4 ms·

> Given that “can’t afford a wedding” and “not having a stable job” ranked high on the reasons why today’s singles are not married, it is reasonable to predict

> Given that “can’t afford a wedding” and “not having a stable job” ranked high on the reasons why today’s singles are not married, it is reasonable to predict that fewer singles will tie the knot amidst a pandemic when financial distress is high. Regardless of whether COVID-19 resolves quickly or not, further declines in marriage rates are all but guaranteed. Wealth and income inequality has gotten so bad in the US that it is now possible to make a compelling argument for progressive policies and a robust welfare state on the basis of goals previously considered conservative (goals like encouraging procreation and family cohesion). Individuals correctly identify the costs of marriage and having children and choose rationally to avoid incurring those costs, or are simply unable to incur those costs in the case of homeownership. As rents and other costs of living exacerbated by having a family continue to balloon, it's only a matter of time until the upper middle class begins to suffer the same effects. A progressive think tank called People's Policy Project has thought up the Family Fun Pack (https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/projects/family-fun-pack/ https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/projects/family-fun-pac...) to address exactly these problems, though currently its support among elected politicians is mostly nonexistent.

decebalus1 6y ago
> Individuals correctly identify the costs of marriage and having children and choose rationally to avoid incurring those costs, or are simply unable to incur those costs in the case of homeownership. It's all fine, everything is going as planned. You don't want the next generation to be rational critical thinkers. And if the current generation refuses to reproduce, that's awesome! There are loads of others who don't look at this rationally and their offsprings will likely not. These are the voters you want!
- neurostimulant 6y ago
  Weaken the very foundation of your own country so you can stay in power? Even as a conspiracy theory is just too absurd. But after seeing what politicians do these days, it might not be too far-fetched at all.
RestlessMind 6y ago
> it is now possible to make a compelling argument for progressive policies and a robust welfare state on the basis of goals previously considered conservative Some conservatives have already started noticing that, it seems: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/tucker-carlson-was-right-about-working-class-family/579754/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/tucker-car...
- abvdasker 6y ago
  Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

decebalus1 6y ago

> Individuals correctly identify the costs of marriage and having children and choose rationally to avoid incurring those costs, or are simply unable to incur those costs in the case of homeownership. It's all fine, everything is going as planned. You don't want the next generation to be rational critical thinkers. And if the current generation refuses to reproduce, that's awesome! There are loads of others who don't look at this rationally and their offsprings will likely not. These are the voters you want!

neurostimulant 6y ago
Weaken the very foundation of your own country so you can stay in power? Even as a conspiracy theory is just too absurd. But after seeing what politicians do these days, it might not be too far-fetched at all.

RestlessMind 6y ago

> it is now possible to make a compelling argument for progressive policies and a robust welfare state on the basis of goals previously considered conservative Some conservatives have already started noticing that, it seems: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/tucker-carlson-was-right-about-working-class-family/579754/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/tucker-car...

abvdasker 6y ago
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.