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Mandalee, children are a gift, are they not?
Thanks for stopping and commenting.
posted by
JanesOpinion
on January 10, 2006 at 6:01 PM
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Meringue,
think it's hard for teachers to find work nowdays in Italy? One career field to avoid in that country. On the other hand, a nurse would have NO trouble finding work . . . in ANY of the industrial nations -- thanks to the aging population!
posted by
JanesOpinion
on January 10, 2006 at 6:00 PM
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Sure wislon!
You're English, right? How would you like to wake up one day and discover that, when you reach retirement, lo and behold the govt is not able to fund your pension because there're only two people working for every one retiree. The govt goes bankrupt, you have to go back to work until you drop dead of exhaustion, your standards of living go down, inflation, you have to move in with your kids or your ex . . .
Or, different scenario, your govt discovers it does not have enough people working to support the pensioners, so it opens its gates to as many people from North Africa, China (etc) to increase the tax base. But they have a different work ethic, and perhaps don't value work hours and quality of work nearly as much as you. Heck, we're seeing that already! A ton of jobs are going down to Mexico from my area, but thanks to a totally different work ethos, much of the "finished" product is being shipped back to my city and the people who were making this product now have to fix all the mistakes and essentially re-make the product so it will be acceptable to automotive standards.
Totally un-PC statement here, but the fact is that work ethos varies tremendously from culture to culture. Moral values vary from culture to culture. If you want to keep your current standards of living, you will value the "replacement fertility rate" more than you currently do. But perhaps you don't mind drastic change. No problem! Open the gates of England and let the cultures swarm in. Life could get very interesting.
OK, before you stomp all over me with accusations of racism and elitism -- please note that I do value these cultures. I have spent time with Muslims and enjoyed the differences. All I'm saying is that no country will survive for long if it doesn't replace itself. And if it replaces itself with a different culture, life as you know it will change forever. Are you willing to accept that? Very simple question!
posted by
JanesOpinion
on January 10, 2006 at 5:59 PM
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Yes Justsouno . . .
those cultures who are popping out babies right and left seem not to hold dear the same values we embrace, eh? But then again, our own society no longer seems to embrace those same, time tested values and morals.
I live in an historically very strong Dutch community but one that has seen a huge Mexican immigration. They are prolific in their breeding, and many in this city have observed that there were no gangs until the Mexicans arrived. They value family, but when the family structure breaks down, young people turn to gangs as a replacement for their family. It has been quite a dilemma because, to be politically correct, the city fathers have not wanted to discuss the gang problem, preferring instead to pretend it's not there.
As different cultures proliferate in this world, for certain, our way of life will change. Many changes will be for the better, and many others for the worse. Should be interesting!
posted by
JanesOpinion
on January 10, 2006 at 5:41 PM
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Taps, it does boggle the mind when. . .
one tries to look that far into the future and ponder what it will be like for generations to come. It's much simpler if one doesn't think too much about it . . . but that likely is not the best policy, eh? But then again there's that song you probably know . . . "I don't know about tomorrow . . . but I know Who holds my hand."
posted by
JanesOpinion
on January 10, 2006 at 5:33 PM
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I loved that quote. Children are the future.
posted by
Amanda__
on January 10, 2006 at 8:42 AM
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never thought of it this way....
and I thought Italians loved children?Well, maybe not any more!
posted by
Meringue
on January 10, 2006 at 3:01 AM
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How many of these Somali babies actually grow up to adulthood?
And why do we need more babies? We're running out of space and resources so wouldn't it be a good thing if we did stop breeding?
posted by
wislon
on January 10, 2006 at 2:06 AM
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Jane's Opinion. This is a real problem. It also is
a very complex one as well. Those countries where same sex marriage has been embrassed the birth rate had plummeted, as has the rate of marriage between those of the opposite sex marrying in these countries. The Muslim population is birthing it's religion as part of the world take over. What they do not take by force they will marry. I heard a very in-depth program on this a year or so ago and can not address it with any significant, but we~~Christians are dropping the ball.
posted by
Justi
on January 10, 2006 at 12:08 AM
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JanesOpinion, This is very interesting. Its hard for me to look that far into the future when I know that I won't even be around that long. But, I have eight wonderful grandchildren that I know will have to deal with "that" world and its problems.
posted by
TAPS.
on January 9, 2006 at 8:36 PM
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JanesOpinion,
That is a goal to aspire to: to raise children well. Too many people don't. I've come to conclude, that myself, included, the vast majority of us haven't a clue why we believe the way we do, so underlying suppositions like the falling birth rate in the industrialized countries may be a factor in many people's fears, without even being conscious of it.
posted by
Blanche.
on January 9, 2006 at 6:58 PM
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Blanche, interesting comment.
But speaking for myself (pro life and all) I can tell you that although I don't have children, my sister has six kids. She sacrificed her career to raise these children and they are such a blessing to us. I don't believe she's ever done it out of concerns for our country's growth rate; rather, she did it because of her desire to raise godly children who could be leaders and be a blessing to many others. She is training them to care for humanity, to love their "neighbors" and to love God.
Thanks for stopping by!
posted by
JanesOpinion
on January 9, 2006 at 6:39 PM
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JanesOpinion,
Thank you for posting this, Mr. Steyn obviously went to some trouble to put together some facts worth pondering. The "First World" , the industrialized countries it seems are either maintaining growth or regressing, and the less industrialized are having a baby boom. I wonder how much of this fuels some of the older population's anti-abortion stance, morality aside, in the United States?
posted by
Blanche.
on January 9, 2006 at 6:29 PM
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