Posted on 06/25/2010 3:16:32 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
I disagree with that generalization. It seems more like the desperate self-justification of someone who has chosen to have children, rather than a carefully reasoned economic or ethical position.
Child-free households do not do nothing with the time they gain from not having children. At least among the college educated, in general the childfree engage in economically beneficial activities such as self-education/self-improvement, and greater time devoted to business activities or personal interests. In my case, management consulting while working on a Ph.D. (remotely) from a school in another city. In my wife’s case, building a business. Those with children necessarily divide their time between child-rearing and activities with a direct economic benefit such as work. They may draw the line at working nights or weekends, and get less done, a deadweight loss that requires an employer to hire additional people or make do with lower output.
When one takes into account the additional deadweight effect of taxes for schools and welfare services (the vast majority of those on Medicaid are children and single mothers), I believe that there is no net economic benefit from a MARGINAL childbirth. There may be a base level of childbirth necessary to sustain economic growth, but if my decision to have children should be based on considerations of economic benefit (which is what the author of that piece argues), then I should base my decision not on the AVERAGE effect of childbirth, but on the MARGINAL effect. And no, I don’t buy Kantian moral arguments that require me to universalize my will, as no true conservative should.
This seems to coincide with positive psychology research (i.e. research into happiness) which finds, in numerous studies, no net gain in happiness from having children, in contrast to the huge gains in happiness from marriage or getting a new job, etc. An example:
http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm?volumeID=22&editionID=174&ArticleID=1493
I think it comes down to personal preference and choice. One should have a child with both eyes open about what the job entails. There are sacrifices involved with having children. There are sacrifices involved with NOT having children. I think one should accept these sacrifices freely, because one wants to, not because of social pressure or specious arguments about economic benefit. Those people who exert the social pressure or similar manipulative reasoning will not be there when it comes time to care for the child.
P.S. Wolfie commented on that thread, “I like to think that children are the youngest Americans.” My response to that is that the America that conservatives extol is dead, and has been dead for a long time. Does the President have to appoint his horse as Secretary of the Treasury (like Caligula) for us to admit that?
I agree with your view, and I’m pinging a few of my fellow freeriders so they can see it too. Thank you for putting it so thoughtfully.
Well said.
Intentionally barren women don't cause pain to those who are unintentionally barren. Annoyance or rolling yoru eyes at their stupidity or short-sidedness, maybe, not not pain.
Those who easily have children don't often think about how many pangs of pain their barren friends feel everytime they have another baby shower either or get asked judgemental questions like, "Oh, you've been married 15 years and haven't had children yet? Don't you want any?!" like popping out babies ever year like clockwork comes naturally to all women.
I enjoyed adult conversations when I was a kid, too. Religion, politics, etc. was more interesting than dolls.
Having your 5th or 6th child @ 40-44 may have been common but having a first child at that age was pretty rare, until now.
Yes, they do. It's like little arrows to the heart. Especially when they sound so triumphant.
SINCE THE 70S breast cancer has shot up.
Do you realize that your calling having children “breeding” and now “popping out some babies” is no less offensive than the cat-farming remark. You seem not to have an appreciation for the absolute miracle child birth is. I hope the time comes when you will have that appreciation.
I was blessed to have had 3 children between the ages of 37 and 39. They are now in their mid 20’s and not a day passes that I don’t thank God for bringing them into my life. I cannot look at them without understanding what a blessing and a miracle they are. May you enjoy that joy one day.
“Nope, my sister is as conservative Christian as it gets. Pretty as picture (class beauty).
She just didn’t find a good Conservative man. She is still looking.”
Well, don’t throw that out there and not offer us her FReeper handle!
My girlfriend is 40 and has not had kids, she is so sad, it just never happened. Ex was a jackass anyway so it may be best. She by the way if even far more right politicaly than many of us here LOL. So it is not always caused by left wing femms..... Just my $0.02
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