Comment Re:Pop Ctrl can't happen in an entitlement society (Score 1) 327
Fully agreed.
In an economy-driven world, economy will dictate birth rates.
Further to your point (children being an economic drain vs. a source of income) in the early XXth century, children _were_ your retirement plan. With many children you made sure that one or more of them had the means and the willingness to take care of you once you were too old /sick to work. Now, in a world in which retirement plans have been "mutualized" among all the society, you do not have to worry about that and actually your best ROI is by having no children (ie. no expense) but receiving the benefits. Thus, the logical consequence of the current state of affairs is an ever declining birth rate.
In any case, the next big step in birth rate reduction will be regulation. You can already see "think of the children" laws being passed in nanny-state countries where parents can be (and are being) sued and prosecuted for educating and disciplining their children in perfectly reasonable ways.
Thus, with children becoming more and more an economic drain and a legal liability on top of that, you will see birth rates moving further down in developed and top tier developing countries.
In an economy-driven world, economy will dictate birth rates.
Further to your point (children being an economic drain vs. a source of income) in the early XXth century, children _were_ your retirement plan. With many children you made sure that one or more of them had the means and the willingness to take care of you once you were too old
In any case, the next big step in birth rate reduction will be regulation. You can already see "think of the children" laws being passed in nanny-state countries where parents can be (and are being) sued and prosecuted for educating and disciplining their children in perfectly reasonable ways.
Thus, with children becoming more and more an economic drain and a legal liability on top of that, you will see birth rates moving further down in developed and top tier developing countries.
