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Lots of working class mums that are young and single, literally paid to breed and live off benefits, which increasingly is creating a big underclass. The richer

Lots of working class mums that are young and single, literally paid to breed and live off benefits, which increasingly is creating a big underclass. The richer are having fewer kids.

boffinism 8y ago
I think you're conflating 'rich people' with 'intellectuals'.
- makapuf 8y ago
  Intellectuels are rarely from working class. Of course it's possible but it's way easier to achieve higher studies and a PhD and a carrer in academia by example when you don't have to worry about money or working. And thats not about only money but education too. Class, in fact.
petepete 8y ago
Ah, the old "single mums are to blame for all social ills" line. Classic. Incidentally, if you really think that Britain's burgeoning peasant underclass is the fault of self-impregnating single mothers you've been mislead; I suggest you change newspapers.
- magduf 8y ago
  I don't think the OP is blaming any social ills on the single mums, he's instead pointing out that this is a symptom of a much larger problem, like the canary in a coal mine. Having most of your kids being born to a society's most impoverished and least-educated members is not a recipe for long-term success. Saying this isn't blaming the poor, it's pointing out that there's something seriously wrong with the society, and it's not going to lead to the society improving in the long-term, but probably rather the opposite.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
horsecaptin 8y ago
Population growth is mostly prevented by war, famine, disease and education. Since Britain is mostly without war, famine or disease, we need education to do the heavy lifting to control the population. In areas, social and economic circles where education is low, the population tends to go up. A big part of why couples stay together are the pressures that keep them together - economic, social, societal, legal. Right now is just a really shitty time for married couples in Western countries - it is increasingly anti-social, anti-religious, much more individualistic, ultra mobile, but high on public services. Parental laws heavily favor mothers over fathers. So, combine situations where populations tend to go up with a legal / social environment where staying together is completely unnecessary for leading a meaningful life and we have a large amount of single mothers. We can blame the single mothers, or we can assume that, given a set of opportunities and constraints, people generally behave in a predictable fashion. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
dang 8y ago
You've broken the HN guidelines multiple times today with political and national flamebait. We ban accounts that do this, so please (re-)read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and don't do it any more.

Lots of working class mums that are young and single, literally paid to breed and live off benefits, which increasingly is creating a big underclass. The richer are having fewer kids.

boffinism 8y ago

I think you're conflating 'rich people' with 'intellectuals'.

makapuf 8y ago
Intellectuels are rarely from working class. Of course it's possible but it's way easier to achieve higher studies and a PhD and a carrer in academia by example when you don't have to worry about money or working. And thats not about only money but education too. Class, in fact.

petepete 8y ago

Ah, the old "single mums are to blame for all social ills" line. Classic. Incidentally, if you really think that Britain's burgeoning peasant underclass is the fault of self-impregnating single mothers you've been mislead; I suggest you change newspapers.

magduf 8y ago
I don't think the OP is blaming any social ills on the single mums, he's instead pointing out that this is a symptom of a much larger problem, like the canary in a coal mine. Having most of your kids being born to a society's most impoverished and least-educated members is not a recipe for long-term success. Saying this isn't blaming the poor, it's pointing out that there's something seriously wrong with the society, and it's not going to lead to the society improving in the long-term, but probably rather the opposite.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

horsecaptin 8y ago

Population growth is mostly prevented by war, famine, disease and education. Since Britain is mostly without war, famine or disease, we need education to do the heavy lifting to control the population. In areas, social and economic circles where education is low, the population tends to go up. A big part of why couples stay together are the pressures that keep them together - economic, social, societal, legal. Right now is just a really shitty time for married couples in Western countries - it is increasingly anti-social, anti-religious, much more individualistic, ultra mobile, but high on public services. Parental laws heavily favor mothers over fathers. So, combine situations where populations tend to go up with a legal / social environment where staying together is completely unnecessary for leading a meaningful life and we have a large amount of single mothers. We can blame the single mothers, or we can assume that, given a set of opportunities and constraints, people generally behave in a predictable fashion. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

dang 8y ago

You've broken the HN guidelines multiple times today with political and national flamebait. We ban accounts that do this, so please (re-)read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and don't do it any more.