When Babies Disappear (What to Expect When No One's Expecting)

RealClearBooks ^ | January 14, 2013 | Heather Wilhelm

[Mrs. Don-o]

Do we?

Reflections prompted by Jonathan V. Last's new book, "What to Expect When No One's Expecting: America's Coming Demographic Disaster."

Another demographics author, Steve Mosher, says the reason America isn't *yet* population collapse like Japan and Russia, is that the Republican-controlled Congress in 1994 passed a tax credit of $1,000 for each child under 16, and generously increased the per dependent deduction so that it is now $4,650. This means that young couples can actually lower their taxes by having more children, to the point where young couples of modest income pay virtually no income tax.

Mosher says that while this policy has kept America’s birthrate near replacement, this is not good enough. Young couples should also be sheltered from paying social security taxes, for example. Those who are willing to marry and have children should have their student loans forgiven. They should be exempted from state taxes, from sales tax, from any and all manner of taxation.

After all, they are investing in the future of America in the most fundamental way: by investing in the future generation.

I sometimes hear people say they wish they had had more kids. But to have a decent-sized family, you kinda have to start young. Younger than we did, anyhow.

[txrefugee]

Either HGTV is biased against children, or there really are 50% of the couples shown hunting for houses for themselves and their dogs.

Will their dogs be paying into Social Security for them, or taking care of them in their dotage? This generation has certainly changed the pattern of familial responsibility. Wonder how that will work out in 40 or 50 years.

[OpusatFR]

I look at two of my unmarried sons and wonder if out of those 55,000,000 infants-in-utero who were killed in abortion, a couple of them were destined to be their wives but never lived?

They can’t seem to find their soulmates.

[ScottinVA]

Here in Virginia, the majority of the ones we see pushing multiple strollers are immigrants... legal and illegal.

Demographic change, indeed.

[ScottinVA]

It would also help greatly if prospective parents didn’t have to fear the influences of an increasingly perverted, sex-driven, pro-homosexual societal culture.

[Biggirl]

Well with WHO we have in the WH, it would scare people.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

We reep what we sow. The day will come when Abortion will be illegal—not out of any religious reason—but because we will need people! We will need workers and slaves to keep alive the machinery of the state—It will be like Metropolis—the old movie. I fear the end will be revolution.

[Mrs. Don-o]

“American pets now outnumber American children by more than four to one.”

[elk]

Displays of selfishness, familiar and relational conflict -- these are much more entertaining in our 24-hour media culture. Somehow, a joyful mom, just thrilled with multiple children, doesn't make the cut in terms of our viewership, our popular culture, our literature, the Web. The Duggars are an exception to that.

For what it's worth, there ARE people who love their spouses, and are overjoyed with their multiple children. Folks who know that life is so short, so precious, and that the days of diapering and nose-wiping will pass all too quickly. Folks who will risk heartbreak, should a child encounter tragedy, but who also risk unparalleled joy and thrills when children reach milestones in life - walking, talking, driving, graduating, marrying, bearing children.

Pundits, bitter feminists, metro males, whoever, can go ahead and head into old age alone, skip the work, yes; but they also skip the depths of joy that children bring. But, a child doesn't bear the responsibility of bringing you anything - love and duty are the burdens of parenthood, not childhood. But, wow, I can think of no greater priviledge than to be a mom - of whether one or 10.

[P.O.E.]

You really made a fantastic point - one which I never thought of in that way.

We always hear “what if they could have cured cancer” or some such grandiose claim.

And I’ve always thought of the sadness of the immediate family, living without that child, sibling, cousin, etc.

But God has a plan for each of us, and wants us to love one another. What if man, in his folly, as killed the one whom God planned for us to meet, love and marry?
Sad.

[elk]

Displays of selfishness, familial and relational conflict -- these are much more entertaining in our 24-hour media culture. Somehow, a joyful mom, just thrilled with multiple children, doesn't make the cut in terms of our viewership, our popular culture, our literature, the Web. The Duggars are an exception to that.

For what it's worth, there ARE people who love their spouses, and are overjoyed with their multiple children. Folks who know that life is so short, so precious, and that the days of diapering and nose-wiping will pass all too quickly. Folks who will risk heartbreak, should a child encounter tragedy, but who also risk unparalleled joy and thrills when children reach milestones in life - walking, talking, driving, graduating, marrying, bearing children.

Pundits, bitter feminists, metro males, whoever, can go ahead and head into old age alone, skip the work, yes; but they also skip the depths of joy that children bring. But, a child doesn't bear the responsibility of bringing you anything - love and duty are the burdens of parenthood, not childhood. But, wow, I can think of no greater priviledge than to be a mom - of whether one or 10.

[Vigilanteman]

It is refreshing to read something from women who actually promote the virtues of having children. My cousin just had her 8th and I'm not sure they are done yet.

She and her husband are rock-ribbed conservatives who live in the middle state of the only three where not one single county voted for Obama. (Hint: It also has the highest Native American population percentage in the U.S.A. and most of them aren't working in casinos and selling tax-free tobacco.)

Of course, every one of their kids are being trained to be useful productive adults. And they are all a joy to be around. Their Christmas card this year was a family photo where they were all doing the nativity scene. The baby dressed as baby Jesus, Mom and Dad as Mary and Joseph and the older kids as shepherd boys and angels. Even the goats on their farm got into the act.

[elk]

Sorry about the double post - meant to say, “familial” not familiar...

[elk]

Sorry about the double post - meant to say, “familial” not familiar...

[eccentric]

Not only do people rely on government tax deductions for children, they demand that the government supply food in the form of WIC. Can you imagine what the birth rate would be if propestive mothers thought they had to pay for thier own children’s food?!?!?!

[jboot]

For various reasons both good and bad we don't have any children. Your comment highlights one of the "good" reasons-during the brief time in our lives when children were possible we were both working full-time yet there was very little money, and none at all for religious school. We were dead-set against letting strangers and the godless public schools raise a child of ours. So nothing happened.

I admit that for every night I sleep uneasily worrying about my future I spend a night sleeping soundly because I'm NOT worrying about my child. We have a lot of Christian friends with kids and with a few exceptions the children are turning out amoral, colossally selfish and sexually confused. Worse, they are STAYING that way into their thirties. I've seen marriages fail because adult children (and often their adult friends/lovers/ambiguous "companions") are living at home putting huge emotional and financial strains on their parents. It's scary to watch.

[KevinDavis]

Well I gave my wife (who is over 40) a warning, no kids no marriage... I refuse to be in a childless marriage..

[freekitty]

Populations receding is a dream come true for Bill Gates who also supports euthanasia except for himself.

[Brightitude]

Hmmm... “putting others first”... “focusing on something larger than yourself... doesn’t sound American to me, COMRADE!

[Brightitude]

Mosher says that while this policy has kept America’s birthrate near replacement, this is not good enough. Young couples should also be sheltered from paying social security taxes, for example. Those who are willing to marry and have children should have their student loans forgiven. They should be exempted from state taxes, from sales tax, from any and all manner of taxation.

Geez, why not just back up a dump truck full of government money to their house and dump it in?

You could get bipartisan support for the idea by plastering George Bush's (either one) face on one side of the truck and Barack Obama's on the other.