T Nation

Old and lonely

Politics and World Issues
#21

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
Yes, I’ll have more kids just to create a slave labor force to help care for me in my old age. And if one of them happens to become a scientist and wants to go do research on a colony on the moon (yes, it will happen), then I will shame that child and cut him or her out of my will. That’ll learn 'em trying to get some fancy education. Sorry kid, you can’t get a Ph.D. in molecular biology. Your role is to work at Walmart for minimum wage and then help wipe your old man’s ass when he’s too old to do it for himself. Hooray for family values, because THAT’S the real reason to have kids, right?

Do you even have kids, Sloth? I do. The thought of forcing her to care for me in my old age is so anathema to my why of thinking - you have no idea. The thought never entered my mind. And yes, believe it or not, the private sector and free market can and will provide a solution. Ever hear of long-term care insurance? I plan on getting some. Do you? Oh, I guess your “long-term care insurance” will be to have children and shame them into being your nurse.[/quote]

You would think that I write ad hominem and straw man enough that my computer wouldn’t tell me that I spelled them wrong (guess there is a space between “straw” and “man”), but I did. I should make a picture with those two words on their, make it easier on myself.

#22

All I want to know is why such a highly developed species, as ourselves, would bring such harm to the existence of our species. Kids are a joy.

#23

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
Yes, I’ll have more kids just to create a slave labor force to help care for me in my old age. And if one of them happens to become a scientist and wants to go do research on a colony on the moon (yes, it will happen), then I will shame that child and cut him or her out of my will. That’ll learn 'em trying to get some fancy education. Sorry kid, you can’t get a Ph.D. in molecular biology. Your role is to work at Walmart for minimum wage and then help wipe your old man’s ass when he’s too old to do it for himself. Hooray for family values, because THAT’S the real reason to have kids, right?

Do you even have kids, Sloth? I do. The thought of forcing her to care for me in my old age is so anathema to my why of thinking - you have no idea. The thought never entered my mind. And yes, believe it or not, the private sector and free market can and will provide a solution. Ever hear of long-term care insurance? I plan on getting some. Do you? Oh, I guess your “long-term care insurance” will be to have children and shame them into being your nurse.[/quote]

You would think that I write ad hominem and straw man enough that my computer wouldn’t tell me that I spelled them wrong (guess there is a space between “straw” and “man”), but I did. I should make a picture with those two words on their, make it easier on myself.[/quote]

Like it or not, experience matters. When someone who has no kids starts telling me how many kids I should have, you’re damn right that I’m going to call bullshit.

#24

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
Yes, I’ll have more kids just to create a slave labor force to help care for me in my old age. And if one of them happens to become a scientist and wants to go do research on a colony on the moon (yes, it will happen), then I will shame that child and cut him or her out of my will. That’ll learn 'em trying to get some fancy education. Sorry kid, you can’t get a Ph.D. in molecular biology. Your role is to work at Walmart for minimum wage and then help wipe your old man’s ass when he’s too old to do it for himself. Hooray for family values, because THAT’S the real reason to have kids, right?

Do you even have kids, Sloth? I do. The thought of forcing her to care for me in my old age is so anathema to my why of thinking - you have no idea. The thought never entered my mind. And yes, believe it or not, the private sector and free market can and will provide a solution. Ever hear of long-term care insurance? I plan on getting some. Do you? Oh, I guess your “long-term care insurance” will be to have children and shame them into being your nurse.[/quote]

You would think that I write ad hominem and straw man enough that my computer wouldn’t tell me that I spelled them wrong (guess there is a space between “straw” and “man”), but I did. I should make a picture with those two words on their, make it easier on myself.[/quote]

Like it or not, experience matters. When someone who has no kids starts telling me how many kids I should have, you’re damn right that I’m going to call bullshit.[/quote]

Hmm, who told you to have more children?

#25

[quote]kamui wrote:

probably
so i wil try to explain

our capitalist economic system require economic growth.
no growth = recession

economic growth is extremely improbable without demographic growth, especially in our post-industrial countries.

therefore, without “more children per family”, our 20st century welfare will probably not last very long in the 21st century.

how good will be your long-term care insurance in the midst of an euro-american recession ? how will you afford your specialized nurse when 35yo people will be outnumbered by 65yo people ?
[/quote]

I read the article, and it did make some good points. However, the article completely ignored the impact of technology. I consider most techie gadgets disposable. How long before you need to upgrade a computer, cell phone, or other gadget? And savvy inventors will always come up with a new latest and greatest must-have gadget. Besides, the article states “It’s true that the world’s population overall will increase by roughly one-third over the next 40 years, from 6.9 to 9.1 billion, according to the U.N. Population Division.” I don’t think we’re going to run out of people. Yes, the very next sentence says that the growth will be due to an aging population. But I dispute the article’s contention that old people will be less healthy. If obesity keeps going the way it does, most people won’t make it to old age. The ones left will be pretty healthy.

#26

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:

[quote]kamui wrote:

probably
so i wil try to explain

our capitalist economic system require economic growth.
no growth = recession

economic growth is extremely improbable without demographic growth, especially in our post-industrial countries.

therefore, without “more children per family”, our 20st century welfare will probably not last very long in the 21st century.

how good will be your long-term care insurance in the midst of an euro-american recession ? how will you afford your specialized nurse when 35yo people will be outnumbered by 65yo people ?
[/quote]

I read the article, and it did make some good points. However, the article completely ignored the impact of technology. I consider most techie gadgets disposable. How long before you need to upgrade a computer, cell phone, or other gadget? And savvy inventors will always come up with a new latest and greatest must-have gadget. Besides, the article states “It’s true that the world’s population overall will increase by roughly one-third over the next 40 years, from 6.9 to 9.1 billion, according to the U.N. Population Division.” I don’t think we’re going to run out of people. Yes, the very next sentence says that the growth will be due to an aging population. But I dispute the article’s contention that old people will be less healthy. If obesity keeps going the way it does, most people won’t make it to old age. The ones left will be pretty healthy.
[/quote]

Are you kidding me? They’re living longer UNHEALTHY lives. My opening post quoted a relevant passage from the article. I guess for you, it has to be posted twice. You can’t even read the opening post in it’s entirety, much less the article, and you come in here with this “magic of the free-market” crap? Seriously? Don’t come into my threads mentally unhinged, challenging me, if you’re not even going to take the time to read. I’ll treat you no better than a troll.

#27

"…But only if older workers are healthy. And that’s a big if. You might have noticed a lot more middle-age Americans using canes, walkers, and wheelchairs these days. So many of Walmart’s customers are now physically impaired that the giant retailer has replaced many of its shopping carts with electric scooters that allow shoppers to remain seated as they cruise the aisles. Such sights are reflected in statistics showing that, for the first time since such record-keeping began, disability rates are no longer improving among middle-age Americans, but getting worse.

According to a recent Rand Corp. study published in Health Affairs, more than 40 percent of Americans ages 50 to 64 already have difficulties performing ordinary activities of daily life, such as walking a quarter mile or climbing 10 steps without resting – a substantial rise from just 10 years ago. Because of this declining physical fitness among the middle-aged, we can expect the next generation of senior citizens to be much more impaired than the current one."

#28

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
Yes, I’ll have more kids just to create a slave labor force to help care for me in my old age. And if one of them happens to become a scientist and wants to go do research on a colony on the moon (yes, it will happen), then I will shame that child and cut him or her out of my will. That’ll learn 'em trying to get some fancy education. Sorry kid, you can’t get a Ph.D. in molecular biology. Your role is to work at Walmart for minimum wage and then help wipe your old man’s ass when he’s too old to do it for himself. Hooray for family values, because THAT’S the real reason to have kids, right?

Do you even have kids, Sloth? I do. The thought of forcing her to care for me in my old age is so anathema to my why of thinking - you have no idea. The thought never entered my mind. And yes, believe it or not, the private sector and free market can and will provide a solution. Ever hear of long-term care insurance? I plan on getting some. Do you? Oh, I guess your “long-term care insurance” will be to have children and shame them into being your nurse.[/quote]

Birlliant. a lot of parents think that their kids owe them that.

#29

[quote]BlaZe wrote:
Birlliant. a lot of parents think that their kids owe them that.
[/quote]

They do. Or, you will. Want proof? Say hello to two practically untouchable entitlement programs, SS and Medicare.

What’s funny is that I have to argue as if present reality wasn’t proof enough.