[TopQuark]

This is very true, but I an not sure that the pill is what matters. It appears that the safety net in the old age has replaced many chilren previously necessary for that purpose. Another, more vague reason is an eveloving view of what constitutes the quality of life: observe that the educated stratum of society has a negative growth rate (the highly educated parents typically have one or few children).

[RobbyS]

What has happened is a loss of faith in traditional institutions such as family and church. Only when one gets to extreme old age and one's contemporaries are dying daily does one see the value in real relationships. But even then many simply want escape. Morphine anyone? "...and the band played on. "