>>212415844Those were actually women. The Ulysses Cut has some scenes where Smokers get killed and their Cousins just laugh because it means the Deez will be slightly less overcrowded.
A big theme that was largely gutted from the theatrical cut was the juxtaposition of the two societies, the Atollers and the Smokers. The Atollers practiced a rigid form of population control to ensure their numbers never increased, but their inwardly-focused mentality was causing problems because all their equipment was failing and they were too afraid to expand outward.
Conversely, the Smokers believed in a manifest destiny of infinite expanse, which is why the Deez was so crowded and why they were so driven to plunder the world, but it's an equally unsustainable lifestyle, as noted by his subordinates who point out that they've already sunk all the other atolls.