"Our friends" the French may pay for third babies?

[Steve Burke]

Elton, congratulations to the 2 of you from the 2 of us!

[DavyR]

Malthusian ideas (that there is a natural limit to population before disaster or famine takes over and restores the balance)have gone in and out of fashion over the years, but the fact remains that if thoroughly nice people like us don't reproduce, what are we left with?

[Steve Burke]

Some couples make a lifestyle choice. Others may not be able to have children - usually much to their regret.

 

I decided to have 2 kids. More would have increased the world population rather than maintained it. No financial incentive would have made me decide otherwise. Only my first wife's wishes may have done so.

 

However, we have freedom of choice in Europe. Unlike China for instance. See http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/internatio...m?id=1970062005

[Tony U]

Corydoras

We both have index linked contributory pensions so the State pension is not likely to be our most important source of income.

I do not hold with the quasi-relegious idea that we were put on this earth to reproduce the fact that we are sentient beings allows us to make our own choices.

Davy Malthusian theory is only consistant in that it is usually found wanting, William Godwins counter essays on population, which postulate production can expand to meet the needs of a growing population, are closer to the truth.

 

[ 22. September 2005, 11:01 AM: Message edited by: Tony U ]

[corydoras]

Steve Burke:

No financial incentive would have made me decide otherwise. Only my first wife's wishes may have done so.

---

Not even a 0% income tax rate? I admire your scruples.

[DavyR]

Tony U:

Davy Malthusian theory is only consistant in that it is usually found wanting, William Godwins counter essays on population, which postulate production can expand to meet the needs of a growing population, are closer to the truth.

Quite. But will expanding production end up killing us anyway?

[Tony U]

DavyR:

[Quite. But will expanding production end up killing us anyway?

Probably but not as quickly as we first thought.

Tony

[DavyR]

Oh good - time for a cuppa, then.

[Ken L]

Am I the only person who thinks that child benefit, working families tax credit, additions to income suport for people with kids, free school meals and a plethora of other benefits to encourage the unemployed and the low paid to have more kids is insaine ?

 

I really do believe that if you can't afford kids, don't have them.

 

I resent being told that I'll have to work till I'm 72 in order to pay the taxes to spawn yet another generation of chavs.

Actually, where I'm currently living, that's more like Chavdul's and Chavanadabhai's.

 

[ 21. September 2005, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Ken L ]

[corydoras]

Ken L:

Am I the only person who thinks that child benefit, working families tax credit, additions to income suport for people with kids, free school meals and a plethora of other benefits to encourage the unemployed and the low paid to have more kids is insaine ?

 

I really do believe that if you can't afford kids, don't have them.

 

I resent being told that I'll have to work till I'm 72 in order to pay the taxes to spawn yet another generation of chavs.

Actually, where I'm currently living, that's more like Chavdul's and Chavanadabhai's.

So only the wealthy have the right to bear children? Old Adolph would have loved you.

 

[ 21. September 2005, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: corydoras ]