[MissMillie]

My concern is not with what the man is forced or not forced to do, or whether or not the main is missing out on something. My concern is with the child. I am lucky: I have a little bit of savings and a support network to rely on. My child will have a roof over his head and food in his tummy.

There are many who are not so lucky. Many end up relying on state aid.

The surest way to end the welfare state is to force fathers, by what ever means are legal and necessary, to pay for the support of their children.

And no, I this doesn't mean I'm for unreasonable support orders. It simply means that the current success rate for collecting support is inadequate.

And for every annecdote of bad orders you have, I promise you, there are 10 hungry children on the other side of the issue.

[HaveGunWillTravel]

I don't disagree with anything you've said with the exception that I'm not entirely confident that state enforcement of child support to the point of imprisonment is appropriate in a free state, hungry kid or not. Then again, I can't imagine not wanting to support my own child.

Of course, giving a woman money so that she can support a child her way may be a very different thing than the question of whether or not to support ones own child. It's not only a question of support, it's a question of submitting to the woman's authority while still retaining responsibility. I'm sure you have given your ex has no cause to have a problem defering to your approach in any way. I just have reservations when it comes to the question of legal entitlement.

Having the team of the woman and the state replace the man as the ultimate arbiter of who truly owns the product of his work troubles me as a matter of principle. Your position is that it is the lesser of evils to have a man be forced to pay than a child to go hungry. For the greater good and all that. I understand that. Perhaps you are right. Some rights, however, are inalienable, liberty among them. Having the state and the woman become the boss about a man's property and freedom in this one respect may change the whole equation in many other unintended and unwanted respects. For me, the jury is still out.