Schools out for Summer! (and typhoons, rainstorms, earthquakes, elections etc.)

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, scott h said:

As I was taking my walk yesterday, as I passed poor homes with passels of kids from toddlers to adolescents I had an epiphany.

Perhaps the poor think like farmers in the old days, have lots of kids and hopefully enough survive to help work the farm. But here, perhaps the thinking is, have lots of kids, pick out the smartest one, pour all your resources into educating that one kid, he/she will get a decent job as an OFW of some type and support the entire family. hmmmmmmm

 

To some extent, that would at least show some kind of strategic thinking but I don't think it's likely.  I think it's no more than a culture of having kids because they will take care of you when they're older.  Of course, if only folk realised that if they had fewer kids they could invest in their futures now.  I know it's not as simple as that but...

[Possum]

46 minutes ago, hk blues said:

To some extent, that would at least show some kind of strategic thinking but I don't think it's likely.  I think it's no more than a culture of having kids because they will take care of you when they're older.  Of course, if only folk realised that if they had fewer kids they could invest in their futures now.  I know it's not as simple as that but...

I doubt there is any strategic thinking. I was working in third world country for a large foreign corporation. To help keep the peace the company paid for community projects, aided in getting reliable electricity and similar things. One day the local mayor had a meeting with us and he had a request. In his prepared speech he said that everyone knew that the large number of births was a cause of many problems. He was one of 7 children himself. He said he had thought about it a lot and he would like to propose the company buy televisions for each house. He reasoned that if his mom had a television to watch she would have had less sex. He was serious. I pointed out to him there was no TV signal and he guessed they'd need VCR or DVD too. We offered to pay for birth control devices but he said only prostitutes would use them and they could afford their own.

Strategic thinking is not a thing

[JJReyes]

15 hours ago, Possum said:

He reasoned that if his mom had a television to watch she would have had less sex. He was serious. I pointed out to him there was no TV signal and he guessed they'd need VCR or DVD too. We offered to pay for birth control devices but he said only prostitutes would use them and they could afford their own.

This is correct.  Increased number of televisions in rural Philippine areas had an effect on birthrates.  Population control advocates found out Filipinos won't use condoms.  At one time, there was a group distributing free condoms by having a container with them in public comfort rooms for the public to help themselves.  Doesn't work.  The one effective method is higher education for women.  Once they start earning personal income through work, the interest in raising multiple children drops.  China, Japan and other more advanced economies are now facing difficulties increasing the birthrate.  The women love their independence and ability to earn an income.  Working women are being enticed with cash incentives and tax break to increase the population.  No luck.