Family Free-Riders (Childless adults are economic free riders)

Chicago Boyz ^ | March 03, 2006 | Shannon Love

[steve-b]

Tell me, does the US Constitution have collectivist, totalitarian aspects to it when, in the preamble, it says that one of the purposes of government is "to provide for the common good"?

I can't find a single reference to "the common good" in my copy. You must have the version with all the emanations from the penumbrae inked into the margins.

[Antoninus]

I can't find a single reference to "the common good" in my copy. You must have the version with all the emanations from the penumbrae inked into the margins.

Agggh. It's because I conflated two of the terms in error. Mea culpa. Here's what it actually says:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The challenge still stands, however. Is "promote the general welfare" collectivist? Yea or nay?

Actually, "provide for the common defense" is pretty collectivist as well by your standards.

[Scourge of God]

Straw men and now personal attacks? Where have I been anything but perfectly respectful of you?

That’s how it was yesterday. Lots of personal attacks, no reasonable responses. Not a lot of candlepower on that side of the debate.

[Scourge of God]

I can't find a single reference to "the common good" in my copy. You must have the version with all the emanations from the penumbrae inked into the margins.

Perhaps he meant “General Welfare.”

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

[Scourge of God]

http://www.hi.com.au/eec/childless_case.htm

Childlessness as a Choice

Baum has conducted several studies and identified four major reasons why women choose to be childfree. These include:

Hedonists	women who want to maintain their standard of living lifestyle and who do not wish to sacrifice their time, energy or money in raising children
Emotional	women who have no emotional feelings for or affinity with babies or children (no ‘maternal instincts’)
Idealistic	women who do not want to bring children into a world they feel is unsuitable or unsafe, or who do not want to contribute to overpopulation or environmental problems
Practical	women who have a practical reason for remaining childfree, such as a wish to pursue their career, a preference to spend their time exclusively with a partner, or a fear of passing on a genetic disorder to children.

[tclawnguyland]

Practitioners of natural method birth control are commonly called parents.
This planet does have limits: I do not see the Lord multiplying loaves and fishes anytime soon (especially the fishes: they are going to crash).
Children as a resource? Perhaps. But to depend on them for my wellbeing? Ha.
Ones own children cannot always be depended on to support the elderly parents.
I repeat, to dogmatically proclaim 'everyone must procreate' is just as reprehensible to say 'everyone must not procreate.'
I still pay school taxes to educate (or not) other peoples children. I pay other taxes to support ever burgeoning welfare queens. I pay social security (which I will never see). An economy that relies on an ever-expanding population is asking for trouble. I suggest you look up Malthus. He was not wrong, merely delayed by the industrial revolution and America.
Finally, maybe we can mass produce food from synthesized food stuff from maggots. (after all, the little buggers will grow in just about anything. Why should we have to put up with mediocrity in everything so we can crowbar ourselves into shrinking space? Cover everything with apartment houses, cover every square inch. Children are our resources.. for what..

[Antoninus]

I suggest you look up Malthus.

Who was discredited about 100 years ago.

Your ideology conforms well to the "hell is other people" philosophy of life. Good for you. I consider that misanthropic.

You are correct that this world is finite. The universe, however, is infinite (for all practical purposes). When life gets too crowded here, we'll have a powerful incentive to make other places habitable. I have faith in human genius, as inspired by Divine Providence, to find the way.

It's a far better solution than embracing sterility and death.

[Scourge of God]

Finally, maybe we can mass produce food from synthesized food stuff from maggots. (after all, the little buggers will grow in just about anything. Why should we have to put up with mediocrity in everything so we can crowbar ourselves into shrinking space? Cover everything with apartment houses, cover every square inch.

On the Television Program 20/20, John Stossel said that the entire human population of earth could fit into Texas at the density of Tokyo.

There’s lots of room, lots of resources. Don’t Panic!

[linda_22003]

By those definitions, put me down at about half and half emotional/practical.

[Scourge of God]

By those definitions, put me down at about half and half emotional/practical.

Got it. This goes on your PERMANENT RECORD, you know.

:->

[Little Bush]

This is a total crock of shit. Check your taxes lately on how many exemptions each kid is worth? Singles don't get ANY. It's called transfer payments from the singles to the people who keep getting knocked up. And don't forget to take your average sick days of 11 per year for each child while us single people work extra time to cover for you. What else do you want? You milk the single people for EVERYTHING and still want more.

[FreedomSurge]

I think you may have an anger management problem.

[maxwell]

the cost of raising children is increasingly being borne by fewer and fewer in the general population.

grousing in some blue zones by the childless that they shouldn't have to subsidize the "breeders'" children

It has been a long day already and something doesn't make sense here.

First there is the claim that fewer are bearing the costs of childrearing.

Then there is reference to the fact that the childless do, after all, in some sense, subsidize the kiddies. Do not parts of my tax monies fund local and state school programs, for example?

Well, which is it... The way I see it, kids and their guardians have more cash, privilege, opportunity, etc. these days than the rest of us when it comes to financial aspects.

[Little Bush]

You're a psycho. No, even worse, you're a mooching psycho.

[FreedomSurge]

Quote a passage of mine that backs your thesis. I believe your own words damn you.

[Little Bush]

And you'd think people who are planning to have children would prepare themselves financially before taking the plunge... instead of expecting everyone else to help them... then screaming like big whining democrat babies when someone - who wasn't part of their baby decision - doesn't want to contribute. USE YOUR BRAIN IF YOU WANT CHILDREN AND PAY FOR YOUR OWN CHILDREN/ISSUES YOURSELF. I am so sick of people acting like nothing is their own responsibility and as if everyone else should pay for their problems. GROW UP. Don't have children when you can't be responsible yourself, you turd monkey!

[maxwell]

Women should be taxed higher because they are more irritating.

Bwahaha! Guess the gals missed this one...

[FreedomSurge]

"First there is the claim that fewer are bearing the costs of childrearing."

The author's thesis is that children are important to the well being of society. A necessary good. If you accept the thesis that over time new children are necessary for the health of the society you live in then you must accept that those who choose not to bear the full costs of child raising are engaging in "free rider" behaviour.

[maxwell]

Don't have children when you can't be responsible yourself, you turd monkey!

Okay, dude, okay. We're on the same side here. Sheesh. Don't rip the choir's head off, bruh.

[CheneyChick]

This is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on FR.