Malthus in Africa: RwandaÆs Genocide. (Chapter 10). In Diamond, J. (2004). Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking: 311-328.
In this chapter, the population explosion and human carrying capacity theories of Thomas Malthus are balanced against other factors by the authors in an effort to show the Rwandan genocide was the result of more than population pressures, including land redistribution, warring factions, and political posturing. However, even RwandanÆs support the contention that war is necessary to help curb population growth to sustain natural resource capacity now and in future. The author presents a convincing case for other factors leading up to genocide, including independence and a succession of rulers that exacerbated ethnic tensions between the Hutu and Tutsis.
Maya Collapses, The. (Chapter 5). In Diamond, J. (2004). Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking: 157-177.
In this chapter, the origins of the glory and grandeur of Mayan civilization are presented, only to lead into the eventual destruction of the civilization by rampant disease and epidemics and the invasion by the Spanish. Spanish dominance replaced the monuments, religion, and lifestyle of the Mayans, to be followed later by a series of Latin American dictators who also did a great disservice to the people of this continent. The failure of kings and nobles to cure social ills stemmed from their self-interested nature of rule, one that was shortsighted, materialistic in nature, and served to undermine the fabric and cohesion of society.
Opposite Paths to Success. (Chapter 9). In Diamond, J. (2004). Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking: 277-308.
In chapter nine of Collapse, the author provides insight into the two types of past societies that either failed to resolve or successfully resolved the environmental problems challenging their existence and ...