6 ms·

Maybe this should be rephrased as, "Americans have little hope for the future, and that's bad for the economy", since that seems to be the root issue for more t

Maybe this should be rephrased as, "Americans have little hope for the future, and that's bad for the economy", since that seems to be the root issue for more than just this particular expression of American hopelessness

HenryKissinger 6y ago
Lower birth rates are also happening in social-democratic European countries with extensive welfare states, social safety nets, and good upward mobility. It's not a uniquely American problem. Meanwhile, families in war-torn African countries, people whose best aspirations in life are to own a flock of sheep and live on a farm, are having 6+ kids. Low birth rates may be exacerbated at the moment by the economy, but people's preference for their careers and the quality and availability of modern entertainment (why raise kids when you can travel, binge watch shows on Netflix, play video games, etc.) are more probable causes.
- devalgo 6y ago
  >Low birth rates may be exacerbated at the moment by the economy, but people's preference for their careers and the quality and availability of modern entertainment (why raise kids when you can travel, binge watch shows on Netflix, play video games, etc.) are more probable causes Your comment fits your name, it is callous, lacking empathy and painfully out of touch. The idea that Netflix is the reason people aren't having kids in simply absurd...
  - HenryKissinger 6y ago
    It is a fact that as men and women become more educated and start earning greater incomes, they have fewer offspring. This trend has been observed on every continent. Greater incomes give one access to more of the finer things in life, which distracts from family planning. For better or worse.
    - tootahe45 6y ago
      More to do with women becoming more educated, not men and women.
    - devalgo 6y ago
      >men and women become more educated and start earning greater incomes, they have fewer offspring How can you get this close >Greater incomes give one access to more of the finer things in life, which distracts from family planning And still come to the wrong conclusion. I promise you that high school dropouts with 5 kids are watching more netflix and playing more video games than a couple with graduate degrees from Stanford.
      - econcon 6y ago
        Difference between the dropout and Stanford graduate is level of self awareness, inhibition, disgust, ambitions.
s1t5 6y ago
Also, the economy is bad which means that Americans have little hope for the future.
- HenryKissinger 6y ago
  The official unemployment rate is only 11.1%. 9/10 Americans who want a job have a job. And new business formation for Q2 2020 is at an all-time high: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BUSAPPSAUS https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BUSAPPSAUS
  - knolax 6y ago
    You know the target is less than half that right.[0] Plus massive underemployment deflates the numbers. [0] https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/economy_14424.htm https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/economy_14424.htm
  - bdefore 6y ago
    Henry Kissinger, It's actually closer to 20%. There's over 30 million Americans on state or federal unemployment insurance. https://wolfstreet.com/2020/07/23/media-continues-to-misreport-unemployment-claims-31-8-million-people-on-state-federal-unemployment-insurance-week-18-of-u-s-labor-market-collapse/ https://wolfstreet.com/2020/07/23/media-continues-to-misrepo...
mac01021 6y ago
Well it depends. People can have lots of hope for the future without wanting children. And even in that case, low fertility can be bad for the economy (at least medium term).
rezmason 6y ago
Seconded. I deeply resent the overall tone of this article, framing childbirth and family planning as if every couple kept a damn Excel spreadsheet and talked casually about "biological clocks". Economists! The author briefly points out that children born today might live to see the 22nd Century, but clearly hasn't spent much time actually envisioning that century, using humanity's apparent trajectory as a basis. I will need to know as a concerned, prospective parent, to which post-cataclysmic vassal should my hypothetical child indenture themselves to, if they wish to maximize their chances of living through the Age of Thirst? What schools in my area can teach my child the skills necessary to deescalate an armed conflict with a band of Sand Slayers laying siege to a former Amazon distribution center? And in all seriousness, what can I pass down to them that would make up for the fact that I've dragged them into a world set on fire and wasted by unchecked greed? And did you notice that this article didn't mention adoption whatsoever? That there are already kids in need of a family, whose parents apparently never drafted the Excel spreadsheet, and are suffering through this grim period along with us, whether we're here for them or not? I guess that information doesn't fit into their dated narrative, worrying over their youngsters' biological clocks, seeing a countdown timer on their own contribution to a gene pool instead of wishing the best for their society.
- shostack 6y ago
  I'll personally be impressed if humanity as a whole makes it to the 22nd century with global warming and current geopolitical tensions.

HenryKissinger 6y ago

Lower birth rates are also happening in social-democratic European countries with extensive welfare states, social safety nets, and good upward mobility. It's not a uniquely American problem. Meanwhile, families in war-torn African countries, people whose best aspirations in life are to own a flock of sheep and live on a farm, are having 6+ kids. Low birth rates may be exacerbated at the moment by the economy, but people's preference for their careers and the quality and availability of modern entertainment (why raise kids when you can travel, binge watch shows on Netflix, play video games, etc.) are more probable causes.

devalgo 6y ago
>Low birth rates may be exacerbated at the moment by the economy, but people's preference for their careers and the quality and availability of modern entertainment (why raise kids when you can travel, binge watch shows on Netflix, play video games, etc.) are more probable causes Your comment fits your name, it is callous, lacking empathy and painfully out of touch. The idea that Netflix is the reason people aren't having kids in simply absurd...
- HenryKissinger 6y ago
  It is a fact that as men and women become more educated and start earning greater incomes, they have fewer offspring. This trend has been observed on every continent. Greater incomes give one access to more of the finer things in life, which distracts from family planning. For better or worse.
  - tootahe45 6y ago
    More to do with women becoming more educated, not men and women.
  - devalgo 6y ago
    >men and women become more educated and start earning greater incomes, they have fewer offspring How can you get this close >Greater incomes give one access to more of the finer things in life, which distracts from family planning And still come to the wrong conclusion. I promise you that high school dropouts with 5 kids are watching more netflix and playing more video games than a couple with graduate degrees from Stanford.
    - econcon 6y ago
      Difference between the dropout and Stanford graduate is level of self awareness, inhibition, disgust, ambitions.

s1t5 6y ago

Also, the economy is bad which means that Americans have little hope for the future.

HenryKissinger 6y ago
The official unemployment rate is only 11.1%. 9/10 Americans who want a job have a job. And new business formation for Q2 2020 is at an all-time high: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BUSAPPSAUS https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BUSAPPSAUS
- knolax 6y ago
  You know the target is less than half that right.[0] Plus massive underemployment deflates the numbers. [0] https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/economy_14424.htm https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/economy_14424.htm
- bdefore 6y ago
  Henry Kissinger, It's actually closer to 20%. There's over 30 million Americans on state or federal unemployment insurance. https://wolfstreet.com/2020/07/23/media-continues-to-misreport-unemployment-claims-31-8-million-people-on-state-federal-unemployment-insurance-week-18-of-u-s-labor-market-collapse/ https://wolfstreet.com/2020/07/23/media-continues-to-misrepo...

mac01021 6y ago

Well it depends. People can have lots of hope for the future without wanting children. And even in that case, low fertility can be bad for the economy (at least medium term).

rezmason 6y ago

Seconded. I deeply resent the overall tone of this article, framing childbirth and family planning as if every couple kept a damn Excel spreadsheet and talked casually about "biological clocks". Economists! The author briefly points out that children born today might live to see the 22nd Century, but clearly hasn't spent much time actually envisioning that century, using humanity's apparent trajectory as a basis. I will need to know as a concerned, prospective parent, to which post-cataclysmic vassal should my hypothetical child indenture themselves to, if they wish to maximize their chances of living through the Age of Thirst? What schools in my area can teach my child the skills necessary to deescalate an armed conflict with a band of Sand Slayers laying siege to a former Amazon distribution center? And in all seriousness, what can I pass down to them that would make up for the fact that I've dragged them into a world set on fire and wasted by unchecked greed? And did you notice that this article didn't mention adoption whatsoever? That there are already kids in need of a family, whose parents apparently never drafted the Excel spreadsheet, and are suffering through this grim period along with us, whether we're here for them or not? I guess that information doesn't fit into their dated narrative, worrying over their youngsters' biological clocks, seeing a countdown timer on their own contribution to a gene pool instead of wishing the best for their society.

shostack 6y ago
I'll personally be impressed if humanity as a whole makes it to the 22nd century with global warming and current geopolitical tensions.