AIDS & the population?

I've heard someone say once they believe AIDS is doing wonders for our population. I found that incredibly insensitive. The person believe overpopulation was a big problem. Is overpopulation a big problem? If it is, what's the point of doing medical research to extend the human life expectancy? If overpopulation is a problem, shouldn't abortions be legal & what's the point of helping those starving children in africa? What are ways to solve this overpopulation problem?

Yes, overpopulation is a huge problem, globally speaking. The human population grows exponentially - meaning that it doesn't just double every generation, it increases by a power of ten (or more), every generation, and there just aren't enough resources to keep pace with this growth.

On a world-wide, millenium-long scale, plagues and epidemics erupt when a population gets too large, and significantly reduces the population to a manageable level. A pandemic like AIDS is part of that process. It's cruel and uncaring towards individual needs, but it's the law of jungle.

So hopefully this person was kidding, and they are being insensitive to the individual suffering and loss caused by AIDS, but biologically speaking they do have a point. A massive population reduction is heartbreaking and regrettable - but sometimes necessary for the survival of the human race.