Childless Tax

[Cognitive Dissident]

We're going to see more of the same fertility trend: developed countries reproduce less, and undeveloped countries keep producing (until they become more developed), thus picking up the gap, but overall, slowing the increase until it caps somewhere fairly "reasonable."

My problem with all this is the people who "should have not children"  are typically the people having children (this is not an ethical comment--it's a comment on the thought processes that lead to or are absent in having children), and the gene pool is getting polluted.  Fortunately, most significant genetic changes don't occur in 50 years, so it's probably a minor effect.

Addendumadded important and missing "not" to "should have children"

[libertylover]

We're going to see more of the same fertility trend: developed countries reproduce less, and undeveloped countries keep producing (until they become more developed), thus picking up the gap, but overall, slowing the increase until it caps somewhere fairly "reasonable."

My problem with all this is the people who "should have children"  are typically the people having children (this is not an ethical comment--it's a comment on the thought processes that lead to or are absent in having children), and the gene pool is getting polluted.  Fortunately, most significant genetic changes don't occur in 50 years, so it's probably a minor effect.

Don't you mean the people who should have children are not having children?  A while back I read an article on the psychology of why famine and war torn areas have increased childbirth rates.   Because it seems counter intuitive to produce more children than you could possibly hope to care for.   Whereas people in places that could support more children tend to have fewer.   The main reason given was a statistical one.   With each additional child the chances of your line continuing is increased even against the long odds of survival.   

[Cognitive Dissident]

We're going to see more of the same fertility trend: developed countries reproduce less, and undeveloped countries keep producing (until they become more developed), thus picking up the gap, but overall, slowing the increase until it caps somewhere fairly "reasonable."

My problem with all this is the people who "should have children"  are typically the people having children (this is not an ethical comment--it's a comment on the thought processes that lead to or are absent in having children), and the gene pool is getting polluted.  Fortunately, most significant genetic changes don't occur in 50 years, so it's probably a minor effect.

Don't you mean the people who should have children are not having children?  A while back I read an article on the psychology of why famine and war torn areas have increased childbirth rates.   Because it seems counter intuitive to produce more children than you could possibly hope to care for.   Whereas people in places that could support more children tend to have fewer.   The main reason given was a statistical one.   With each additional child the chances of your line continuing is increased even against the long odds of survival.  

More or less.  Thanks for noticing.  I meant the people who shouldn't have them are having them.  I've adjusted my comment.

[Harry Tuttle]

LOL current trends.