People are not the problem

After Hobbes vs Malthus, turns outs the 1968 book, The Population Bomb, by Paul and Anne Ehrlich, was what led to the idea becoming so popular.

The 1968 book The Population Bomb, by Paul and Anne Ehrlich, opened with a call for surrender: “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. At this late date nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate.” In 1970, Paul Ehrlich reinforced the defeatism, saying that in a few years “further efforts will be futile” and “you may as well look after yourself and your friends and enjoy what little time you have left.” Because they saw the situation as hopeless, the Ehrlichs supported a proposal to cut off aid to countries such as India that were seen as not doing enough to limit population growth. from Anticipating the Unanticipated newsletter quoting an article in MIT Review

The book was a hit in the 70s and eventually led to sterilisation programmes and the one-child policy.

It provides the state with a ready excuse for underperformance.