Democide Or Pollution: Which Is The Deadlier Killer?

Democide, a term coined by Holocaust historian R.J. Rummel, refers to the murder of any person or people by their government. It includes mass killings, forced labor, concentration camp victims, and mass deaths due to government neglect. Rummel's book Death by Government estimates that Communist governments killed approximately 110-148 million people from 1900 to 1987. On the other hand, environmental pollution, caused by factors such as industrial waste and the overexploitation of resources, is a pervasive issue that contributes to premature deaths worldwide. Studies suggest that pollution-related deaths are significantly higher than those caused by smoking, war, natural disasters, and certain diseases. With an estimated 9 million pollution-related deaths, the impact of pollution on human health is undeniable. This raises an important question: Does pollution or democide claim more lives?

Democide vs pollution death tolls

Democide, a term coined by Holocaust historian R.J. Rummel, refers to the murder of people by their government. This includes genocide, politicide, and mass murder. Rummel's estimates suggest that Communist governments killed approximately 148 million people from 1917 to 1987, with China, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union being the most deadly. He also estimates that over several centuries, around 2-15 million indigenous Americans were victims of democide during European colonisation.

On the other hand, pollution is responsible for approximately 9 million deaths per year, or one in six deaths worldwide. This figure has not improved since 2000, and pollution remains a significant threat to health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The primary causes of pollution-related deaths include ambient air pollution, lead pollution, and chemical pollution, which have increased by 66% since 2000 due to industrialisation, urbanisation, population growth, and the combustion of fossil fuels.

While democide has resulted in far more deaths than pollution overall, pollution is still a critical issue that demands attention and action. The death toll from pollution is expected to rise, and it disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. Additionally, the impact of pollution on health extends beyond mortality, with many millions suffering from poor health due to pollution.

In conclusion, both democide and pollution are significant issues that have resulted in devastating loss of life. While democide has historically caused more deaths, pollution is an ongoing issue that continues to claim lives and negatively impact health on a global scale.

Democide in Communist countries

The term "democide" was first coined by Holocaust historian and statistics expert R.J. Rummel in his book "Death by Government". Rummel defines democide as the murder of any person or people by "their" government. This definition covers a wide range of deaths, including forced labour and concentration camp victims, extrajudicial summary killings, and mass deaths due to governmental acts of criminal omission and neglect. Rummel created the term "democide" to include forms of government murder not covered by the term "genocide".

Rummel's research focuses heavily on Communist democide, which he estimates has killed approximately 148 million people from 1917 to 1987. Rummel's figures for Communist governments have been criticized for the methodology he used to arrive at them, and they are typically considered to be higher than the figures given by most scholars.

Some of the notable examples of Democide in Communist countries include:

• The Soviet Union: Rummel estimates that the Soviet Union was responsible for the deaths of nearly 61 million people, including through forced labour, executions, and concentration camps. The Holodomor, a deliberate famine in the 1930s that killed 5 million people, is also considered a form of democide.
• Communist China: Rummel's estimates for Communist China range from 5,999,000 to 102,671,000 deaths, with a most likely estimate of 35,236,000. The Great Chinese Famine, caused by Mao Zedong's policies, is believed to have resulted in 38 million famine deaths.
• Yugoslavia: From 1945 to 1987, Yugoslavia is estimated to have had 1,072,000 democide deaths.
• North Korea: Forced labour, executions, and concentration camps were responsible for over one million deaths in North Korea from 1948 to 1987.

Rummel argues that democide is more prevalent in authoritarian regimes, where political power is concentrated and unconstrained. He contends that the more power a regime has, the more likely people will be killed, emphasizing the importance of promoting freedom and limiting centralized power.

Pollution-related deaths in developing countries

Air pollution is one of the world's most pressing health and environmental issues, with a significant impact on the health of people in developing countries. It is a combination of outdoor and indoor particulate matter and ozone, which has been linked to an increased risk of many leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, lung cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Developing countries often experience rapid urbanization and industrialization, leading to poor air quality in densely populated areas. The use of biomass fuels, such as coal and wood, for domestic energy needs further exacerbates indoor air pollution, particularly in rural and low-income areas. This is a serious health hazard, especially for women and children who spend more time near stoves.

In low-income countries, air pollution is often the leading risk factor for premature deaths, with an estimated seven million deaths annually attributed to its effects globally. The adverse health impacts of air pollution are well-documented by epidemiologic studies. For instance, increased ambient O3, NO2, PM2.5, and SO2 levels have been linked to higher hospital admissions for asthma and pneumonia in several studies. Additionally, indoor air pollution from solid fuel combustion has been identified as a significant risk factor for COPD, especially in non-smoking women.

The burden of air pollution tends to be higher in low- and middle-income countries due to higher indoor pollution rates and greater exposure to outdoor pollution sources, such as vehicles and industrial activities. This disparity results in significant health inequalities, with vulnerable populations in these countries facing a higher risk of developing short-term and long-lasting adverse health effects related to air pollution.

To mitigate the impact of air pollution on health in developing countries, interventions are needed to improve indoor and outdoor air quality. This includes implementing policies that promote sustainable land use, cleaner household energy sources, improved waste management, and energy-efficient housing. Addressing air pollution not only improves public health but also contributes to mitigating climate change, as many of the drivers of air pollution are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Pollution's financial cost

The financial cost of pollution is significant, with the global economic cost of air pollution alone being estimated at $2.9 trillion, equating to 3.3% of the world's GDP. This cost is expected to rise in the coming years if no action is taken.

In 2013, air pollution-related deaths cost the global economy about $225 billion in lost labor income, with an estimated 5.5 million lives lost to diseases associated with outdoor and household air pollution. The cost of premature deaths due to air pollution was more than $5 trillion worldwide in 2013, with East and South Asia bearing the brunt of these welfare losses at about 7.5% of their GDP.

The economic burden of air pollution varies by country, with China facing an estimated bill of $900 billion annually, the US at $600 billion, and India at $150 billion. These costs are equivalent to 6.6% of China's GDP, 5.4% of India's, and 3% of the US's in 2018.

Lead exposure is another significant cost factor, with potential costs to countries totaling $6 trillion, or 6.9% of global GDP.

While the financial costs of pollution are substantial, it is important to note that the human costs are even more devastating, with air pollution causing approximately 7 million premature deaths each year, 90% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Types of democide

The term "democide" was first coined by R.J. Rummel, a Holocaust historian and statistics expert, in his book *Death by Government*. Rummel created the term to refer to forms of government murder not covered by the definition of genocide. According to Rummel, democide includes the following:

• Forced labour and concentration camp victims
• Extrajudicial summary killings
• Mass deaths due to governmental acts of criminal omission and neglect, such as deliberate famines
• Killings by de facto governments, such as killings during a civil war
• Government-created famines that are ignored or knowingly aggravated by government action
• Extrajudicial executions, death by torture, government massacres, and genocidal killing
• Bombing, shelling, or bombarding civilians indiscriminately
• Food blockades that cause the indiscriminate death of civilians
• Imprisoning people under deadly conditions
• Forcibly detaining prisoners of war under conditions that cause their death
• Deaths caused by medical experimentation on prisoners of war

Rummel categorises different regimes according to the scale of their democide. The four deka-megamurderers are the Soviet Union, Communist China, Nazi Germany, and the Chinese Nationalist regime. The lesser megamurderers include Cambodia, Japan, Pakistan, Poland, Turkey, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia. Finally, Mexico, North Korea, and feudal Russia are characterised as "suspected megamurderers".

Frequently asked questions