Demographics: Why America desperately needs another baby boom

New York Post ^ | 10/29/2018 | Steven W. Mosher

[SeekAndFind]

Although the great engine of American capitalism is now humming on all cylinders, Americans remain strangely reluctant to have children.

That birthrates plummeted during the Great Recession, which ran from 2008 to 2016, is no surprise. Who would want to bring children into a jobless, stagnant economy? But the return of prosperity after the 2016 election should have produced a quick uptick in births. That, after all, was the consistent pattern we had seen in the past.

Despite generous tax cuts and rising middle-class incomes, however, our birth rate remains mired at the lowest level ever recorded in American history.

How low? At present, we are averaging only 1.7 children per couple, well below the 2.1 needed to maintain our current population.

These dismal numbers presage a sharp downturn in the numbers of American-born citizens in years to come.

Some will hear this and shrug. Our birth rate is still higher than Germany’s, they will say, adding that like Germany we can simply import the workers that we need.

This is like consoling a patient with congestive heart failure by saying that he is better off than the dying patient in the next bed.

After all, Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders to caravans from the south in 2015-16, partly to show compassion and partly to solve her country’s birth dearth. But what she thought would be a ready-made cadre of workers instead turned into a massive societal and economic debacle. Because of language, cultural and educational barriers, only a minority of recent immigrants to Germany are gainfully employed.

With factories now moving back to the US, and unemployment rates at historic lows, the pressure to import workers into America will only grow.

[9YearLurker]

Half such articles lament that tech will leave us with no jobs, half that demographics will leave us with no workers.

Seems to me as if there might be a match in trends.

[napscoordinator]

I thought millenials were larger then baby boomers.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I think it’s because sex is now recreational, marriage is now optional and children are now an inconvenience rather than a blessing, because it’s all about MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[mom4melody]

So the WIFE can stay home?

I have 4 children...all productive citizens. I have always had a career.

For the few times I played stay-at-home mommy, it was mind numbing. The funny thing is this..My children went to private christian school. Most of the moms were stay-at-homes. Their kids came to school in not always clean wrinkled uniforms, lunchables for lunch, and they rarely volunteered for anything they didn’t have to. Their houses were a spectacular mess too.

My children had clean, pressed uniforms everyday. At least a 5 course packed lunch and it was me and the other career mom who volunteered for most of the events. My house was clean and tidy all of the time. The Suzy’s always expected us to donate money too because we had “extra” money.

My hubs on the other had would have loved to stay home and deal with kid and house stuff. Why assume its always the mom that should do it?

[Simon Green]

marriage is now optional

Shouldn’t it be, in a free society?

[WMarshal]

“My hubs on the other had would have loved to stay home and deal with kid and house stuff. Why assume its always the mom that should do it?”

I don't know why. Maybe it is that horrible science named biology and that evil thing called history? I will be the first to admit that biology is predictive, not determinative. If a woman truly does not like kids and/or raising them it be a crime to inflict her upon them. Also, if a wife has a greater earnings potential than the husband it might be wise to have the woman be the breadwinner. That being said there's a strong case for saying that women will be much happier and successful than men raising children.

If I could convince a supermodel to marry me and put a baby in her I would be happy to be a stay at home dad.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You, my fellow FReeper, are an inspiration!

Ladies and Gentlemen! Get under the sheets and do your duty!!

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[MeganC]

Anymore the leftist-lesbians consider children/pregnancy to be a disease that must be treated right away.

As if children were some form of cancer or something.

Sad, sick, degenerate souls.

[NorthMountain]

They describe a baby as an "obligate parasite" ...

Parasites are, of course, best dealt with by killing them.

Evil bloody minded, bloody handed bastards ...

[depressed in 06]

Let's go vets, knock up some millennials. Your country needs you again.

[AbolishCSEU]

i dont know... im on several forums where 2nd wives have to deal with the machinations of the baby mama who have all the legal power to make dad’s life miserable.

[Persevero]

I agree that my concern is for a more culturally conservative and Christian nation.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I’m talking about this in moral terms, not legal terms. Legally, it should be optional.

[Simon Green]

I’ve been single all my life, and am likely to remain so. Are you asserting that’s a moral failing?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

No. I’m single as well. But marriage is better than shacking up or having flings.

[DownForDCount]

Until the marital contract has more legal “sticking power” than the 30-day return policy at my local Wal-Mart and abortion-on-demand is rescinded, you will not even START to see the birthrate increase. An actual baby BOOM? Forget it.

[DownForDCount]

It should not be forced, but it should be strongly emphasized as a life goal, and it damn well should not be actively sabotaged.

[DownForDCount]

My parents are expressing similar sentiments as I’m the oldest of 6. It’s hard on our father who is mentally stuck in an era 40 years ago where housing, food and gasoline were not just “cheaper” but actually in line with what a single entry level job could provide for.

Hell the Obamaconomy plus a couple shady employers cost me 6 years just to get to the point where even thinking about a family was financially viable.

[dfwgator]

I actually support liberals not having children.