Condoms sold in Japan

[Kanchou]

You give people too much credit for being able to plan their lives and let forward thinking guide them in their decision making. Sure, there are those that are put off by the cost and time put into ensuring the kiddos have a decent environment/support/education...but they are not the majority by any means.

No, it's totally part of it.

Guy: I don't have a job, and I can't see myself being able to feed a family, so I wear a rubber or simply don't date at all (soushokukei).

Girl: My boyfriend's job doesn't pay very well and it isn't very stable, so it's off to the clinic I go!


People are also getting married later or not at all because of the lack of financial stability in this economy, and the ones that are.... well, it's often because of a failure in the discussion at hand.

[Kanchou]

The lack of babies isn't because of contraception and abortion, it's because there aren't enough jobs, so people can't afford to raise kids on just a man's salary, and women can't afford to work because there aren't enough daycare centers. So they don't have kids.

I can see how that problem could support itself... but you know, Japanese laws often get in the way of things (in this case the licensing and qualifications required to build and staff a daycare center).

That all sounds well and good and it tugs at my centrist heartstrings on days when my mood makes me lean to the left but the evidence doesn't support that theory. In Western European countries where daycare is plentiful and state subsidized and companies are required to give generous maternity and paternity leave by law birthrates are also extremely low. Meanwhile developing countries where people can't afford to feed themselves let alone the 8 babies they crank out and where both parents do backbreaking labor all day long have extremely high birthrates. The main reason that people in the developed world don't have babies is because it doesn't fit their lifestyle, they have better access to birth control, they understand the concept of family planning, and they don't have the same level of social pressure or any practical reason having lots of kids. Plus in those developed nations the people at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale tend have more babies.

Good point, but we're talking about a difference of a couple tenths over the current birthrate, not having several times as many kids.

Yes, birth control and family planning are why people have the option to not have kids when they don't have to, or when they can't afford to (within a given economy). I'm only suggesting that the birth rate would be back above the sustainable rate if a few tweaks to the current situation were made.

Also, the French birthrate is just over 2, versus the Japanese birthrate of 1.39 (compared a sustainable rate of 2.05), so statistically speaking, to suggest the policies aren't having an effect is like suggesting that the Japanese are just a tall as white Europeans because their the average height is only three inches shorter.

If Japan let in a bunch of Muslim immigrants who refused to assimilate, they could achieve a higher birthrate too.

I know you're being sarcastic, but actually...

They should let Chinese people immigrate to Japan as political refugees on the basis of reproduction rights.

Changing nationality laws to allow Japan-born children of foreigners and loosening immigration laws would be one way to prevent Japan's population from collapsing (at this rate it will be 0 in 1000 years, apparently).

[Coligny]

It's funnay...

Because traditionnal (read: mass in latin and shit) catholic values calls for huge families with plenty kids and as little educamation as possible for the girls...

So... i'd say dem muslims are the true guardianz of european historical catholic values...

[matsuki]

You give people too much credit for being able to plan their lives and let forward thinking guide them in their decision making. Sure, there are those that are put off by the cost and time put into ensuring the kiddos have a decent environment/support/education...but they are not the majority by any means.

No, it's totally part of it.

Guy: I don't have a job, and I can't see myself being able to feed a family, so I wear a rubber or simply don't date at all (soushokukei).

Girl: My boyfriend's job doesn't pay very well and it isn't very stable, so it's off to the clinic I go!


People are also getting married later or not at all because of the lack of financial stability in this economy, and the ones that are.... well, it's often because of a failure in the discussion at hand.

Part of it, yes...but you're ignoring a larger (and irresponsible) portion of the population here who make babies without any thought of what you just described.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I know you're being sarcastic

No, I'm not.

Anyway, the best way to get people to have more children is probably to do away with social security and make the tax code unfriendly towards individual investors. Once people need kids for security in their old age they'll start having big families again. Of course without social security shrinking populations become less of a problem.

[Coligny]

Anyway, the best way to get people to have more children is probably to do away with social security and make the tax code unfriendly towards individual investors. Once people need kids for security in their old age they'll start having big families again.

It might not best thought out plan i read on the interwab...

Do you always try to solve things with attrition ?

[yanpa]

Mrs. Yanpa has no difficulty in getting hold of a year's supply

I believe that's illegal.

It's because that's what she wantz him to believe...

Do you think M&M's is a real brand of oral contraceptives ?

Well if M&Ms have that sustained effect there are going to be some pharmaceutical companies who are very worried.

It would explain my moobage growth mind

[Kanchou]

I know you're being sarcastic

No, I'm not.

Anyway, the best way to get people to have more children is probably to do away with social security and make the tax code unfriendly towards individual investors. Once people need kids for security in their old age they'll start having big families again. Of course without social security shrinking populations become less of a problem.

By the time the kids today actually retire there won't be any social security left, anyway...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Little bit late to be topic related, but...

[GomiGirl]

Not something a preggo girl wants to see.

[Coligny]

Not something a preggo girl wants to see.

Did ya just hint us on the fact you wuz a pregger ?

[yanpa]

Damn those M&Ms.

[Kanchou]

Little bit late to be topic related, but...

roflcopter

[Samurai_Jerk]

Anyway, the best way to get people to have more children is probably to do away with social security and make the tax code unfriendly towards individual investors. Once people need kids for security in their old age they'll start having big families again.

It might not best thought out plan i read on the interwab...

Do you always try to solve things with attrition ?

Attrition? No that's your department. Anyway, that wasn't a serious suggestion.

[Coligny]

Damn those M&Ms.

told ya so!

[matsuki]

Not something a preggo girl wants to see.

Did ya just hint us on the fact you wuz a pregger ?

Damn those M&Ms.

[GomiGirl]

Not something a preggo girl wants to see.

Did ya just hint us on the fact you wuz a pregger ?

Nah - just a general comment. Nothing to see here - move along.

[Coligny]

shoooooganai...

(you want sum M&M's ?)