Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Leisler
Human birth rates rise under two circumstances.

No, there are at least three.

One is when people think they need to have a lot of kids for any of them to survive. The other is when human beings think their children will have it better than they do.

The third reason --- and I think this is one is seriously at play --- is that one needs children to secure old age. If mortality is high, there is a risk of not having any when you are old yourself. When poverty and risk are high, more children are necessary.

Socialism removes this need by assuring a person of support in his old age. But this is only a part of the story: the other is the overall wealth and a dramatic improvement in nutrition and medical care in the Western world.

17 posted on 12/02/2002 3:11:16 PM PST by TopQuark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: TopQuark
Your "third reason" is simply a restatement of the first. It reduces back to the original conclusion -- Europeans are demonstrating in their behavior that they don't believe the future will be good for children.
50 posted on 12/03/2002 6:29:47 AM PST by steve-b
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson