The fertility battle: childless conservatives vs progressives with kids
The debate over having children pits progressives with offspring against childless conservatives. The loneliness-in-old-age argument clashes with the fear of bringing children into the world.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The demographic trap of childless conservatives
Not having children is a personal decision, but in old age it can become a collective problem. The debate between those who choose parenthood —even with just one child— and those who opt out reveals a generational rift that goes beyond ideology.
The calculation is cold: an elderly person without descendants depends on the State or on other people's goodwill. Those with at least one child, however little they see them, have logistical backup for the paperwork of a care home or daily errands. Pogre with children are clear about it: the traditionalists who at 30 boast about their cultural debates and their childfree freedom will face loneliness and dependence at 80. "At 30 it's very cool to read little history books, but at 80 the body fails you," sums up a recurring argument.
The retort is swift: "I love my children too much to bring them into this pigsty of a world." The sarracena excuse —not bringing children into a decadent world— clashes with demographic reality. While some show off their cats and wine, others point out the hypocrisy of those who later complain about low birth rates. A 38-year-old father of a large family sums up the opposite position: the parents he sees at the park are not necessarily pogre, but people who have taken on the cost of raising children.
The debate has no clear winner, but the numbers speak for themselves. With a birth rate in free fall, the individual decision not to have children becomes a sustainability problem for the welfare state. At 80, ideological arguments weigh less than a hand to help you with the paperwork.
Related forum threads
Not having children is a personal decision, but in old age it can become a collective problem. The debate between those who choose parenthood —even with just one child— and those who opt out reveals a generational rift that goes beyond ideology.
The calculation is cold: an elderly person without descendants depends on the State or on other people's goodwill. Those with at least one child, however little they see them, have logistical backup for the paperwork of a care home or daily errands. Pogre with children are clear about it: the traditionalists who at 30 boast about their cultural debates and their childfree freedom will face loneliness and dependence at 80. "At 30 it's very cool to read little history books, but at 80 the body fails you," sums up a recurring argument.
The retort is swift: "I love my children too much to bring them into this pigsty of a world." The sarracena excuse —not bringing children into a decadent world— clashes with demographic reality. While some show off their cats and wine, others point out the hypocrisy of those who later complain about low birth rates. A 38-year-old father of a large family sums up the opposite position: the parents he sees at the park are not necessarily pogre, but people who have taken on the cost of raising children.
The debate has no clear winner, but the numbers speak for themselves. With a birth rate in free fall, the individual decision not to have children becomes a sustainability problem for the welfare state. At 80, ideological arguments weigh less than a hand to help you with the paperwork.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (23 replies).
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