Idiocracy

Alex · 01-15-2007, 12:03 PM

Most people seem to see the appeal of haing children before they actually have them.

But I neither see the appeal nor have the imperative (and no longer the ability) so for me it is all moot.

I do find it interesting that all three of my major social circles (work, Disney, and another) are all almost entirely populated by people without children. That seems particularly unlikely with the Disney crowd. I certainly haven't conciously arranged things so.

Strangler Lewis · 01-15-2007, 12:09 PM

Nobody should be criticized for not having children except family values conservatives (Buchanan, Coulter, L. Dole).

By the way, this thread started with CP's observation, often considered alarming, that if the wrong people keep having all the babies, civilization as we know and love it will go down the toilet.

True? Not true?

Alex · 01-15-2007, 12:21 PM

The same argument is made (and generally rejected) that the Western nations need to boost their birth rates so that it isn't left to those ignorant Muslims to populate the world. It is an old fear that has surfaced many times through history as demographics and ethnic geography shift.

The response is generally down one of three channels:

1) Promote genetic isolationism to avoid dilution of community and power (Jews marrying Jews as an internal isolationism; anti-miscegination laws as an external isolationism)

2) Ethnic cleansing. Physically prevent the growth of the "undesirable" population through murder, relocation, or forced sterilization.

3) Absorption. Force/convince the others to give up what makes them "other" and accept your view. This could be brutal as forced religious conversion or general educational/health/economic improvements that are strongly correlated with attitude and behavioral changes.

Maybe the "wrong" people will eventually take over the world but I'll be dead so I won't really care.

innerSpaceman · 01-15-2007, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Most people seem to see the appeal of haing children before they actually have them.

I don't know where in the world you're getting that, Alex. But if it's anecdotal on your part ... best to consider the 3 realms of childless folk you admit to be at least partially limited to.

Anecdotally on my part, far too many prospective parents seem to want to wait for conditions in their married and financial lives to be "perfect" before having kids ... and too many of them also forget to compute the age they will be when they must deal with the VERY trying teenage years of their offspring whose creation they are putting off.

Alex · 01-15-2007, 02:02 PM

I didn't think there would be anything controversial about saying that most people see good things in having children before they actually have them.

So I'm not sure where in the world you are getting the opposite. I don't see many people dragged kicking and screaming at the horror of parenthood, driven only by their biological imperative and then to magically realize the beauty and benefits of procreating once they have the little bag of weeds.

01-15-2007, 12:03 PM	#1
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Most people seem to see the appeal of haing children before they actually have them. But I neither see the appeal nor have the imperative (and no longer the ability) so for me it is all moot. I do find it interesting that all three of my major social circles (work, Disney, and another) are all almost entirely populated by people without children. That seems particularly unlikely with the Disney crowd. I certainly haven't conciously arranged things so.
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01-15-2007, 12:09 PM	#2
Strangler Lewis Doing The Job Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In a state Posts: 3,956	Nobody should be criticized for not having children except family values conservatives (Buchanan, Coulter, L. Dole). By the way, this thread started with CP's observation, often considered alarming, that if the wrong people keep having all the babies, civilization as we know and love it will go down the toilet. True? Not true? __________________ Live now-pay later. Diner's Club!
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01-15-2007, 12:21 PM	#3
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	The same argument is made (and generally rejected) that the Western nations need to boost their birth rates so that it isn't left to those ignorant Muslims to populate the world. It is an old fear that has surfaced many times through history as demographics and ethnic geography shift. The response is generally down one of three channels: 1) Promote genetic isolationism to avoid dilution of community and power (Jews marrying Jews as an internal isolationism; anti-miscegination laws as an external isolationism) 2) Ethnic cleansing. Physically prevent the growth of the "undesirable" population through murder, relocation, or forced sterilization. 3) Absorption. Force/convince the others to give up what makes them "other" and accept your view. This could be brutal as forced religious conversion or general educational/health/economic improvements that are strongly correlated with attitude and behavioral changes. Maybe the "wrong" people will eventually take over the world but I'll be dead so I won't really care.
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01-15-2007, 02:02 PM	#5
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I didn't think there would be anything controversial about saying that most people see good things in having children before they actually have them. So I'm not sure where in the world you are getting the opposite. I don't see many people dragged kicking and screaming at the horror of parenthood, driven only by their biological imperative and then to magically realize the beauty and benefits of procreating once they have the little bag of weeds.
	Submit to Quotes