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Yep, you get more of what you pay for. Apply to, for example, single motherhood: http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/Screen%20Shot%202013-09-26%

Yep, you get more of what you pay for. Apply to, for example, single motherhood: http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/Screen%20Shot%202013-09-26%20at%205.30.23%20PM.png http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/Screen%20S... Gang aft agley, indeed.

agumonkey 11y ago
I don't get the graph's message. (I'm not smart)
- PhasmaFelis 11y ago
  My best guess is "something something good Christian marriage something something godless liberals something."
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- Steko 11y ago
  While the linker wants to make the above point about welfare, the chart appears in the below article describing one facet of income inequality. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/10/how-americas-marriage-crisis-makes-income-inequality-so-much-worse/280056/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/10/how-amer...
mikeash 11y ago
The typical response to this sort of chart is something like: the welfare state is destroying the family unit! But I look at this graph and I think: wow, there must have been a ton of people stuck in unhappy marriages before, who could now have better choices.
- wtbob 11y ago
  > But I look at this graph and I think: wow, there must have been a ton of people stuck in unhappy marriages before, who could now have better choices. But at what cost to society, those around them and perhaps even themselves? There are worse things than being in an unhappy marriage!
  - plonh 11y ago
    Unhappy marriage is a poor euphemism for neglect, abuse, beating.
    - wtbob 11y ago
      That's true of many unhappy marriage, but not all (unless one stretches 'neglect' and 'abuse' beyond all meaning: if a husband puts on 200 pounds, he couldn't blame his wife for not being attracted to him). There's a huge difference between abusive and unhappy.
  - mikeash 11y ago
    I have no idea what the cost to society is. I don't even know if there is a cost. Allowing people to leave bad marriages sounds like a gain to society for me. Do you know the costs?

agumonkey 11y ago

I don't get the graph's message. (I'm not smart)

PhasmaFelis 11y ago
My best guess is "something something good Christian marriage something something godless liberals something."
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
Steko 11y ago
While the linker wants to make the above point about welfare, the chart appears in the below article describing one facet of income inequality. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/10/how-americas-marriage-crisis-makes-income-inequality-so-much-worse/280056/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/10/how-amer...

mikeash 11y ago

The typical response to this sort of chart is something like: the welfare state is destroying the family unit! But I look at this graph and I think: wow, there must have been a ton of people stuck in unhappy marriages before, who could now have better choices.

wtbob 11y ago
> But I look at this graph and I think: wow, there must have been a ton of people stuck in unhappy marriages before, who could now have better choices. But at what cost to society, those around them and perhaps even themselves? There are worse things than being in an unhappy marriage!
- plonh 11y ago
  Unhappy marriage is a poor euphemism for neglect, abuse, beating.
  - wtbob 11y ago
    That's true of many unhappy marriage, but not all (unless one stretches 'neglect' and 'abuse' beyond all meaning: if a husband puts on 200 pounds, he couldn't blame his wife for not being attracted to him). There's a huge difference between abusive and unhappy.
- mikeash 11y ago
  I have no idea what the cost to society is. I don't even know if there is a cost. Allowing people to leave bad marriages sounds like a gain to society for me. Do you know the costs?