However the arguments presented do indeed sound accurate, they cannot be applied to the contemporaneous economy. If Malthus' suggestions were applicable three centuries ago, today, they do not stand a chance. This is generally due to an increase of the earth's population that requires as much subsidies as possible. However it is true that most people purchase and consume more than it would be required, it is also true that there are starving peoples that possess limited capabilities and that need to be aided and fed. On the other hand, the idea of producing only as much as to maintain a level of subsistence is shuttered by open international markets. Today, all countries maximize their comparative advantage to produce the best goods they can and then use them to purchase the items they cannot produce internally. As such, the fertile soils countries' decision to produce more that their population needs is only natural.
Another feature of the modern culture Thomas Malthus might object to is the involvement of governments. As such, the governing powers within some developing and less developed countries have implemented numerous programs to support the development of agricultural activities within the boundaries of their countries. These programs generally refer to subventions received by farmers as an incentive. The English economist might put these programs down arguing that they once again promote the idea of producing more than the country needs. But the...
Without any chances of success, Malthus could argue that since the machines do most of the work, they encourage laziness and a production higher than necessary. Once again, his arguments would be silenced by the features of the current economy.
In a nutshell, the arguments presented by economist Robert Thomas Malthus in regard to the Poor Law can be expanded to numerous areas, including agriculture. However, due to the unique features of the contemporary economy, the liberalized markets and fierce competition, most of Malthus' arguments no longer find a practical application.
Bibliography
Roberts, Andrew, Wealth and Poverty: Malthus and Ricardo, Middlesex University, November 1, 1999, http://www.mdx.ac.uk/WWW/STUDY/SHE7.htm, last accessed on October 11, 2007
Malthus, Robert Thomas, an Essay on the Principles of Population..., Retrieved from the Library of Economics and Liberty, http://www.econlib.org/Library/Malthus/malPlong.html, on October 11, 2007
Roberts, Andrew, Wealth and Poverty: Malthus and Ricardo, Middlesex University, November 1, 1999
Malthus, Robert Thomas, an Essay on the Principles of Population..., the Library of Economics and Liberty
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