Family Economics & the Value of Children in Foreign Policy
Posted By Luci on October 13, 2010
Having too many people on the planet is no longer demographers’ chief worry; now, having too few is…
The trick will be restoring what, in the days of family-owned farms and small businesses, was once true: that babies are an asset rather than a burden. Imagine a society in which parents get to keep more of the human capital they form by investing in their children. Imagine a society in which the family is no longer just a consumer unit, but a productive enterprise. The society that figures out how to restore the economic foundation of the family will own the future. The alternative is poor and gray indeed.
A new article in Foreign Policy challenges common assumptions about “overpopulation” in rich and developing nations alike. Phillip Longman points out that the phenomenon of “global aging” will likely contribute to international political instability, internal social chaos due to gender imbalances, and serious pressures for societies where there simply aren’t enough younger citizens to sustain economic growth.
Mr. Longman expresses concern about reverting to “traditional roles” that limit opportunities for women. But this is a false conclusion: to embrace our femininity and God-given roles while seeking to live out and advocate God’s beautiful design of the family is to realize true freedom.
It’s well worth the time to read the rest of the article.
(Many thanks to my husband, who alerted me to this piece! 
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About The Author
Luci
Luci is a joyful wife, homemaker, Christian, and friend. She loves history, law, philosophy, prayer, peace, quilting, old books, reading, all things vintage, and her and her husband's three precious rescue cats.Comments
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I always wondered why businesses were not putting their advertising into people having families. It would be good for their profits for more people to come into this world because they would have more consumers. With the path that our government and society is on, we’ll have fewer consumers and not enough people to fill jobs. The elderly will need to work rather than enjoy retirement just to support themselves even though they may no longer be able to perform like their more youthful counterparts, thus less pay for the elderly.
Then you might also wonder if people are not having children because those children will replace them in the workforce and the parents won’t be able to get a job. Currently we are seeing in our economic crisis that the young are not effected as badly in the job market as those who have been in the market for years. The youth are cheaper to employ. Maybe it is out of selfishness that people don’t want to share what they have with children. It’s rather horrifying to think of that.
Also, everywhere that you read, “children are expensive”. People would have to not live the way they want to so they can “afford” to have a child. This goes with the thinking that you need to buy name brand everything and if you deprive your child of the “opportunities” that are out there then you are a bad parent. “Opportunities” are expensive and not necessary to live. Practicality is needed here in these thoughts. If a financial adviser would be honest and talk with their clients about what they really need instead of what they want, it might go over better. Every child does not need to go to Harvard or Yale. What happened to the thought that a young adult needs to work for their education? Getting a free ride is not helpful and only fosters dependence not independence.
When we live in an instant gratification society, thinking about long term effects like not having enough children is very hard to do. We need to educate our children to see the bigger picture and be able to discern the flaws in overpopulation myths. And look out for the Green Movement and Gaia worship, both are pervasive and both would rather see the world depopulated to the point of extinction for Humanity.
Thanks for this great article.