Aunty:

<Disclaimer> I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat; I think both parties' platforms fall well short of anything that would actually benefit most people in our society. I agree with some of what each party preaches, but far from all. </Disclaimer>


What you are saying here does have some merit in a perfect world, but if it has any merit in the real world, it ain't much. The real world problems I see are as follows:

First, claiming that people should wait until they are financially secure to have kids seems like a no-brainer until one considers that most Americans don't reach that point until they are at least 35, or probably closer to 40, and some never reach that point at all. Waiting until you are in your late 30s to have kids is a big gamble. Not only is there a much higher risk of birth defects at that age, but there is also a very real chance you won't be able to conceive at all. This is to say nothing of the fact that sometimes, no matter how careful a couple is being, if they are sexually active, they can accidentally get pregnant. Nature finds ways to get around what we humans would like from time to time. I will say that what they do after having that child is something they can control, and to some extent, there are things everyone can do to earn a little more scratch.

Next, as I have asserted before on this board, a functioning society takes all kinds. Not everyone can make a six-figure salary, which seems to be the typical Republican answer for everything. Some products and services need to be affordable, which means the people providing them can't earn a lot of money. If every American did as you suggest and took the necessary steps to earn a great salary, it would serve only to devalue the education and skills required for that salary, thereby reducing the salary paid. Meanwhile, there would be nobody left to do the honest, hard work it takes to build, serve, and deliver the things we need to enjoy a good quality of life. Do you think so little of the hardest-working component of our society that you would tell them they should not be allowed to have children because they don't have enough money?

To be clear, I'm not advocating for abuse of the welfare system, which I generally agree does need some reform. I don't blame welfare recipients for any large part of the economic problems our country faces, but as a matter of principle, I do think every able-bodied person should have to do some kind of work to earn a living. I also understand that there are some real issues that prevent a lot of welfare moms from being able to work (paying for childcare comes to mind immediately). The real problem I see is with the children being raised on welfare. If they grow up in an environment where Mom doesn't work, they're going to figure that's how they're supposed to live when they grow up. Not the example we should be setting for these kids (if we want them to do something different, that is).