equitable distribution of resources towards social welfare maximising.

Dr Baljit Singh

Tuesday, 19 March 2019

Population control

Demographers and economists talk about population control, which is obvious when they see many people creating pressure on resources, especially in developing countries. The population is seen to be a problem when parents cannot fulfil the needs of their children due to limited income. Similarly, as observed by Prof. Thomas Robert Malthus, a well-known professor of political economy (England), the excessive population is a factor in food shortages even in countries like England and other European countries. Malthus was worried about overpopulation of England, which could lead to an imbalance between resources to fulfil needs. Nevertheless, the population of England at that time was negligible compared to what we see today, but due to the lack of development, the population was felt to be a hurdle in development.

They too were babies

When Western countries were on their path of development, that time too, babies were being born. The Wright Brothers invented the aeroplane. Graham Bell invented the telephone. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Philo Farnsworth invented the television. Alexandre-François Debain invented the harmonium. Benjamin Holt invented the tractor. Alexander Fleming invented penicillin. And many other babies all over the world who found a birthplace in their parents’ home grew to invent things which are now necessities of life—chlorine for water purification as well as medication to cure malaria, typhoid, and influenza. Products we take for granted—like shoes, bicycles, shirts, pens, pencils, automobiles, furniture, etc.—were invented by men; once upon a time, they were toddlers. Nobody knew whether these babies would be a burden or a blessing. They proved to be a blessing having saved and improved many lives. Did we know that a child known as Adam Smith would become the Father of Economics?

One day I was lecturing in economics: The introductory lecture!

While giving examples to my students, I realised that I haven’t created anything—television, shoes, shirts, wrist watches, buses, cars, tables, chairs, pen, pencil, etc. Also, nothing is being cultivated by me—fruit, vegetables, and other crops. And I did not construct anything—buildings, bridges, dams, roads. They said, ‘You are teaching us.’ I then thought, They are right. I am teaching to earn my livelihood to buy things which I never produced or shall never produce because I am a teacher. My students at La Trobe and Torrens had always been respectful of me.

We appreciate our fortune

When we see children playing or seeing them go to school, we appreciate their existence. Everyone is attached to someone, be it a father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, grandfather, or grandmother. Parents want their children to get married no matter how poor they are. Even in developing countries, a family of six to eight children in the past did very well in their life. They proved to be a blessing rather than a burden on their parents and nation. Not all people are born into rich families, and we do not know what role they will play to improve our lives. In just a few years from now, babies born today will become doctors, engineers, politicians, teachers, musicians, athletes, etc.

Figure 1: Human beings

Source: Author

Cultivation, creativity, and construction

If you see castles around, it is the construction workers who built them. If you see churches and temples around; they build it. If you see universities, hospitals, roads, dams, cinema theatres, houses, museums, and parks; all built by them. They too were babies once upon a time. Today, they give us shelter to protect from heat and cold and gusty winds. A Chinese person—who once upon a time was a toddler in a highly populated country, China—invented the umbrella. Could you imagine him/her not being born? Farmers who grow fruit and vegetables for us were babies. We did not know who was going to feed us.

They did not worry

All previous religious and social reformers once upon a time were toddlers even in highly populated countries. The Wright Brothers, Graham Bell, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Albert Einstein, and other human beings were not worried about their future; they were toddlers and used to play with their brothers, sisters, and friends; later, they invented things to improve lives.

The new Australian population figures may make some people worry

Some say there is no infrastructure to support this big population in say 2050. But demographers, social planners, economists, and health scientists are not worried because they know that we all work together to satisfy our needs. Generations ago there was one TV channel; now there are many. Engineers and allied professionals, through their better receptivity of mind, created new goods such as computers and telephones. Earlier on, fewer people came to Australia; now we are many. Hands built nations. Migration has helped people find not only jobs but also gain greater wisdom. Family planning is also the invention of human beings.

My head rises

When I say to my friends that I teach in Australia, they feel proud of it. Do we think that the owner of the cafe in Melbourne gets worried when he sees more customers? No, he employs more people.

Can my friends imagine me not being born because India is highly populated?

When Stephanie Rice, David Beckham, and Ian Thorpe were born, even then there were population control slogans. If we stop population today, we would not have Stephanie Rice, Sally Pearson, Michael Johnson, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and so on. There is always a population being replaced. Teachers, doctors, nurses, and social planners will support these new babies by taking care of them and taking them through their process of education, learning, and experience along with their natural abilities to facilitate the process of development in their ways—sport, education, journalism, medicine, etc. We do not know if a child will become like the next Milkha Singh (world’s fastest sprinter of India in 1960s), Stephanie Rice (one of the fastest Australian swimmers), David Beckham (world-class English soccer player), or Sally Pearson (the fastest Australian sprinter in the world).

The idea of suggesting the contributions of the well-known is also to acknowledge millions of workers who are known to be poor; their contribution is not lesser than anyone’s

The factory workers deliver finished products and many works in extreme weather conditions and lengthy periods. Prof. Adam Smith (1723–1790, Scotland), the Father of Economics, suggests that we all work according to our specialisation, interests, qualifications, skills, knowledge, aptitude, and capacities. Some are doctors, some engineers, some professors, some journalists, some writers, some musicians, some players, some actors, and so on. The list is long.

The amount of reward (wages and salaries) which we receive varies due to our education levels, work experience, and work capacities along with our skills. However, the income reward for people on low incomes in all countries of the world is so low that they cannot afford the necessities of life. Low-income earners are everywhere including Australia. Higher wages and salaries of people on a low income would alleviate misery, hunger, and deprivation. These indices influence overall health—affordability of health care, housing, hygiene, and nutrition.

Policies

If we could have better income policies, we would not have people living in poverty, misery and deprivation. We need to ask a question here. How often does the wife and children of a factory worker in India or elsewhere drink milk in a week? How much fruit did they consume in a week? What savings do they have when they seldom drink milk and eat fruit?

If we want to overcome malnutrition, how do we do it?

Raise the income of workers who are low-paid workers. If a person in Australia or India lives on meagre income because he is a factory worker, it is not his fault that he earns a lower wage to live his life, rather, it is the reward which governments and businesses have decided for him. We cannot argue that he should have studied well. If all of us become priests, teachers and actors, then, who would grow fruit and vegetables? Farmers are committing suicide. We need food. The government should encourage farming through better monetary rewards.

Income ceilings

Governments should reset the earnings of all workers immediately. If we want to raise the income of our citizens who are on a low income, we can do it. Where do we get money? We could control the earnings of high-income earners so that the extra money, which we have been giving to high-income earners, could be used to raise the income of workers who live on low incomes. There is no other way. Note: The income tax on high incomes goes to the government in forms of tax revenues to facilitate government policies. We need money to raise the actual income of workers on a low income. If all countries have minimum wage legislation, we can change the minimum wage levels.

How do we decide the right amount of income which high-income earners should receive?

If high-income earners get paid less, then the amount which they need to buy the fruit and vegetables, bread and butter, milk and juice, good education, transport, communication, health, and leisure for themselves and their families would be the most appropriate salary. Governments can make sure of better wages and salaries for the low-paid workers, which can only happen when income redistribution takes place through income ceilings. Progressive taxes do not ensure better income to low-paid workers.

Blessing

The population is a blessing; businesses always find new markets where there are more people to buy their products. Nevertheless, we need to give them a sufficient amount of income for their hard work who currently cannot afford to buy even necessities of life. In all countries, due to poor governance of employment and wage policy, low-income earners are kept on a low income. Otherwise, the population is a blessing. We never knew that this child Adam Smith would also be eventually known as the Father of Economics, Prof. Adam Smith.

Figure 2: Population promotes economic growth

Source: Author

We have decorated the earth through roads, buildings, churches, and

temples so that God does not complain that we did not do anything.

Dr Baljit Singh

Thursday, 21 March 2019

Chapter 2

We Continue on Progress and Development

Through my eyes

It is about the WaterMarc aquatic centre in Greensborough, Melbourne, surrounded by houses in which people live. When it was under construction, I had no idea that this construction activity would turn into a beautiful bride. It is an analogy.

Many days, we kept enquiring to get admission for our daughter

A few days ago, we eventually got her into the pool. We passed many people, including children, for our daughter’s assessment; my eyes were still watching. Maybe there would be Stephanie Rice; maybe there would be Ian Thorpe and many other great swimmers. My eyes began to wet. That day, I realised how fast our swimmers are. During my school days, on any race I would win, I would show my certificate to everyone and seek appreciation from everyone. In that age of childhood, a child does not know how to behave artificially. They are the most truthful and innocent souls, although parents can pick up their body and mind language.

Nervousness

We bought a swimwear outfit for our four-year-old daughter, and she was very happy as we were. She got assessed, and we put her swimming suit with her cap and goggles on. My eyes again became wet. I could see through her our great swimmers. I picked her up, and my wife took a photo of us. My daughter looked like a highly competitive swimmer. I could also read a sign of nervousness as she was about to take her first swimming lesson. The nervousness appeared on her face resembled the nervousness of our greatest swimmers of the world when they get on their marks to jump and win the race. I saw it on my daughter’s face.

It all went beautifully

Ms Jennifer, the instructor, gave the lesson. When she was giving the lesson, I was daydreaming as if I too one day would take swimming lessons once I get my tummy tuck via liposuction. I would jump in the pool to stand first—fastest swimmer among all my friends. It would be more than a sufficient win.

Parents by their side

The entire swimming area was beautiful. When children took lessons, I saw many parents sitting by their side on benches. I felt as if my parents were also sitting there for me, watching me swim. I realised parents are there for their children and their service to them is forever.

Outdoor gym equipment: Possum Hollow playground

A few months ago, we took our daughter to the Possum Hollow regional playground in the Warringal Parklands in Heidelberg. It was just a beautiful surprise when we saw this newly developed park area for children. This area is also used to celebrate small functions like birthday parties. Mornings and evenings, it is a scene of complete healthy enjoyment for all parents and children. Two sides of this parkland, we also get to watch a footy or cricket match. The daily routine of walkers, joggers, and cyclists testify the pleasantness of the area, which encouraged a healthy body and mind. Even some who are a bit overweight, like me, are enjoying runs in the park.

A few weeks ago, we got another surprise. We saw the new gym equipment for children and parents outside near Possum Hollow. I could not express my gratitude enough in the wake of my happiness. I went on to the gym equipment and enjoyed it immensely. Even my wife and daughter do exercises; they too enjoy and appreciate it.

I greatly appreciate the council placing the gym equipment outside the children’s playground area. Parents, from time to time, gain physical and mental relaxation from it by doing exercises. When they are on this gym equipment, you can see their expressions of happiness on their faces—in particular, parents who are not accustomed to doing exercise every morning as a routine part of body requirement. This equipment will encourage parents to spend at least five to ten minutes every day exercising. It is the most efficient way of spending resources as this gym equipment operates without battery and electricity. It saves lots of resources. It adds to the intellectual credibility of the Banyule Council and parkland authorities. It is just beautiful!

I have only praises for you, Cr Jenny Mulholland!

Chapter 3

Does the Population Negatively Affect Development?

The answer is yes and no. If you earn a good income, you can look after your children a better way. But if you are on a marginal income, you may not be able to provide your children with a good education, health care, and leisure, as well as the necessities of life.

In many developing countries, children do not go to school; instead, they work. Family sizes in all cultures have gone down from ten to eleven children in the past to two or three. China had to impose a one-child policy to control the population to overcome poverty. With a large population base, millions of people live in poverty, poor housing conditions, improper water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. The proportion of the world’s workers living with their families on less than $1.90 per person a day is 9.2 per cent in 2017 (The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018).

Developed countries also feel the pressure of the rising population on their infrastructure. There is a need to build additional freeways to overcome traffic congestion, including parking spots. It will create more jobs. There are cuts on migration as well. Childcare costs are rising. People on low income feel the pressure to pay for it.

Figure 1: Population, income, and health, selected countries

Data source: Population, GDP per capita ($PPP), total fertility rate (TFR), and infant mortality rate (IMR): Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/rankorderguide.html.

Date of information: July 2016.

Figure 2: Effects of a growing population of underdeveloped countries

Source: Author

Figure 3: Population and growth—the two sides

Source: Author

Malthus on population: Starvation leads to deaths and death means population control

Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834) was a professor of history and political economy at East India’s Company College in Haileybury, England. He published his first work, Essay on the Principles of Population, in 1798. According to Malthus, since the amount of land is fixed and if the population keeps growing, there will be a shortage of food, which will result in starvation and deaths. So what is the check on population growth? According to Malthus, it is starvation (Sloman and Norris 2002). To replace deaths, people incline to have more children.

In regions of poverty, poor children are made to work so that they could add to family income. Also, poverty leads to more children because more children means more hands and more income. Nevertheless, if children do not work and the family is poor, then the large family will have to share a limited amount of food, and each will get a little share of it.

Also, when the population grows, the labour force grows too, resulting in diminishing returns to labour as more and more people crowd on to the limited amount of land available, resulting in unemployment, low income, and starvation of people.

According to Malthus (1872), the population increases at a much faster rate than the food supply. It is because the production of food is subject to the law of diminishing returns as land is fixed and additional units of labour on the land will deliver output at a diminishing rate. One computer and one person to work on it is a correct mix of labour and capital. If we want one more person to work on it, we will need one more computer; otherwise, the other person will sit idle. We cannot grow an unlimited amount of food because not all lands are cultivable.

Malthus suggested that the population doubles