Article Written by TAGHRID BOU MERHI

 

Between Theories of Extermination and Reality: When Humans Become a Cancer on Earth

Written by Taghrid Bou Merhi - Lebanon - Brazil

Since the dawn of history, humans have sought to dominate the Earth's resources. However, some ideologies and theories have gone even further, claiming that part of humanity must be exterminated for the benefit of others. These ideas were not mere passing theories but formed the basis for oppressive policies and practices that destroyed entire societies. From the "Golden Billion" theory proposed by Thomas Robert Malthus, which advocates for the extermination of the majority to ensure the elite’s prosperity, to the racist theories of anthropologist Arthur de Gobineau, and even modern fears surrounding artificial intelligence and its implications—all these reveal a hidden tendency to exclude large segments of humanity under various pretexts.

Malthus believed that natural resources were limited and could not sustain all humans, so the population should be reduced to only one billion people, while the rest should be eliminated. His theory was used to justify colonial policies, wars, and manufactured famines, as Malthusians saw the poor and weak as a burden on society, needing to be naturally eradicated through epidemics or wars. Although much of his thinking has been discredited, its echoes still resonate in certain international policies that impose poverty on specific nations, restrict access to food, healthcare, and education, and reinforce a divide between a privileged class and another condemned to suffering or slow extermination.

Arthur de Gobineau, on the other hand, entrenched the idea of white racial superiority, arguing that humanity was divided into superior races that should dominate the world and inferior ones that should remain subjugated or be eliminated. His ideas laid the foundation for Nazi and fascist ideologies, justifying the enslavement of entire peoples and the extermination of millions during the Holocaust, colonialism, and apartheid. Despite the passage of time, these ideas persist in modern forms such as Islamophobia, refugee hatred, and economic discrimination, where certain groups are treated as if they are less deserving of life and prosperity.

With advancements in artificial intelligence, new concerns have arisen regarding how technology is being exploited to reinforce discrimination and exclusion. From biased algorithms that favor certain groups over others to AI-driven population control through social credit systems and mass surveillance, humanity appears to be entering a new era of digital extermination—where people are not eliminated by traditional weapons but by algorithmic decisions that condemn them to poverty, imprisonment, or even death.

Some regimes have applied mass extermination theories with brutal efficiency, as seen in the Nazi genocide of Jews, Roma, and the disabled—where over six million people were killed—or in colonial massacres across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where wars and famines were used to wipe out millions of indigenous people. Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Rwanda, which led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands based on their ethnic or religious identities, is another example. Such practices were not limited to wars but extended to biological experiments, such as the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, where infected individuals were left untreated to observe the disease’s progression. Some even believe that certain deadly viruses were the result of unethical laboratory experiments aimed at targeted depopulation.

In modern times, global powers employ economic policies to keep poor nations under control. These include imposing unpayable debts on developing countries, ensuring they remain tied to international financial institutions, monopolizing natural resources, and creating economic environments that make it nearly impossible for some nations to thrive. These policies no longer require armies or weapons; instead, they operate through invisible mechanisms that make the poor even poorer while granting the wealthy greater control over the world’s fate.

Ironically, those who promote these theories claim to be working toward a better world, yet in reality, they reinforce ignorance, stupidity, and injustice by suppressing knowledge, spreading fear of the "other," and weakening collective awareness until individuals become solely focused on their personal interests. Ultimately, if humans continue to see one another as enemies rather than as partners in life, we are heading toward an inevitable catastrophe.

Today, we may no longer witness Nazi gas chambers or direct colonial massacres, but extermination takes on new forms—from economic domination and digital discrimination to the spread of diseases and environmental destruction. When we read the inscription on the Georgia Guidestones in 1980: "Do not be a cancer on the Earth. Leave room for nature," we must recognize that this was not just an environmental appeal but a warning that if humans do not abandon their greed and exclusionary tendencies, they may become a disaster for the Earth itself.

If we wish to avoid this fate, we must counter these theories with knowledge, awareness, and cooperation—rather than allowing ignorance and greed to dictate humanity's future. The most crucial question remains: Will we be a cancer on Earth, or will we let God's mercy prevail?