Personally I think your income tax should increase / child

Really?

So, people stop having families, on order to save some money. Then, years down the line, and when there is a huge shortfall of younger workers, you'll be moaning that the aren't enough workers paying tax to cover the burden of pensions on the state.

About time someone said what I'm sure a lot of people have been thinking.

The fundamental point that human overpopulation is bad for the ecosystem is a pretty reasonable argument : overpopulation of any species is generally bad for the ecosystem, we've seen many examples of the fact. The problem is humans being humans, we have found ways to use technology to alleviate the natural rebalancing that would occur.

The problem is that, especially in the developed western world, we tend to see the ability to have children as a right, so any measure which is seen to limit that is thought abhorrent. So we get the paradox of IVF being paid for by an NHS that can't afford the maternity staff to look after the babies when they are born. A moment's objective analysis will tell you this is insane - there's no 'right' to produce as many children as you like, especially if you can't support them yourself. Still, the problem remains - any politician who suggested a law or regime which did anything to limit the 'right' for couples to have children effectively at will would be be calling up the devil himself's amount of trouble.

Jon

The fundamental point that human overpopulation is bad for the ecosystem is a pretty reasonable argument : overpopulation of any species is generally bad for the ecosystem, we've seen many examples of the fact. The problem is humans being humans, we have found ways to use technology to alleviate the natural rebalancing that would occur.

The problem is that, especially in the developed western world, we tend to see the ability to have children as a right, so any measure which is seen to limit that is thought abhorrent. So we get the paradox of IVF being paid for by an NHS that can't afford the maternity staff to look after the babies when they are born. A moment's objective analysis will tell you this is insane - there's no 'right' to produce as many children as you like, especially if you can't support them yourself. Still, the problem remains - any politician who suggested a law or regime which did anything to limit the 'right' for couples to have children effectively at will would be be calling up the devil himself's amount of trouble.

Jon

Again, is it the developed Western world that's responsible for the overpopulation of the globe? Ah, that'd be a "no" then.

Western populations are fairly stable, in fact many are shrinking. It's places like India, China and Indonesia that have to tackle this problem.
Blighty makes up less than 0.1%.
China and India alone make up more than a third of the world's population. A THIRD!

Rather than try and save very premature babies which are invariably a huge drain on the NHS through out their adult lives we should have a much later start to when doctors assist the newborn.

Why not just ban all medical services and let nature do the rest. Bring back evolution!

Yes lets shut the NHS!

Oh yes, Great Britain is definitely responsible for the world's overpopulation.

The fundamental point that human overpopulation is bad for the ecosystem is a pretty reasonable argument...the paradox of IVF being paid for by an NHS that can't afford the maternity staff

Rather than try and save very premature babies which are invariably a huge drain on the NHS through out their adult lives we should have a much later start to when doctors assist the newborn.

Why not just ban all medical services and let nature do the rest. Bring back evolution!