Which is why so many places try to not educate women. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work. In some ultra-paternalistic countries (like Iran) rape is not considered wrong in marriage.

@jackjr Yes, but even those place do eventually change. Just look at us how much have changed for women and men too.

@Jolanta Unfortunately, we are not others. Too many countries are extremely paternalistic and only view women as breeders.

@jackjr Yes, but even that will change.

@Jolanta When, when we are all dead? I, for one, will not hold my breath. We humans have never shown we are farsighted and often do what we think is best for the moment.

@jackjr Maybe we will be dead but our children will be the ones who will experience it. Just look at how women have babies when they are much older these days. People get married when they are older too.

@Jolanta Problem is it's not we in the developed world. In most developing countries when people are poor they tend to have more children. They feel the more they have the higher the chances one will make it and support the family. Often making it means emigrating to a wealthier country and sending money back to the family. Many do just that. This is farmer mentality.

@jackjr You are right not only farmer mentality but also the fact that the children will one day take care of the parents. Also a big problem is religion in those countries that prevent them getting birth control, etc, etc.

There is not enough room. Besides it's not simply about room but resources of which both tribes are dependent on the outside world. Of course what's missing from all of this is what has happened to the biodiversity? I guess humans don't need other species (other than the edible kind) to survive which is totally wrong.

there seem to an iron law in human demographics: the poorer people are, the more children they produce. Another factor is female rights: where women have no rights and get no or only little education, they have to produce babies.

This is the 4th war in 16 years. The adult male population has been decreased by war.

i just heard that it's actually 42% under age 18. i agree that many of the older generations die in conflict. however, this trend seems to apply to many countries in the region.

A report, which came out several years ago, detailed that how the Palestinians are able to keep up with the increasing numbers of Jewish immigrants was to increase their fertility. It's a common ploy still in use today especially among the developing countries.

@Thibaud70 Another similarity to Nazi Germany - women being honored for having lots of kids to provide soldiers for the war. The Palestinians are worried about being overrun and have lots of kids to try and keep up with the Israeli immigrants.

Lebenstraum simply means "living room," or room to live. As for the children media is talking about the idea is to get us all to think"OMG, they are killing children." I agree with you that there seems to be too many children. So far some news crews have been attacked also and We have to understand that many will die in the crossfire. War is hell.

@MyTVC15 Not entirely true as they have been replaced by immigrants and babies. The Jewish are also producing babies in an insane attempt to rebuild their population lost in WWII. These people are the ultimate overpopulation deniers.

@jackjr you know that also, Israel has not been allowing much medical care in Gaza, including women's health care. That would include birth control and abortion.

@MyTVC15 Of course just another 'little' item not discussed by the pro-Israeli bunch.

There is a direct link to all the 'other' things mentioned to the increasing demand on a limited resource base. As the numbers of us increase competition for resources often becomes divisive and then all the other things you mentioned come into play. During the UN conference on overpopulation in Cairo I kept hearing the truism that, "no matter what one's cause it will be a lost cause unless we come to grips with overpopulation.' Too bad too many people are not able to see the obvious. It's not that hard.

We all see where this is headed. We are SkyNet.

As to over-population, who will listen to the pleas not to over-populate? The cynical "You first" will always be the reply.

Except for a severe pandemic or something similar, it is another intractable problem. I've heard the wealthy are building bunkers...

With Netanyahu openly calling Palestinians animals, I find it no surprise that an extreme faction of those "animals" should choose to be barbaric.

@rogerbenham The crazy irony of this in this fucked up world we live in, is that exactly like Bin Laden and the Taliban, Hamas is merely the result of a created group formed to weaken the PLO by Israel to encourage a bit of regime change.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" really is a sad way to further foreign policy.

@puff Yes, I am reading that Hamas had talks with Israel,. Are you implying that Israel let the killings of Israelis to justify wiping out the Palestinians?

@rogerbenham No, I'm saying Hamas would not exist if Israel had not promoted their creation to weaken the PLO back in the day. Just like the Taliban/ Bin laden would not exist if the US had not created the mujaahideen in Afghanistan to weaken the communist government there back in that day.
[theintercept.com]

"This in no way excuses what Hamas did...."
Oh yes... that's just that: an excuse.
It turns the Hamas terrorists into brave freedom fighters, just as the Jews did back in the Warsaw Ghetto (1943) when they made a desperate revolt against the Nazis, except that today for anti-Semites the roles are reversed: the Jews of today are Nazis, and Hamas are the Jews of yesteryear.

@Thibaud70 To understand does not mean you condone. Humans have no right to do what happened to those other humans at the festival, no excuses accepted. But even the Chinese see the response as a bit over the top. Humans have no right to do that to other humans either. Understanding Israeli motives again does not mean you condone or wish to excuse.
Agree Warsaw Ghetto seems similar to Gaza. Russians have compared imposing a blockade on Gaza to the siege on Leningrad also.

All one needs to do is look around. In Africa many countries are in constant fight mode. No one wants to limit fertility rates as another country might try and overtake them. Population (especially male) is the ultimate weapon. Access for limited resources is the prime force behind most wars which often include non-human species.