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> Quart describes her own experience of slipping into the “falling middle-class vortex” after the birth of her daughter seven years ago, a time when she and her
by golergka 8y ago
> Quart describes her own experience of slipping into the “falling middle-class vortex” after the birth of her daughter seven years ago, a time when she and her husband were freelance writers facing new child care costs and hospital bills.
TBH, couple of "freelance writers" deciding to have a child sounds like recipe for financial disaster right from the bat. I understand that "freelance writer" is a broad term, but most of the writers I know are very far from affording a child or two.
I understand that having a child, unlike, say, buying a sports car, is a luxury a lot of people around the world decide to indulge in even if they don't really afford it. But if you spend money and resources on something you can't really afford, at least be honest with yourself about it.
- z0r 8y agoRaising children being relegated to luxury status is a symptom of an oppressive and/or failing economic system.
- golergka 8y agoNot at all - it's a sign of an economic system that finally accounts for ecological externalities. If we want to save the planet, human population needs to stop growing. So, on average, a person should only be able afford one child. And when you remember that wealth inevitably follows a pareto distribution, it's obvious that most families won't be able to afford any children at all.
- z0r 8y agoThat's not what happens. Population growth is outsourced to the third world (immigration, manufacturing, etc.) The planet (biosphere) will be hollowed out beyond repair by our ever growing economy. "Wealth inevitably follows a pareto distribution" is just an excuse for terminating your thinking.