Reply to: Is it selfish to have more than two children?

[Flashman]

http://www.optimumpopulation.org/opt.imagine.html

Visions of Britain

JUST IMAGINE

UK population rising to 100 million by 2100.
(Latest Population Projections show it will reach 77 million by 2050 unless action is taken.)

A city being built every year. • Reduction of living space to the density of Hongkong or Japan. • Recurring conflict over resources. • Abandonment of all protection of the countryside, including Green Belt and National Park land. • More than 15 million new homes and supporting infrastructure needed in the next seven decades. • Whole counties covered by wind farms. • Greater dependence on intensive farming methods and genetically modified crops, made worse by the effects of climate change as temperatures rise. • Further destruction of wildlife and complete collapse of marine fish stocks. • Total transport gridlock - no-one can move •Intense pressure on public services. • Other severe restrictions on freedom. •No place untouched by noise or pollution. • Increasing dependence on other countries for diminishing food and energy resources. • Or frequent power cuts, fuel shortages and water rationing...

OR IMAGINE...

The UK's population stabilising and decreasing about 0.25% a year before 2050 and gradually declining further to an environmentally sustainable level - see Optimum Populations

Wide open landscapes - think of France...

Housing freed up at affordable prices.

Britain's lost countryside gradually being restored.

Restored wildlife and relieved pressure on fish stocks.

Widespread organic farming and local food sourcing.

An end to discrimination in employment for older people, the disabled and ethnic minority Britons.

Uncongested roads and more space for public transport projects.

Nuclear and fossil fuel-driven power stations cut by more than half.

Half the UK's energy needs met from renewable sources

Greenhouse gas emissions reduced to sustainable levels.

Less stress, perhaps. More freedom. More space, silence and starlit skies

Fat chance of the 2nd vision ever coming true.

[HairyArsedBloke]

New monthly mag for today. linky

[Platypus]

I need to send off my "samples" soon).

Tosser

[moorfield]

I have 3 children now : lucky Mrs BP sterilized or I would have to have the snip!

I also have 3 children now, and as some of you might recall, I did have the snip. (which reminds me, I need to send off my "samples" soon).

[zara_backdog]

I have 3 children now : lucky Mrs BP sterilized or I would have to have the snip!

I wanted Mr ZB to have the snip after I had my second, as he said not he just doesn't get the chance to father any more

Is it selfish? - Like other posts not if you are intelligent and can support them and provide a safe loving home. It it is a means of income, which I am sure it is for some or because they just keep having kids, then yes.

[BrilloPad]

I have 3 children now : lucky Mrs BP sterilized or I would have to have the snip!

[Moscow Mule]

To answer the question fully, you have to know the reasons people have for having children.

I think that it's irresponsible having more than 2 children if you are stupid. If you are not, you're probably ok as you are delaying the point where the intelligent have been wiped off the planet.

That said, for the planet at the moment, more people = bad news, so really I shouldn't be considering any children. The fact that I am means I'm selfish.

[cailin maith]

Good Andyw option

[Board Game Geek]

Selfish ? No.

Cruel ? Probably, considering the world we have bequeathed to them.

[chris79]

My view is it's not selfish as it's potentially denying another person the gift of life.. how can that be selfish?

The only selfishness would be to neglect your kids, but there's nothing to say that having more than 2 means this is always the case. I know lots of people from large families who have a great life.

Let nature take it's course.. life should evolve, not be engineered by perfect scenario social domestic equations.

[oracleslave]

Selfish seems like the wrong word for it to me. My philosophy has always been do the job properly to the max of my ability with 2 kids. Additional kids would dilute my ability to give all of my attention to the first 2. I would rather do the parenting job properly with a smaller number as opposed to quite well with more kids.

[Cyberman]

It's only selfish if you expect the state to pay for them. HMG should only pay benefits for the first two children, in order to ensure that families do not go into breeding children to the exclusion of supporting themselves.

[expat]

If you can provide a stable home and afford to feed them then why not? More than 5 is a bit unfair as one would have to go in the boot if you have a 7 seater.

Wide question: if you can afford something, does that mean it's OK to have it?

[DimPrawn]

If you look at the chart here http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...lity_gr226.gif

You'll notice that the trend had been towards less children, but the arrival of New Labour and mass uncontrolled and unmonitored immigration from 3rd world countries to the UK from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh (where 10 children is commonplace) has pushed the average right up.

[Rookie]

As always, it depends.....