Having Children Is Irresponsible.

[xyborg]

<br />And I even made a typo in the thread title. "Irresnponsible" should of course be "Irresponsible" <img src="style_emoticons/default/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /><br />

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Remember if every couple had just 1 child the population would fall by half.

[JimmyCA]

Rainman - your OP is not only bazaar, it is way beyond the intellectual range of a Thailand forum

[pointofview]

Most 1st world countries don't have enough children to provide a decent sized work force for the future and you want to cut the population further? Forget it!

Where do you get that rediculous assumption from - the world is over populated. The main concern of many governments is depopulation. We are actually running short of resources. Immigration is a massive problem, wake up.

Edited October 9, 2007 by pointofview

[jetjock]

I already tried your overpopulation reason for not having kids but it didn't fly with my wife. I have now temporarily resorted to the reason that I just need a little more time before I am ready. I love kids but think I love my current lifestyle without kids even more. In the end, I suppose I will have to breakdown and join the crowd in contributing to overpopulation ! Thai/farang babies seem to turn out pretty cute-- don't they ?

[papaya9]

Forget about overpopulation and global warming! I fear for what they would be exposed to through the media and video games/internet: Rap music, drugs, sex, violence, moral/ethical decay, etc. Too many bad temptations/distractions. Also, the ridiculous competitiveness in schools and pressure to succeed. Its too much.

[dumspero]

Interesting. Only a few posters have commented on adoption.

To me, the resistance to adoption as opposed to making your own stems from the same kind of inherent ego (arrogance?) that, collectively in the form of a culture or nation, is the root of why we have wars and lesser conflicts. It's something about how I and mine are so much better than you and yours. And, to me at least, it's ugly in any of its manifestations.

The kid we make is no more worthy than the kid the humblest whoever made.

[rainman]

Rainman - your OP is not only bazaar, it is way beyond the intellectual range of a Thailand forum

Bazaar? Like the Lumpini Night Bazaar? We can't provide decent education for the people already on the planet, imagine how it'll be in 40 years.

[bhoydy]

The only reason there is a problem is the mis-appropriation of funding by too many countries greedy politicians. Keep reproducing and educate them all yourself - Revolution!!

[JetsetBkk]

Immigration is a massive problem, wake up.

Is that a "massive problem" for the countries they are emigrating from, or a "massive problem" for the countries they are immigrating to?

[pgs]

Dont worry standard human nature will sort it out - there be another world war when competition for resources gets too much. There will be another flu epademic. The world may even be getting hotter and kill us all off.

The food we eat and the water we drink is dangerous. The air we breath is polluted. The cars we drive are not safe. There is cancer. There is aids and birld flu. I cant drink or smoke cause its killing me.

Now you come along and tell us we cant have the simple joys of having children.

Exactly that is the things I don't want my children to have to go through. Why have children if they have to fight a world war just to get food? Get sick from pandemic flues, face an ever warmer climate, breathe polluted air, etc? just so we can have the simple joy of having children? That's ignorant, in my opinion.

I respect your opinion not to have children, and I believe you have good reasons to take this decision. I just hope your lovely wife fully agrees from her heart. Otherwise, you are bound to have big problems; big, big problems. Don't forget: for women this a call from nature.

Of course, she fully agrees. She actually sat here with me as I wrote this.

If we really had the ability to feed everyone in the future, why are we not doing it now? Of course you can say millions are starving in Africa because the world just doesn't care about Africa. But is the world going to care about Africa in the future? I don't think so.

Inadequate oil supply in Africa.

We've also opted not to have kids, as has my brother & his wife.

I love kids - how much depends on how they're cooked.

[Ulysses G.]

Most 1st world countries don't have enough children to provide a decent sized work force for the future and you want to cut the population further? Forget it!

Where do you get that rediculous assumption from - the world is over populated. The main concern of many governments is depopulation. We are actually running short of resources. Immigration is a massive problem, wake up.

Tell that to Japan genius!

[villagefarang]

This whole child rearing thing is just hormones. As mammals we have been genetically programed to enjoy sex and want kids. It is just one more weakness that can be overcome if one has the will.

Is it really necessary or even healthy to give in to every single urge we have.

Rainman, whatever reason you want to use, if you don't want kids, don't have them.

When I was a kid there were less than 3 billion of us. Now there are more than 6 billion of us. I still say if this continues a tipping point will be reached.

In the end, as I said before, something will happen to sort this all out.

[BFD]

Just wanted to add a quote by my favorite author:

If the population of the Earth continued to increase at its present rate indefinitely, by 3530 A.D. the total mass of human flesh and blood would equal the mass of the Earth. By 6826 A.D. it would equal the mass of the known universe.

-Isaac Asimov

Entirely too simplistic, I know, but the numbers are pretty scary. I know that many posters have mentioned that 'something' will happen to make sure we don't get that high, and I think that's the scary part: we don't know what the 'something' will be.

BFD!

[Etrigan]

What exactly is the point in being here?

If we were to collectively stop having children.............is a far scarier notion than the basket of irrational fear that the OP has left behind.

[Heng]

I know that many posters have mentioned that 'something' will happen to make sure we don't get that high, and I think that's the scary part: we don't know what the 'something' will be.

I think it's up to the powers that be to MAKE something happen.

Edited October 10, 2007 by Heng

[chownah]

I think that people who see the future in such bleak terms that they question whether they should have children....those people....they should not have children. Raising children should be done by optimistic people who think their children will have great lives and who will thus instill in their children a sense of optimism.....most problems are solved by optimists...those who think that there is a solution.

As to what population the world will support? Much bigger than anyone has suggested so far if we can learn to get along with each other and plan ahead collectively. We are still fighting wars with each other....think of the wasted resource in these struggles. Most agricultural land is under utilized....society in general is poorly planned. If we could learn to get along things could be run much much better.

[Heng]

I think that people who see the future in such bleak terms that they question whether they should have children....those people....they should not have children. Raising children should be done by optimistic people who think their children will have great lives and who will thus instill in their children a sense of optimism.....most problems are solved by optimists...those who think that there is a solution.

Well said.

My bet though is on Rainman still having children in the end (unless he's sterile or something as some other poster mentioned).

[a2396]

<br />And I even made a typo in the thread title. "Irresnponsible" should of course be "Irresponsible" <img src="style_emoticons/default/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /><br />

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Remember if every couple had just 1 child the population would fall by half.

GOOD IDEA!!!

[Neeranam]

I think that people who see the future in such bleak terms that they question whether they should have children....those people....they should not have children. Raising children should be done by optimistic people who think their children will have great lives and who will thus instill in their children a sense of optimism.....most problems are solved by optimists...those who think that there is a solution.

Well said.

My bet though is on Rainman still having children in the end (unless he's sterile or something as some other poster mentioned).

Which is nothing to be embarrassed about.

[a2396]

Your original post hinted at 13bn people. By my calculations that gives each of these 13bn people about 6760sqm of land all to themselves. Plenty of room.

You can have your 6760 in the Sahara or the Gobi. Enjoy.

[TommyGun]

Just wanted to add a quote by my favorite author:

If the population of the Earth continued to increase at its present rate indefinitely, by 3530 A.D. the total mass of human flesh and blood would equal the mass of the Earth. By 6826 A.D. it would equal the mass of the known universe.

-Isaac Asimov

Entirely too simplistic, I know, but the numbers are pretty scary. I know that many posters have mentioned that 'something' will happen to make sure we don't get that high, and I think that's the scary part: we don't know what the 'something' will be.

BFD!

The something will be the Illuminati or the Bilderberg arranging wars to knock the population down, if of course nature doesn't first.

[teatree]

I think having children is an entirely selfish decision. I was'nt consulted on whether I wanted to be born or not. There I was happily drifting around in neverland when suddenly I'm rudely awakened and told "go to school" 'get a job" 'pay your takes'. For f sake just leave me be!!!

Why anyone would want to bring a child into this steaming turd of a world is beyond me. In the words of the late Bill Hicks "we are a virus with shoes". We need to be wiped out..the world depends upon it!

[PeaceBlondie]

If you think you can't raise kids well, don't have them.

If you like kids but honestly believe you shouldn't make them yourself, adopt several orphans.

If you're scared to have sex, you won't have kids.

If you think you can raise kids well, and that your ancestral line deserves to be perpetuated, try having a kid or two.

If you're gay, don't have more than ten.

[jetjock]

Why anyone would want to bring a child into this steaming turd of a world is beyond me. In the words of the late Bill Hicks "we are a virus with shoes". We need to be wiped out..the world depends upon it!

That's really an uplifting thought for me to read before I turn in for the evening.

[rainman]

What exactly is the point in being here?

If we were to collectively stop having children.............is a far scarier notion than the basket of irrational fear that the OP has left behind.

I think you all read the first few lines and then decided to post a comment. I never said not to have any children, I said we should all keep it at 1-2 max.

[rainman]

I think that people who see the future in such bleak terms that they question whether they should have children....those people....they should not have children. Raising children should be done by optimistic people who think their children will have great lives and who will thus instill in their children a sense of optimism.....most problems are solved by optimists...those who think that there is a solution.

As to what population the world will support? Much bigger than anyone has suggested so far if we can learn to get along with each other and plan ahead collectively. We are still fighting wars with each other....think of the wasted resource in these struggles. Most agricultural land is under utilized....society in general is poorly planned. If we could learn to get along things could be run much much better.

So you're thinking people who are realistic about the future are not optimistic? Facts have nothing to do with optimistic or not. Being optimistic that someone in the future will solve the problems we create today may be ignorant at best.

And we're not under populated and land is not under utilized as you suggest, otherwise deforestation wouldn't be such a problem. The more people there are, the more waste there will be, the more pollution and the more resources consumed. News flash, resources on this planet are not limited. Some of you suggested that we can go and explore other planets and consume their resources. Of course, but not for as long as we need 20-25 years to get back to the moon and we can't even get a manned mission to Mars in our lifetime.

All the issues we currently face, we face because our ancestors had the same kind of thinking we currently have. Let's live life and leave it for the next generation to work out.

[dsys]

Facts have nothing to do with optimistic or not.

Could not agree more with this - Further you should base all your decisions on fact. Your life decisions especially. Now where were those facts?

Oh they are projections and assumptions. Hardly fact you are pedling here.

News flash, resources on this planet are not limited.

More great news.

[YangYaiEric]

I think that people who see the future in such bleak terms that they question whether they should have children....those people....they should not have children. Raising children should be done by optimistic people who think their children will have great lives and who will thus instill in their children a sense of optimism.....most problems are solved by optimists...those who think that there is a solution.

Hear! Hear! Chownah; completely agree with your wise words. Top-Pole !

[rainman]

Facts have nothing to do with optimistic or not.

Could not agree more with this - Further you should base all your decisions on fact. Your life decisions especially. Now where were those facts?

Oh they are projections and assumptions. Hardly fact you are pedling here.

News flash, resources on this planet are not limited.

More great news.

Heh, you got me there. I'm pretty sure you know resources on this planet are limited and that was a typo. It's been a long night of work, sorry

[Goldenbead]

I haven't read the whole thread but I have four children. Shock horror!!!!

Your arguements might hold some weight but here we are with four and I wouldn't have it any other way. IMO it is the most intimate relationship you can have with a partner. Perhaps off topic but true.