Yes it’s a social and political failing where you’re failing below the rate of replacement.
We need more Brits, and we need to foster an environment where families can thrive. It’s a serious political failing and the boomers who are at the heart of the issue
Not necessarily, attitude and times have changed, a lot of people are more interested in travel and delaying birth, so naturally will have less given less of a window to do so. Just one of many reasons people are less and less inclined towards big families these days. It’s not the 60’s where everything was about family life and pumping out kids.
If a population is already too large then being below the rate of replacement can be a success.
The global population needs to decrease though. Like Thanos snap decrease.
The internet brings out the worst in people, I’m sure of it. People posting footage of the shootings on social media and even the fallout - Spetsnaz cutting a suspects ear off and making him eat it.
I somehow managed to see an Israeli drone liquidise innocent Palestinians just going about their buisness yesterday. I know it’s horrific but with movies and TV now being so graphic, I’ve become so desensitised to seeing stuff like this. It’s fucked.
I fundamentally believe this all comes back to housing. How can you plan to have a family when it’s so difficult to secure an adequate home to raise them in.
Lots of people are securing their first home now well into their late 20s or early 30s at astronomical costs that mean both of ye usually have to go out and work to pay the bills.
Whole thing is fucked.
Ireland is about 20 years behind the UK in this regard but the same problems are on the way here without doubt.
Where the hell did you see this? Twitter?
Population would be less of an issue if people shifted their consumption habits, but that’s a conversation many aren’t willing to have, because our society is entirely built on an economic model that requires massive consumption in order to strive for perpetual growth. Easier for us in the West to point at developing countries and all the kids they’re having (absolutely not aiming that at you, I’m making a very general point there).
Side note, but sorta related, I find it interesting how so many people like to point at somewhere like China when talking about climate issues, blaming them for having the highest carbon emissions when the reality is that we’ve basically outsourced all of our fucking production to places like that, so the reality is that we’re in part responsible for those levels.
Yeah, I believe it originated on Telegram though.
(full disclosure though, I did not watch it)
I think housing plays a small part, in some societies living with your parents and raising a multi-generational family is completely acceptable.
I think wealth inequality is a bigger problem, in general everything (relatively) costs too damn much.
(and in developed countries, telling the next generation to be finanicially conscious of the costs of having kids had its effect also ‘dont have kids if you can’t take care of them’)
We’re talking about the same thing here to be honest. Rich people and corporations buy houses meaning less well off people cannot. The government abandon the building of social housing because commercial house building brings in a lot of tax money.
Absolutely but that’s certainly not generally the way in the UK, Ireland or most of Europe.
Ah you’re talking about housing overall.
Then we agree.
Oh fully agree, it’s not just about the numbers it’s about the actions of the numbers. Developing countries are actually right (imo) to be overproducing as that’s partly how you push the economy to grow, add in the higher mortality rates and no argument from me there.
It’s the established first world countries who need to take a lead on the topic, I think each individual country should focus on controlling it’s own population growth to maintain it’s balance of economy/footprint/quality of life before worrying about it on a macro scale. If every country took responsibility for their own shores you probably would need very few, if any, global policies on the matter. China got their birth rate and death rate equalised with their own policy, controversial as it may have been, now they’re looking for growth again and relaxed the policies.
It’s an awkward topic for governments to tackle, having policies dictating the amount of life permitted sounds ridiculous, but it is necessary to find ways to have balance. Hunger, housing, healthcare, climate, quality of life, economics all depend on it, people are fundamental - both quantity and quality.
Ideally, I’d like to have two or three kids, but I’m thinking we might reluctantly stop at one. With my wife being unable to work we’re riding on my solo income, and I’m reluctant to compromise the quality of my daughter’s life by having another child. We’re ok financially, just ok, but I’m kinda scared about making life a struggle by overextending myself financially. If our government did a bit more surrounding childcare and various other costs, I might feel differently. Also, maybe in a few years I’ll be earning more and I’ll feel differently 
Makes me feel a bit sad though when I think about it.
I agree. The hierarchy of needs.
Look, again this is why the Tories despite rhetoric like immigration.
And if people don’t like immigration we need to increase the birth rates of Brits.
But the leaders don’t seem to care.
They could just start by not helping themselves to half our money just to pay off their mates.
Jeremy Cunt was right that £100k a year isn’t that much anymore, but that’s also because of people like him screwing everything up.
Well I hope you are able to expand your family in the future. It’s very sad to hear, and a sign of the current times, but equally also completely understand you being cautious and not wanting to overstretch. Not being a parent myself I don’t really understand how childcare benefits work, but didn’t the Government do something on that front in the budget? I remember hearing Martin Lewis saying that the current arrangements are very unfair.
Just wait until election time for the Tories to campaign on something they’ve failed to do…again 
We do need the economy to go back to a stage where we can get settled by 30.
At the current rate, I don’t think I will be able to see my grandchildren. I kind of fear I won’t even see my child get married because it is kinda hard to begin your married life in your 20s or early 30s.
I feel you. We want a third child but beyond the big issue of actually getting pregnant which isn’t always simple, daycare costs here are absolutely insane.
When I look back, the only reason we were able to have a second child and not collapse financially was because it was peak COVID, the courts were closed, I was home 100% of the time, but I was still getting paid by the prosecutor’s office and my partner was working at a hospital which meant a steady paycheck. It bought us time to get our younger daughter to the point where she could enter daycare and only have it be stupidly expensive but not financially crippling.
Only two of my friends have multiple kids, most don’t have any. The USA (and it sounds like maybe England as well) makes it just really difficult to raise a family unless you’re already starting from a secure financial position.