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Facing the Population Bust
FrontPageMag.com ^ | May 31, 2006 | Don Feder

Posted on 05/31/2006 4:55:34 PM PDT by sergey1973

With Europe locked in the depths of demographic winter, the World Congress of Families offers a thaw ("the natural family" as "the springtime of nations") as it prepares for its 4th Congress -- Warsaw 2007.

The population bomb, hyped by the likes of Paul Ehrlich (AKA: Malthus Man), turned out to be a dud. The Western world now faces the reality of depopulation. Since the 1970s, worldwide fertility rates have been cut in half. In all, 59 nations with 44% of the world’s people have below-replacement birthrates.

To maintain a stable population requires a birthrate of 2.1 children per woman. Italy’s rate is 1.2. In Spain, the average is just 1.15.

Russia is losing 700,000 people a year by attrition. If the trend isn’t reversed, by 2050, the nation could lose one-third of its current population (146 million).

Confronting this chilling prospect, Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a pro-natalist policy, including a $110-monthly stipend to Russian families that have a second child. Stay-at-home moms would receive 40% of their former salary, and families with two children also would get a direct payment of $9,000.

For years, Western governments have created financial disincentives to child-rearing, so it’s encouraging to see some leveling of the playing field. Still, the question remains: Can families be paid to have children?

Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t think so. At a recent meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the pope blamed the "eclipse of love" and "materialistic visions of the universe, of life and human fulfillment" for falling birthrates.

(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: benedictxvi; birthrate; catholicism; christianity; deathofthewest; demography; donfeder; easterneurope; eu; europe; family; familyfriendly; homosexualagenda; poland; russia
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1 posted on 05/31/2006 4:55:35 PM PDT by sergey1973
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To: eleni121; 3AngelaD; pbrown; Angus MacGregor; phatoldphart; Vicomte13; Centurion2000; x5452; ...

Ping !

Article that can fit in a number of categories, including Eastern Europe, Europe, EU, European Union, Poland, Russia, Family, homosexual agenda etc. But first and foremost, it's about Families and their future worldwide.


2 posted on 05/31/2006 5:00:06 PM PDT by sergey1973 (Russian American Political Blogger, Arm Chair Strategist)
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To: sergey1973

Paul Ehrlich (AKA: Dumb@$$ Man)


3 posted on 05/31/2006 5:00:26 PM PDT by AntiGuv ("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
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To: sergey1973
Confronting this chilling prospect, Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a pro-natalist policy, including a $110-monthly stipend to Russian families that have a second child. Stay-at-home moms would receive 40% of their former salary, and families with two children also would get a direct payment of $9,000.

That's nuts!!! Where's *my* pony?!

4 posted on 05/31/2006 5:01:14 PM PDT by Lunatic Fringe (http://ntxsolutions.com)
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To: sergey1973

"Lebensborn" is the answer! Who wants to volunteer and help those Russian women?


5 posted on 05/31/2006 5:02:45 PM PDT by Bringbackthedraft
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To: Lunatic Fringe

Whats nuts is that Russia desperatly needs people.


6 posted on 05/31/2006 5:05:38 PM PDT by x5452
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To: AntiGuv

Big ditto.


7 posted on 05/31/2006 5:05:51 PM PDT by umgud (FR, NASCAR & 24, way too much butt time)
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To: AntiGuv
"Since the 1970s, worldwide fertility rates have been cut in half." Any clue to whether this poor author has factored in the abortion holocaust into the calculations on 'fertility'?
8 posted on 05/31/2006 5:08:09 PM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: Lunatic Fringe
That's nuts!!!

Not really.

Stay-at-home moms would receive 40% of their former salary,

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

Our children are being raised primarily by low paid day care helpers in circumstances more akin to a prison than a loving home

9 posted on 05/31/2006 5:09:10 PM PDT by Popman ("What I was doing wasn't living, it was dying. I really think God had better plans for me.")
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To: sergey1973

With all the caution flags flying high, we once again confront irrefutable secular trends irretrievably tied to declining birthrates and are actually witnessing dramatic socio-economic dislocations in several areas such as Germany.

Having been more than twice burned and many more times more shy now, it may be understandable to be ever so cautious as to exactly who joins this party and exactly which "gifts" they bear. Certainly those bearing gifts having to do with homosexual issues will have a less than zero prospect of being welcome to any serious consideration as will those bearing Vatican- inspired concepts.

Here we wearily go again.


10 posted on 05/31/2006 5:09:33 PM PDT by CBart95
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To: Popman

One of G. Gordon Liddy's best lines: "You let an illiterate who speaks guacamole take care of your child."


11 posted on 05/31/2006 5:14:41 PM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: sergey1973
Discouraging abortion might be intelligent. But they won't do it.
12 posted on 05/31/2006 5:15:12 PM PDT by narby
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To: kittymyrib

LOL


13 posted on 05/31/2006 5:17:08 PM PDT by Popman ("What I was doing wasn't living, it was dying. I really think God had better plans for me.")
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To: sergey1973

Put in other terms, there appears to be a sincere desire to "fix things" by merely doing physical evidence analysis and not actual review of the several and multiple larger socio-economic and political phenomenon that actually produce these miserable elements of wreakage.

"Solutions" whipped up by special interest advocates may wreak of sincerety yet actually address little if anything to true understanding and meaningful actual change


14 posted on 05/31/2006 5:28:08 PM PDT by CBart95
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To: narby

"Discouraging abortion might be intelligent. But they won't do it."

That and their average lifespan is 58.8 in Russia.


15 posted on 05/31/2006 5:29:09 PM PDT by Rick_Michael (Look at profile for current ways to deal with illegals immigration)
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To: CBart95

Or they may actually "reek" of guacamole.


16 posted on 05/31/2006 5:29:49 PM PDT by CBart95
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To: CBart95

I love an audience with the "Kittymyrib-types" sitting in it.

It's right out of a Charles Addams cartoon: A sweeping shot of the whole audience with everyone in tears of sadness save for an impish "Kittymyribs-type" laughing their asses off.

I have always suspected insanity on my part. "Kittymyribs-types" confirm it.


17 posted on 05/31/2006 5:45:22 PM PDT by CBart95
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To: sergey1973
I'm waiting for ZPG, Planned Parenthood, the Alan Guttmacher Institute, etc., to set up shop in some Islamic countries. Enlighten 'em with some nice big billboards (you know the ones I mean), in-school programs for ten-year-olds, street-side "outreach" clinics in urban areas. Bring all that enlightenment to all those benighted Muslims.

Oh yeah. I forgot. They'll cut your damn head off, won't they?

18 posted on 05/31/2006 6:00:08 PM PDT by Steely Tom
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To: sergey1973

So THIS is why W and most of the Senate are inviting ILLEGAL aliens into America. I got it figgered out now!


19 posted on 05/31/2006 6:14:57 PM PDT by Cobra64 (All we get are lame ideas from Republicans and lame criticism from dems about those lame ideas.)
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To: Cobra64

And they are offering two free tax years also to the illegals...What a deal... How about two free tax years for us dummies that keep putting these idiots in office. With policies like this, Hillary can just declare victory now. The pubbies will all stay home.


20 posted on 05/31/2006 6:24:41 PM PDT by Goreknowshowtocheat
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