[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[Paleo Conservative]

Muslim immigrants will solve the problem of too few young workers.

[Neoliberalnot]

Like I have said so many times before, birth control and abortion will be the death of western civilization.

[RoadTest]

Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen are, no doubt, making plans accordingly...

[randog]

That's the problem with Ponzi scams/Socialism--eventually the house of cards topples.

[stuartcr]

It's not hard to see that, as family expenses increase, the size of the families will decrease.

[CzarNicky]

Most German schools shut in the early afternoon and childcare is rudimentary compared to other European countries like France, which boasts a substantially higher birth rate.

I watch a cartoon from France called Code Lyoko and they stay in school there until 5:30 in the afternoon. Aside from the fact that I am basing my knowledge of the French school system on a cartoon show is there a reason German schools let out so much earlier?

[Rummyfan]

Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen, herself the mother of seven children, has vowed to introduce legislation that would make it easier for women to juggle careers and kids -- for example by making kindergartens free and extending school hours.

I don't think that will help. They already give them kindergeld (literally child money) to encourage having children.

[bereanway]

"Immigration could ease the pressure, but not by much if it continues at current intake rates of 100,000 per year."


With that particular type of immigrant social welfare pressure will be the least of Germany's worries.

[GOPJ]

Not to be crass, but one reason people have children is to have someone to care of them when they're old. Social Security and the European welfare state have trumped that need -- an obvious unintended consequence.

And a destructive one.

A solution might be to make getting a "full" check dependent on points earned -- volunteer work, charity points, or points from adult children.

Some will have more children and they might be better parents. Being dependent on the kindness of adult children at some future time would be a positive incentive.