Family Free-Riders (Childless adults are economic free riders)

Chicago Boyz ^ | March 03, 2006 | Shannon Love

[FreedomSurge]

Economically, every society needs children.

Children are the producers of the future This means that children are in a sense a necessary economic good. A society that does not produce enough children, or that cannot produce enough children who grow into economically productive adults, is doomed to poverty.

Every long-term investment we make, whether in the private or public sector, is predicated on the idea that there will be a future generation which will actually produce a return. It doesn't matter what economic or political system rules the present, it will need children to secure its future. Even the most self-centered individual would eventual realize that if the next generation cannot produce, his own welfare will suffer.

So, collectively we all need children and benefit when they grow into productive adults, but the cost of raising children is increasingly being borne by fewer and fewer in the general population.

Childless adults are rapidly becoming economic free riders on the backs of parents.

In the pre-industrial era, children almost always contributed to the economic success of the family directly. Agriculture depended heavily on the labor of children, and children brought further benefits by extending support networks via marriages. In the industrial era, however, children began to contribute less and less while consuming more and more. Nowadays, children usually return very little if any economic benefit to the parents.

Being a parent costs one economically. Although we socialize some cost, such as education, parents pay most of the cost of raising a child. Parents also lose out in non-monetary ways such as in a loss of flexibility in when and where they work. If an individual sets out to maximize his lifetime income, avoiding having children would be step one.

In our atomized society, children do not provide a boost in status, networking or security that offsets their very real cost. I think this economic loss may explain why many people shy away from having children. Many people simply do not want the loss of status that will come from having their disposable income consumed by rug rats.

Like all free-rider situations, this one will eventually cause a collapse that hurts everyone. As the percentage of parents in the population shrinks, the cost of being a parent will rise. More and more people will be tempted to conserve their own resources and let someone else shoulder the burden of creating the next generation. Eventually, the society will either produce too few children or, probably more likely, will not produce enough children with the skills and habits needed to carry on the economy

There is already grousing in some blue zones by the childless that they shouldn't have to subsidize the "breeders'" children. How long before child-hostile places like San Francisco become the norm?

I'm not sure how to address this problem from a public-policy perspective, but the next time you run into someone bragging because he chose not to have children, call him a parasite and see how it works out.

[RockinRight]

Neither. I'm in agreement that procreation is good (for those who choose to) and that it should be within the confines of marriage.

My beef is the holier-than-thou attitude about it.

[Allegra]

I see the distinct lack of a sense of humor. See that black hole? ;-)

[najida]

I just hear a sucking sound myself :0 ;)

[RockinRight]

I do see it... ;-)

[RockinRight]

Not...gonna...go...there...

[Hoodlum91]

trying...not...to...get...sucked....in....

[mware]

Well I have no children but than I don't have a husband either.

I guess I am old fashion that way.

[najida]

You know,
black hole have gravity that pulls in all light....

What did you THINK I meant! ;) ;)

[Allegra]

There's little that irritates a humorless person more than to be laughed at.

Let's all howl with laughter!

[RockinRight]

That's exactly what I thought...

[RockinRight]

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Antoninus]

Where you've been judgmental.

So you're saying that by disagreeing with your position on this issue, I'm being "judgmental" and that's disrespectful. Is that it?

I'm just laughing at you now. Sorry, but I've just gotten to that point. :-D

Don't say you're sorry unless you really are. I have always held you in the highest regard as an intelligent and informative poster and someone who is serving her country, but this exchange has made me rethink some of that.

[najida]

[linda_22003]

"So you're saying that by disagreeing with your position on this issue, I'm being "judgmental" and that's disrespectful. Is that it?"

Here's the difference:

"I think you're missing a great experience by not having children." (disagreement)
"Deciding not to have children is wrong." (judgment)

[Antoninus]

My beef is the holier-than-thou attitude about it.

Perhaps there's something to that with regard to this thread. However, I'll invite you to some of the threads that simply speak positively about having large families without ridiculing those who are childless. The same "I hate kids" people show up on those threads to preach their dogma.

[Antoninus]

There's little that irritates a humorless person more than to be laughed at. Let's all howl with laughter!

By all means. You're only going to encourage me further...

"Blessed are ye when they shall revile you and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great."

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

Slim, are you still FREE RIDING?

Didn't you get enough yesterday?

[RockinRight]

Myself, I hope to marry and have children someday. I just disagree with the notion that remaining childless (intentionally) is in and of itself some kind of sin, which several posters on this thread have been saying.

[Antoninus]

"I think you're missing a great experience by not having children." (disagreement)
"Deciding not to have children is wrong." (judgment)

So now we're down to semantics, eh? The least you can do is not misrepresent my opinion, which would be more accurately described as follows:

"Deciding not to have children for purely selfish reasons is wrong."

And is this statement any more 'judgmental' than the following?

"Burning the American flag is wrong."

"Protesting at soldiers' funerals is wrong."

"Voting for John Kerry is wrong."

Seems to me that we all do an awful lot of 'judging' around here.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Do you get the tagline reference?