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A friend of mine and I were having this discussion the other day, and I thought I'd post it here to see the reactions.
What if we automatically sterilized everyone at birth, then offered free "reversals" to everyone ... once they decided they were ready to start a family?
What would the pro's and con's be of such a system, and how do you think it would change the world over time?
Good morning,
A explanation of why you are proposing this is a necessary addition to your OP. I would never agree to this, regardless of the "benefit to society". Do you want this to reduce abortions, government dependency, or something else? "Change the world" can mean anything.
Freedom is more important than using over the top, compulsory policies in solving every single social problem to reaching this unattainable "utopia" that people are always looking for. Human nature will never allow a "Utopian" society, even under the control of a dictatorial government. I'm thankful for it, because freedom is more valuable than "saving" everyone from themselves.
A explanation of why you are proposing this is a necessary addition to your OP. I would never agree to this, regardless of the "benefit to society". Do you want this to reduce abortions, government dependency, or something else? "Change the world" can mean anything.
Freedom is more important than using over the top, compulsory policies in solving every single social problem to reaching this unattainable "utopia" that people are always looking for. Human nature will never allow a "Utopian" society, even under the control of a dictatorial government. I'm thankful for it, because freedom is more valuable than "saving" everyone from themselves.
Yea, I pretty much train-wrecked this thread from the very start, by the way I worded my opening post.
The conversation my friend and I were actually having was along the lines of how society, sex, teen pregnancy, and issues like young single parents, abortions, finishing school, etc. might all change ... if there was a realistic way to just make them a non issue.
He'd mentioned sterilization or some type of pill, that would allow young kids to not have to worry about getting pregnant (or getting someone pregnant) until they felt they were both ready for it. And when they were ready ... they could easily reverse it, or stop taking the pill, and start having children.
Our conversation was really just focused on the after effects, and not the procedure that got us to that point. In our conversation, the procedure just worked 100% of the time, and there were no injustices surrounding it.
One of the interesting twists to it was ... At what age would most females decide they were ready to start having kids, and at what age would males make that same decision? It was funny to imagine all of the 20 something year old guys out there ... lying to their girlfriends that they weren't taking their pills any longer! LOL
Unfortunately, I used the word "sterilize" without thinking about how people would interpret that, and didn't coherently phrase my opening questions ... thus I sent this entire thread down an entirely different dark path ... and I've become this months City Data Skin Head.
A horrible idea. Whatever happened to freedom of choice? And I would NOT let anyone near my babies to sterilize them. People shouldn't be sterilized based on what "could" happen. It would be punishing innocent people for what someone else has chosen to do in the past. Just b/c someone decided to abuse or kill their children, doesn't mean that I, or your neighbors, or some little girl born in 2015 will.
Doesn't this happen when children are born to teens, drug addicts, and people with no education or skills? And I don't care about the ONE 13 year old victim of rape who raised a neurosurgeon. Statistically teens struggle more financially and their educations suffer when they have children too early. Your statement sounds nice but children do pay for their parents mistakes. I don't agree with sterilization but incentives to go to school instead of getting knocked up ? ALL FOR IT
This is way off the wall, but let me throw it out there.
Everyone is granted a "baby chit." That means that you can have one child. If you pair up with someone, you have 2 baby chits between the two of you. So you can physically have 2 children. After 2, you both get fixed.
If you choose to have less than 2 kids together (or physically can't have children), you can give your extra baby chit(s) to people that you think would be good parents. You'd have to hand those to someone before they have their 2nd baby, of course.
Then you'd have to make the selling of baby chits illegal and that would open up a whole new can of worms - but it's nice in theory. That would enforce a zero population growth.
People seem to forget that adoption is always an option. Lots of kids out there need good homes.
This is way off the wall, but let me throw it out there.
Everyone is granted a "baby chit." That means that you can have one child. If you pair up with someone, you have 2 baby chits between the two of you. So you can physically have 2 children. After 2, you both get fixed.
If you choose to have less than 2 kids together (or physically can't have children), you can give your extra baby chit(s) to people that you think would be good parents. You'd have to hand those to someone before they have their 2nd baby, of course.
Then you'd have to make the selling of baby chits illegal and that would open up a whole new can of worms - but it's nice in theory. That would enforce a zero population growth.
People seem to forget that adoption is always an option. Lots of kids out there need good homes.
Good afternoon,
What are the consequences of someone who violates the "baby chit" policy by having another baby or refusing to get fixed after using all of his/her "chits"? A law is only as good as its' enforcement. Also, how do you prevent this large power from being abused by a politician with bad intentions?
We need to stop trying to regulate people's freedoms to fit individuals' worldviews. If population growth is so much of a problem for people, they can always buy their own large tract of land and grow their own food so they won't be affected.
I'm all for adoption and giving these kids good homes.
Yea, I pretty much train-wrecked this thread from the very start, by the way I worded my opening post.
The conversation my friend and I were actually having was along the lines of how society, sex, teen pregnancy, and issues like young single parents, abortions, finishing school, etc. might all change ... if there was a realistic way to just make them a non issue.
He'd mentioned sterilization or some type of pill, that would allow young kids to not have to worry about getting pregnant (or getting someone pregnant) until they felt they were both ready for it. And when they were ready ... they could easily reverse it, or stop taking the pill, and start having children.
Our conversation was really just focused on the after effects, and not the procedure that got us to that point. In our conversation, the procedure just worked 100% of the time, and there were no injustices surrounding it.
One of the interesting twists to it was ... At what age would most females decide they were ready to start having kids, and at what age would males make that same decision? It was funny to imagine all of the 20 something year old guys out there ... lying to their girlfriends that they weren't taking their pills any longer! LOL
Unfortunately, I used the word "sterilize" without thinking about how people would interpret that, and didn't coherently phrase my opening questions ... thus I sent this entire thread down an entirely different dark path ... and I've become this months City Data Skin Head.
Oh well, live and learn, right?
Thanks for clarifying. I still don't see these types of policies working without taking away major freedoms, and large crackdowns on violators, because human nature will always have people who will resist or have another agenda. Even if everyone complied I'd still be against the loss of personal liberty.
What are the consequences of someone who violates the "baby chit" policy by having another baby or refusing to get fixed after using all of his/her "chits"? A law is only as good as its' enforcement. Also, how do you prevent this large power from being abused by a politician with bad intentions?
We need to stop trying to regulate people's freedoms to fit individuals' worldviews. If population growth is so much of a problem for people, they can always buy their own large tract of land and grow their own food so they won't be affected.
I'm all for adoption and giving these kids good homes.
As I said, just a theory. We would have made good parents, but elected not to have children. Our neighbors, who had 5 kids, are awesome parents - we wish they'd had more.
If only people were better at self-regulating. And I think that was the intent of the original poster.
Well, I think the only good idea that could come out of it is that it would stop over population to a degree.
However, I don't agree it would necessarily stop poverty and food stamps. Sometimes things happen to perfectly good people that is out of their control.. their job goes etc. And they need that temporary support. Note I said TEMPORARY. I am not in agreement that people should mooch off the government from being lazy and just popping out kids to get benefits etc.
Also, the very idea of someone messing with a kid of mine as a baby, makes my skin crawl. How do you know something might not go wrong and that person would be denied the chance to ever have a child.
I can see it controlling over population.. but it's the only thing I can see good out of it
There may be some serious medical problems with people not going into puberty. High voice for boys is one thing I can think of fast. IMO it would be a nightmare.
Pets are sterilized at 6 months and they essentially stay babies, they do not mature but that is what we want for house pets. We want them docile and calm to have as a pet. Happy to stay at home and not roam. Don't think this could ever be done to humans.
I think there was a book about just that. It was decided at birth who would be the workers and who would be the upper classes. Scary.
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