Introduction
It is not a secret that migration has always played a significant role in people’s lives. Paul Morland, in his book The Human Tide: How Population Shaped the Modern World, describes demographic changes caused by migration and how they affected the formation of certain countries. In this paper, the argument and supporting evidence provided by the author of the book will be discussed. Also, information on the perception of global political power that is shaped by the book will be presented. In addition, the main points, including the strengths and weaknesses of Morland’s work, will be demonstrated and analyzed.
Main body
The main argument of the book is that the population of the world has played a significant role in world history and affected the course of global politics. Morland argues that the primary events of history, such as the emergence of the Soviet Union or World Wars, were caused by the mass transition of the population. The argument of the author is quite convincing, as Morland provides a number of evidence to support his thoughts. Thus, the author asserts that the reason why Europe started sending its population abroad in the 19th century, trying to expand its territory was the increasing number of residents (Morland 128). For the same reason, the Middle East is experiencing issues related to demographic changes. The population of some Arab countries is constantly growing due to the natural increase and crisis in Syria. Unfortunately, military activities on the territory of Syria caused the influx of refugees to the neighboring countries (Van Dam 44). As a result, the host states have to stick to a certain political strategy, which reduces the states’ maintenance costs for providing health care services, education, and humanitarian aid to newcomers.
The author continues to prove that the population is a driving force that defines historical changes and political direction in the world. He gives an example of China as a country with rapid population growth. Trying to solve the issue of overcrowding, the state introduced a number of restrictions regarding the number of children people should have (Goodkind 1376). In addition, the Chinese government leads a strategic international policy that implies building strong relationships with neighboring countries based on mutual support and economic collaboration. This strategy is used to ensure the smooth and peaceful “invasion” of Chinese people to the territory of neighboring states in case if the overcrowding in China achieves its maximum peaks. Therefore, it is obvious that the population plays a significant role in defining the course of global politics.
The ideas described in the book complement and support the perception of global political power that was formed due to the other readings of this course. It proves the thoughts that the main trigger of any political action is people. However, it has some differences compared to the other works that were read before. Morland’s book introduces a new, fresh look at global history and emphasizes the importance of demography for international politics, which makes this work truly unique.
One of the most important points made by the author is that people define politics, not politics define people’s lives. Also, the book contains much information about changes that occurred in demography, especially in the Western world, including Europe and the USA. However, Morland managed to narrate about demography not in a dry way retelling the statistics, but in engaging and involving method paying attention to detail and adding valuable comments. Indeed, what distinguishes this book from other works is that it is full of interesting facts. For example, the author points out that life expectancy for people in some districts of Great Britain is lower than in Gaza. He also asserts that younger individuals tend to be less peaceful and more ready for military actions than older people. There is also a surprising fact that there are some villages in Russia where the population is less than ten people (Morland 148). All these facts are useful to know as they facilitate the development of people’s erudition and intelligence.
One more thing that makes this work especially interesting is that the author looks at the political situation in the world from different perspectives, taking into account various regions of the world. Moreover, the author includes information about both past and current times, comparing changes that occurred in the demographic and political situation. He covers all the essential events that happened in the world from the period of the 19th century and concludes that demography is the driving engine of politics. Therefore, the information provided by the author related to important recent events and raises burning issues relevant to demography and political affairs.
However, I think that there are some details that were omitted by the author when he narrates the situation in the Middle East. Indeed, nowadays, the population growth in the region results in changes in the political course of some countries. However, initially, the overcrowding in the Middle East was caused by the crisis in Syria when it was invaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). ISIS is an unrecognized state formed by a military terrorist group, which entered the territory of Syria in 2011 and initiated the Civil War (Steenkamp 12). After its invasion, there were about 5 million refugees, more than 3 million displaced people, and about 14 million of those who needed humanitarian aid (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Thus, it can be concluded that in this case, the global events and changes happened due to the political situation in the region rather than the population itself.
I would also add more information about the Africa continent, as the number of people who live there is constantly increasing. It results in significant issues due to the water scarcity in the region. Africa’s population is expected to be increased from 1.2 million in 2015 to 4.4 million by 2100 (Odusola et al. 203). Therefore, I think that it is necessary to conduct more detailed research on the demographic situation in Africa and think about possible reasons for the population growth there. It will help to create appropriate solutions to this problem, which are also not presented in the book.
Therefore, the analysis of the book shows that it has both strengths and weaknesses. Except for the positive comments about the work mentioned above, it has one significant advantage. It raises global awareness of people about the main demographical issues as well as their impact on the political situation in the world. Even though it is obvious that one person cannot impact the situation on a global level, every human being is a cell of a larger organism and, therefore, can influence and change the circumstances by performing even small actions. Thus, as a concerned and informed citizen, I would like to bring an impact by raising awareness of the mentioned issues and facilitating people’s responsibility for their actions. In my point of view, it is crucial for every person to understand that his or her deeds do not impact their lives only but influence the whole society at a macro-level as well. Thus, moving to another city or country, taking part in military actions, or participating in political events of an individual may bring both positive and negative results. Therefore, one should think carefully before performing any actions that may influence others.
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that the book The Human Tide: How Population Shaped the Modern World contains many significant points. It raises the awareness of people about the global demographic issues and highlights the role of the population in shaping the political situation in the world. The author provides evidence that supports his argument and adds some interesting facts to statistical information, which makes the process of reading entertaining. However, the book also has some weaknesses, as the author omits and underemphasizes some facts and does not provide enough information about significant demographic issues that prevail in Africa. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that there are still more strengths than weaknesses as this work brings the world’s attention to the issues of the global community and can serve as an excellent educational tool. Therefore, I would recommend this book for reading for both youth and adults as the raised questions are topical for all generations.
Works Cited
Goodkind, Daniel. “The Astonishing Population Averted by China’s Birth Restrictions: Estimates, Nightmares, and Reprogrammed Ambitions.” Demography, vol. 54, no. 4, 2017, pp. 1375-1400.
Morland, Paul. The Human Tide: How Population Shaped the Modern World. Public Affairs, 2019.
Odusola, Ayodele, et al. “Income Inequality and Population Growth in Africa.” Income Inequality Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa: Divergence, Determinants and Consequences, edited by Ayodele Odusola, et al., United Nations Development Programme, 2017, pp. 203-220.
Steenkamp, Christina. “The Crime-Conflict Nexus and the Civil War in Syria.” International Journal of Security and Development, vol. 6, no. 1, 2017, pp. 11-34.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Syria Emergency.”UNHCR, 2016, Web.
Van Dam, Nikolas. Destroying a Nation: The Civil War in Syria. I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, 2017.