4 ms·

Why should anyone be forced not to have kids? We could all have one and the population would halve in a generation.

dotancohen 3y ago
I have three children, not unusual for my culture. My community's gardener has 14 children, low for his culture but he's still young. He's only on his second wife and he just passed 40 years old. Are you going to tell him that he needs to change his culture? Arguably he could have a lot to say about our culture spewing out hydrocarbons being damaging to the planet, which would be justified far before we criticise his reproduction.
- zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
  Yes, he should change his culture. We should too. Why is it taboo to tell people that their cultural values are wrong?
  - dotancohen 3y ago
    If you ever find the answer then let me know.
  - lo_zamoyski 3y ago
    I have no problem telling someone their culture is wrong. In this case, it is ours that is wrong.
    - zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
      No
- jhardy54 3y ago
  > Arguably he could have a lot to say about our culture spewing out hydrocarbons being damaging to the planet […] Good?
- pixl97 3y ago
  >Are you going to tell him that he needs to change his culture If you're going to life a modern lifestyle, yes 100%. Modern human lifestyles are hyper energy/resource intensive. The reason people had 14 kids back when is 1. most of the kids died, and 2, the kids were work resources. If 1 and 2 no longer hold, then yea, change.
  - lotsofpulp 3y ago
    I would bet the reason was women did not have an option to say no to having 14 kids. Although, in this supposed gardener’s culture, one guy had multiple wives, and that is obviously not a dynamic that leads to a steady, peaceful society based on all the prevailing customs around the world.
    - dotancohen 3y ago
      I've spoken to a few Bedouin women, though less than men. I've never heard any say that they are unhappy with the quantity of children they raise. That's their culture, why would they be unhappy? One thing that I've heard them say they are unhappy about are the marrying of additional wives. One particular conversation was with two wives of the same man. The older wife said that she did not want her husband to marry, but over time she began to like the younger wife. In the particular case of the gardener, his first wife told him to marry because the first two children were born unhealthy. I'd say about half the Bedouins I speak to have multiple wives.
      - lotsofpulp 3y ago
        > That's their culture, why would they be unhappy? Because you have no reason to assume they would tell you the truth, or that they are not lying even to themselves. Actions speak louder than words, and 99% of women who attain financial and physical security choose to not have 14, or even 4 kids.
        dotancohen 3y ago
        You should know that any attempt to change that culture would have the international community screaming genocide. See here: > Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml

I have three children, not unusual for my culture. My community's gardener has 14 children, low for his culture but he's still young. He's only on his second wife and he just passed 40 years old. Are you going to tell him that he needs to change his culture? Arguably he could have a lot to say about our culture spewing out hydrocarbons being damaging to the planet, which would be justified far before we criticise his reproduction.

zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
Yes, he should change his culture. We should too. Why is it taboo to tell people that their cultural values are wrong?
- dotancohen 3y ago
  If you ever find the answer then let me know.
- lo_zamoyski 3y ago
  I have no problem telling someone their culture is wrong. In this case, it is ours that is wrong.
  - zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
    No
jhardy54 3y ago
> Arguably he could have a lot to say about our culture spewing out hydrocarbons being damaging to the planet […] Good?
pixl97 3y ago
>Are you going to tell him that he needs to change his culture If you're going to life a modern lifestyle, yes 100%. Modern human lifestyles are hyper energy/resource intensive. The reason people had 14 kids back when is 1. most of the kids died, and 2, the kids were work resources. If 1 and 2 no longer hold, then yea, change.
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  I would bet the reason was women did not have an option to say no to having 14 kids. Although, in this supposed gardener’s culture, one guy had multiple wives, and that is obviously not a dynamic that leads to a steady, peaceful society based on all the prevailing customs around the world.
  - dotancohen 3y ago
    I've spoken to a few Bedouin women, though less than men. I've never heard any say that they are unhappy with the quantity of children they raise. That's their culture, why would they be unhappy? One thing that I've heard them say they are unhappy about are the marrying of additional wives. One particular conversation was with two wives of the same man. The older wife said that she did not want her husband to marry, but over time she began to like the younger wife. In the particular case of the gardener, his first wife told him to marry because the first two children were born unhealthy. I'd say about half the Bedouins I speak to have multiple wives.
    - lotsofpulp 3y ago
      > That's their culture, why would they be unhappy? Because you have no reason to assume they would tell you the truth, or that they are not lying even to themselves. Actions speak louder than words, and 99% of women who attain financial and physical security choose to not have 14, or even 4 kids.
      - dotancohen 3y ago
        You should know that any attempt to change that culture would have the international community screaming genocide. See here: > Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml