Do it like Rome

Humans have always been considered the dominant species of life here on Earth. This, of course, is true. What other organism could even come close to the perfection known as a human being? Humans are the smartest and most developed creatures on this planet. Yet, humans have a serious flaw. Overpopulation is a major drain on natural resources, inhabitable space, and the world at large. Currently estimated at over seven billion, the human population has doubled between 1965 to present day and experts project that the population will increase to ten and a half billion by 2050. As a result, parking spaces are fewer and farther between, lines are longer at grocery stores, and it is nearly impossible to hail a cab. It is essential as a race to maintain a balance between humans and the remainder of nature. Far too many species are extinct due to human recklessness. As our esteemed scientists have yet to discover any foreign planets that could properly sustain life, and it would be foolish to try to expand outside of the bounds of our planet, I propose a simple solution to the overpopulation of the planet. This solution could work for any government system and all ethnic groups and cultures, because it is based on human instinct, the “survival of the fittest”. Similar to the fights of the gladiators of Rome, in this perfect world, all the imperfect humans need to be eradicated. Thus, making the world a utopia for the perfect race. The Roman Empire was the greatest empire of ancient history, with an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings that encompassed the Mediterranean in Europe, Africa, and Asia. A society that practiced Darwin’s “survival of fittest” through the gladiatorial games, they offered spectators an example of Rome’s martial ethnics and inspired the citizens of Ancient Rome. Gladiators were a form of entertainment and their opponents were either other gladiators, wild animals, or condemned criminals. This is how we as a race we could rid ourselves of those that society could do without. Animals allow nature to dispose of the flawed individuals. By survival of fittest, if an animal can’t make it in the wild, they die. Their death may be due to environmental factors, but the fact remains that they were imperfect for dealing with the task or situation, so they died. Known as natural selection, animal species almost never have an imperfect individual among them. If a sickness takes them over, and they can’t fight it off, they die. They aren’t resourceful enough to locate food and water they die. If the animal isn’t fast enough to outrun or outsmart predators, they die. The animal kingdom has made it simple and serves as an example to their human relatives. So what I propose, similar to the Roman gladiatorial games, is a death-match for all human beings, to discover who can make it to the winner’s circle. Those who can contribute to society in some manner will not have to participate in the games. These are the people who can contribute to the world and our survival, who can make difference. Like the man on the television set, who advertises my hair gel or my best friend who has to endure all my sappy, heart wrenching problems, these are the people society needs. The remainder must fight, in order to determine who deserves to live and who dies. These are the regular Joes, the neighbors who don’t return your handsaw and the individuals who lead normal lives, with a wife, a few kids, and a dog that shits on my lawn. These are the individuals that society could do without, and the world could once again become harmonious. Each fighter would be provided with wooden spear and shield, but no armor. Fighting in armor takes too much time and resources, and as I stated before, we are limited on resources due to this existential crisis. Set upon a circular stage or arena, two opponents face off, with a cheering crowd at their backs, and begin their fight to the death. The brawls