06-18-2008, 05:16 PM
Aah my friend , you and I are focused on different segments of the population. while I am worried about ghettos and ideologues, you are more concerned about the madhyam varg.
Since you are unwilling to talk about the poor , who make up most of the world anyway , there is no point in my continuing with that area.
Now as far as the more well to do are concerned, they don't replicate that much do they ? well, they don't because they don't "feel" the need to . moreover they don't really want to sacrifice current consumption and "selfishness" dictates that smaller units are the best way forward.
Why do they have kids? well procreation is a basic instinct and besides the general , my descendants/blood etc etc , kids keep couples in tow with each other. In my opinion a marital couple is actually unstable and it is the infusion of "new blood" that renders the mix stable. God's way of doing things.
Remember, my earlier arguments seem reductionist because they don't really focus on more humane impulses. moreover, clearly the utility from having a few kids overwhelms the disutility from doing so , in most middle class homes. people generally want a few kids for the sheer joy of it. but most people wouldn't want too many unless they like "big families".
Now from society's standpoint , should the rich have more children ? well a purely darwinist standpoint would say yes, these kids would grow up to be healthier and stronger . However "exhorting" the middle classes or the rich to do anything is not going to work anyway. people today have their own conceptions of life subject to acronyms such as DINK etc.
the larger issue is of course about choices and whether family size should in any way be dictated by the state , through an incentive /disincentive scheme .
Do I support non -coercive family planning ? absolutely. Do I support the view that pregnancy should be seen as an instrument . absolutely not. The ability to procreate is a gift from nature/ God , it should not be seen as a tool for any purpose, other than humanity .Women should have the final say in the reproductive process. And i mean the mother and not the mother-in-law.
In an ideal world kids should be born out of love only . but then, this isn't an ideal world , is it?
Since you are unwilling to talk about the poor , who make up most of the world anyway , there is no point in my continuing with that area.
Now as far as the more well to do are concerned, they don't replicate that much do they ? well, they don't because they don't "feel" the need to . moreover they don't really want to sacrifice current consumption and "selfishness" dictates that smaller units are the best way forward.
Why do they have kids? well procreation is a basic instinct and besides the general , my descendants/blood etc etc , kids keep couples in tow with each other. In my opinion a marital couple is actually unstable and it is the infusion of "new blood" that renders the mix stable. God's way of doing things.
Remember, my earlier arguments seem reductionist because they don't really focus on more humane impulses. moreover, clearly the utility from having a few kids overwhelms the disutility from doing so , in most middle class homes. people generally want a few kids for the sheer joy of it. but most people wouldn't want too many unless they like "big families".
Now from society's standpoint , should the rich have more children ? well a purely darwinist standpoint would say yes, these kids would grow up to be healthier and stronger . However "exhorting" the middle classes or the rich to do anything is not going to work anyway. people today have their own conceptions of life subject to acronyms such as DINK etc.
the larger issue is of course about choices and whether family size should in any way be dictated by the state , through an incentive /disincentive scheme .
Do I support non -coercive family planning ? absolutely. Do I support the view that pregnancy should be seen as an instrument . absolutely not. The ability to procreate is a gift from nature/ God , it should not be seen as a tool for any purpose, other than humanity .Women should have the final say in the reproductive process. And i mean the mother and not the mother-in-law.
In an ideal world kids should be born out of love only . but then, this isn't an ideal world , is it?