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On 12/4/2019, Kurt Schlichter wrote a column talking about how to get Americans to have more children over at Townhall.
I have not read the column in full because it is under Townhall’s VIP mark, meaning I need to pay a subscription to read it. That would be money I could spend in many ways, best of all ways that aren’t getting a subscription to Townhall.
However, the idea that we need to adjust the economy to cause people to have families is one that is not uncommon. Elizabeth Warren, I’m sorry I meant Marco Rubio, recently wrote two whole articles on just that.
I have very little respect for people not only trying to move towards a socialist economy, but who are so dishonest about it. Marco’s new persona as a humanitarian/social democrat is so transparent considering he was neo-conservative and libertarian when he ran for president in 2016.
Of course, this idea that people need carrots and sticks to have children is nonsense. No other species ever needed tax credits to have children, neither did humans in the US up until a century ago.
This is the central lie of the “pro-family” economy: it’s based on the idea that people are too stupid to have children.
You know, I wonder what Marco Rubio’s four children think of the idea people only have children because of economic incentives. Or Josh Hawley’s two children. Or Elizabeth Warren’s two children, and three grandchildren now that I think about it. Or Bernie Sander’s child. Or Tucker Carlson’s four children.
When a group on FaceBook appeared about people regretting having kids, people were rightfully calling out the possible effects hearing your parents saying something like that would have. I don’t know about you, but if my parents told me they only had me for a tax credit I would be way more damaged.
You hear these people go after libertarians for thinking the economy is everything, which is just pure projection. These are the people who want the most important decisions of their lives to be economically beneficial no matter what.
Funny these same people also push the notion of collective society. In truth, a utilitarian society would not allow everyone to have children. Hence why the most collectivist societies have engaged in eugenics.
For that matter, who says everyone should have children? I would not want to live in a world where Charles Manson had children. Shouldn’t someone who does not want to do something as important as raising the next generation not have to. I wouldn’t want to see people mindlessly having kids. In fact, I’ve seen people mindlessly having kids and those kids tend to be neglected.
This is not me saying that society should decide who has kids. That’s eugenics regardless of which direction it goes. Instead, I propose the radical idea it should be up to each individual to decide whether they have children or not. If that person chooses not to, that’s fine, and sometimes makes more sense than them having them.
If you want everyone to have kids, let me end this article with a question directed at you: Should someone who is an irresponsible party animal have an offspring even if they have no plans on changing that life style anytime soon?
Ephrom Josine is a libertarian political blogger/commentator, and a frequent contributor to The Liberty Hawk. You can find him on Twitter @EphromJosine1, writing near-daily on Medium @ephromjosine or weekly on Freedom First Blog.
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Editor’s note: There are many different ways to view tax credits. Just like taxes in general, if the goal is to coerce certain behaviors in individuals then it is highly concerning. In my view, taxation, as a rule, should only be for funding the legitimate functions of government and should be equally shouldered by all Americans. It shouldn’t be wielded as a weapon for class warfare and shouldn’t be used as a stick by the government to control its citizens. However, tax credits can be viewed in a different way: as a mechanism for lowering individual tax burdens related to choices they have made. As someone who is willing to take any opportunity to allow the average American to keep more of their money, I am perfectly willing to support child tax credits. -Justin
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