Why is the USA the World's Divorce Leader? (Poll + FReeper's book on Dr. Laura)

www.knowingme-knowingyou.com ^ | May 28, 2003 | Malcolm B. Stephens

[MalcolmS]

This column (to be a weekly feature) is from the website for the book Knowing Me, Knowing You: A Multiple Choice Quiz for Engaged Couples.

This book was featured on Dr. Laura yesterday and has zoomed up in the Amazon rankings. At last check it was ranked no. 79 and gunning for Living History at no. 35.

It was written by a certain FR member's wife, and he helped enough to be graciously granted co-author status (blush).

If you have a minute, please visit the site to answer the poll question (sorry, it's not a live poll), or post your opinion below.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I think getting rid of no-fault divorce, while not the total answer, would certainly significantly lower the divorce rate.

[netmilsmom]

bump for later read

[Temple Drake]

thanks for the post. Not sure if any of the proposals outlined here will help. I wasted several hours this weekend watching a slow-motion trainwreck beginning: my divorced brother-in-law "married" a woman who has already notched up TWO previous divorces .... His parents(my -inlaws) have been married 43 years; his big brother & I married 20. So none of this happened for lack of successful examples. Six children by three fathers are being manipulated in this situation and I cannot foresee it getting better with time.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm not sure that the numbers posted here mean all that much on their own. Divorce statistics among different nations should first be adjusted to account for variations in co-habitation without ever getting married. The U.S. may simply have a high divorce rate because more people are getting married who might otherwise have been cohabitating in other countries.

[Hatteras]

The poll left out some other possible reasons for divorce.

1. You accidently married a shrew
2. She jumped from 120 to 230lbs in less than a year and won't get off her @$$ to do anything about it.
3. She asks your opinions but does whatever the hell she wants anyway.
4. She invites her liberal democrat mom over to stay for weeks at a time
5. Everytime you leave the house to go to Home Depot she snidely asks, "Going to see your girlfriend again?"

Uh, at least that's what I've heard can happen...

[HEY4QDEMS]

Committed married couples should befriend and mentor engaged couples. They should counsel and encourage them before they are married

Are you sure this wasn't Dr. Laura herself that wrote this ?

IMHO the ball is in the engaged couples court, if they fear a possible failure in their future life together and wish to avoid it, it is them that should actively seek advice and guidance.

Most people do not want unsolicited advice and will resist and or resent it.

[MalcolmS]

I'm not sure that the numbers posted here mean all that much on their own. Divorce statistics among different nations should first be adjusted to account for variations in co-habitation without ever getting married. The U.S. may simply have a high divorce rate because more people are getting married who might otherwise have been cohabitating in other countries.

That's true. Basically the statistics are reported as divorces per 1000 people or divorces per 100 marriages. I thought the per 100 marriages gave a better idea of one's chances for success. As far as I can tell, few if any countries capture statistics for living-together followed by break up rates for cohabitators. (ie. they may capture cohabitation rates, but not breakups.)

Sweden is quite badly off however. They have many people living together, relatively few marriages, and still a high divorce rate.

The Marriage Project at Rutgers reports that a pattern of cohabitation significantly reduces your chances for sucess in maintaining a marriage.

Click Here

[Cicero]

Well of course there are many reasons for this situation including the sexual revolution and yuppie narcissism. But one of the main reasons is that corrupt lawyers have taken over the divorce courts and take turns acting as judges and as divorce lawyers--and also as the legislators who put the no-fault divorce laws in place.

There's big money in divorce--for the lawyers. No fault divorce is very good for business.

There was an excellent article on this subject in Crisis Magazine last fall. In fact, I think I'll post it here in the forum. Meanwhile, here's a link:

http://www.crisismagazine.com/november2002/feature2.htm

[sharktrager]

What are the stats if we exclude Liz Taylor and Larry King?

[Helms]

Why is the USA the World's Divorce Leader? (Poll + FReeper's book on Dr. Laura)

AFFLUENCE

[week 71]

"why is the American divorce rate so high? "

The answer is quite simple. American feminists.

[MalcolmS]

>>Are you sure this wasn't Dr. Laura herself that wrote this ? <<

Yeah...I'm pretty sure.

>>IMHO the ball is in the engaged couples court, if they fear a possible failure in their future life together and wish to avoid it, it is them that should actively seek advice and guidance.<<

Well that's kind of the point of the article. They should fear possible failure. It's a very real possibility.

And many couples are worried, and open to well considered mentoring. If not, that is their choice.

[thoughtomator]

Specifically, the affluence of women being significantly greater after they sue their husbands for every penny they ever made... perhaps if there was a degree of equity in the law, there wouldn't be such a strong incentive for a woman to screw over her husband and family.

[MalcolmS]

>>The poll left out some other possible reasons for divorce.

LOL

Hey, there's only so much room on the Internet.

[Servant of the Nine]

Why is the USA the World's Divorce Leader?

Because we can afford to be.
Divorce is facilitated by afluance.
If others could afford it, they would.

So9

[MalcolmS]

>>There was an excellent article on this subject in Crisis Magazine last fall. In fact, I think I'll post it here in the forum. Meanwhile, here's a link:

http://www.crisismagazine.com/november2002/feature2.htm

Interesting article. I wonder how the system compares between the USA and other countries?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Thank God we've protected the sanctity of marriage from those evil homosexuals!

[only1percent]

I question the author's conclusions, at least by looking at comparative divorce statistics within the United States.

These statistics show no evidence that social conservatism, as generally understood, reduces divorce rates. Rather, the very strong correllation is to education and economic status.

Percentage of weekly churchgoers, views on abortion and other "social issue" touchstones, etc., tend to correllate positively with the WORST divorce rates, whereas places like Connecticut and New Jersey, which score very poorly on the social issue measures, have much lower divorce rates.

This makes perfect sense to me. The catalyst to many divorces are money problems or substance abuse -- which are going to effect those of lesser education or status with far greater frequency. The thing that keeps many unhappy couples together is the way that divorce can simply ruin a middle class family financially -- losing a house or the ability to have a nice vacation to Europe each year simply doesn't figure to a family that lives in a rented 2-bedroom apartment.

[Alberta's Child]

The answer is quite simple. American feminists.

I don't think that's the answer. Most of them are lesbians anyway.

But I do think the answer is quite simple -- Jerry Springer.

LOL.