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The U.S. Economy's Big Baby Problem
The Atlantic ^ | MAR 5 2014 | DEREK THOMPSON

Posted on 03/24/2014 8:35:06 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

Last September, the U.S. government announced that our birthrate fell to "another record low" in 2012, following a long, steady slide since the Baby Boom after World War II.

It goes without saying that, morally speaking, there's nothing wrong with this. It's natural, in a way. All over the world, birthrates tend to fall along with economic development, for numerous reasons including (a) the move away from a labor-intensive small-farm economy and (b) women's ascendance in the workforce, which uses time that used to be devoted to child-rearing. Families in richer countries tend to have fewer kids. In places like Japan and Western Europe, national populations are actually peaking.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: demagogicparty; genocide; obamarecession; obamataxhikes
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To: MinorityRepublican
... the U.S. government announced that our birthrate fell to "another record low"

55 million missing over the last 30 years is an immense contributing factor here. Might even have put us in the black with our population, if they had been allowed to live.

21 posted on 03/24/2014 9:48:03 PM PDT by RobinOfKingston (Democrats--the party of Evil. Republicans--the party of Stupid.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

You might want to read “Humanae Vitae”

The misunderstanding is that Catholics want no birth control for strange reasons. It’s not true.

Pope John Paul II stated logically that abortion is the fruit of contraception. Fruit, as in bad fruit, and ‘you will know them by their fruit.”

Very difficult, if not impossible, to dispute.


22 posted on 03/24/2014 9:50:08 PM PDT by stanne
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To: MinorityRepublican
Even as slowing of population growth accompanies achievement of economic prosperity and security, it is also a sign of decline in the vitality of the society-- the waning of the aggressiveness that enabled the culture to overcome the threats and scarcities of nature.

From this standpoint, the worst thing that happened to the West was the end of the Cold War. Without a clarifying opposition and an overriding goal of survival and triumph, the culture has languished. It has happened in Europe during the postwar era, when western Europe has basked in the warmth of the American security umbrella. Unencumbered by a defense budget, the welfare states flourished even as the birth rates declined. The same is happening here, and research shows that even men's testosterone levels have declined.

When the future seems assured, one pays little attention to it. We have seen all this for many years already in Japan and western Europe, perhaps the most attenuated cultures on the planet. They don't bother even to replace themselves. The US is following in their footsteps and for the same reason--the desire to achieve security has surpassed the desire to achieve success.

23 posted on 03/24/2014 9:50:53 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: A CA Guy

Have more children. You will figure it out. You find out real quick that you buy a whole lot of worthless crap.

Besides the more you have the cheaper they get to be. They kind of have their own volume discount. You get smarter at raising them as well. And they have built in friends.


24 posted on 03/24/2014 9:58:00 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Pox

It has a great deal more to do with selfishness than economic need.

How many 1 and 2 child families live in 4,000 SQ’ homes with two new cars and a pricy suburban address? Perhaps a used car and a third child might be better in the long run?


25 posted on 03/24/2014 10:02:14 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Jim from C-Town

they are little monsters. except for other people’s, who by definition are always cute.


26 posted on 03/24/2014 10:03:13 PM PDT by RitchieAprile
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To: Jim from C-Town

Selfishness is a point of view, economic reality is difficult to reconcile in this point of time relative to the society we have developed.

You can rationalize your point of view all you want, but what makes your point of view superior to that of those you wish to impose your beliefs upon?


27 posted on 03/24/2014 10:07:03 PM PDT by Pox (Good Night. I expect more respect tomorrow.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Ok, so looking at the graphs in the article, we can see that the NUMBER of births in the US is just under 4,000,000, which is near the record number of births in the post-WW2 Baby Boom total of ~4.4 million. The RATE of births (children per 1,000 women) is lower than the “Roaring 20’s” rate, but has been pretty stable since 1970 or so. If we have not adapted to a lower rate in 40+ years, then shame on us. Another poster stated it well, we have social programs built on the Ponzi-like assumption of an ever-increasing number of new suckers to pay off past investors. I don’t think we can breed our way out of 40+ years of low birth rates....


28 posted on 03/24/2014 10:21:03 PM PDT by Panzerfaust
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To: Pox

Bologna! They want the toys and the vacations and they don’t care to be bothered with the trouble of having kids.

Kids are work. Most people don’t care for the work, they care for the fun. Vacations, new cars and big houses are fun.

I am not imposing my beliefs. I am simply pointing out the facts that are obvious to anyone that can see. If anyone is rationalizing it is you.

Besides, you don’t know anything about me. Most people have no idea of what real economic reality is. I have more than my share of knowledge about the economic realities of life and a new car and a big house are luxury items. Children should be looked at as a blessing and a reward, not an economic problem.


29 posted on 03/24/2014 10:24:56 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Jim from C-Town

Well said, and God Bless! My parents both came from families of 9 and 10 respectively. Yes, it was harder vs. having no kids at all, but PEOPLE are a blessing.


31 posted on 03/24/2014 10:35:24 PM PDT by Amberdawn
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To: Pox
It's a conscious decision based solely on economics, period.
It's why I don't have them. The wife and I can't afford kids and I'm not going into debt or accepting charity to do so.
32 posted on 03/24/2014 10:38:16 PM PDT by GAFreedom (Freedom rings in GA!)
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To: hinckley buzzard

I think the desire for a free ride is the problem. Our youth get degrees to secure a job and income, not to work and really apply the knowledge.


33 posted on 03/24/2014 10:52:12 PM PDT by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Maybe its because we are the ones carrying the burden of paying for everybody elses crumb stachers.


34 posted on 03/24/2014 11:09:21 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: Pox

I am not dictating anything to your kids. You are simply making excuses as to what choices they make. It doesn’t take personal convictions to know that most people choose to have few children because they desire more toys.

Where did I even attempt to impose anything on anyone. Nowhere!

I did not attack you or your kids. You only Assume that I was talking about YOU and YOUR daughter. Read what I wrote, not what you think I wrote.

I never mentioned YOU or your daughter. However, since you brought her up: If your daughter doesn’t want more children, she will never be able to afford them. If she wanted more children, she would certainly find the added resources to ‘afford’ them. She simply doesn’t want anymore children for whatever reason, economic or otherwise.


35 posted on 03/24/2014 11:28:46 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: RitchieAprile

Tell me about it! My youngest is crying on my shoulder now. Teething again. 2:30 am and we are enjoying some ‘alone time’. He moans and cries, I type and read. Good times.


36 posted on 03/24/2014 11:31:46 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Oliviaforever

Why Russia no longer allows Americans to adopt Russian children.


37 posted on 03/25/2014 12:33:15 AM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: Jim from C-Town

In the economy of ten or fifteen years ago yes. At any time we could both lose our jobs and we would not make it. We could make it now.
We are already frugal.


38 posted on 03/25/2014 12:46:23 AM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God Bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: DoughtyOne

“I am jesting to a certain extent, but this 1 to 2 kids per family idea, has really gotten us in trouble. Everyone else is pumping them out at the rate of five to ten per family.”

You’re using figures from a few years back; at this point whites are barely breeding at all (and families are becoming a rarity). The change is happening much more quickly than anyone is letting on; check out any playground or maternity ward, and you can see for yourself. I believe Obama’s re-election was a display of where this demographic nightmare is leading us; the initial election against a weak candidate in a horrible economy was unfortunate but understandable, but the re-election of a weak president in a horrible economy has no other explanation.


39 posted on 03/25/2014 2:52:47 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic war against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: Panzerfaust

“I don’t think we can breed our way out of 40+ years of low birth rates...”

We’re not even trying; we’re importing the replacement “bottom blocks” of the Ponzi schemes (and they’re breeding more).


40 posted on 03/25/2014 2:55:15 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic war against white males (and therefore white families).)
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