Many in the powerful ruling class seem enthusiastic about supporting the idea that women should produce more babies. What I want to know is – why?
To support the aging population? hmm…
- It’ll take at least 18 years for today’s newborns to be eligible for that task.
- In the meantime, the aging generation is spending time and money caring for their grandchildren, even in some cases for their children. I suspect there are more creative ways to help the current – and potential — parent generation, like:
- Parental leave. At least adequate maternal care. Well supported infant and child-care facilities. Support for families whose children require expensive special needs care. Affordable housing for all families. Adjusting social security financing to more adequate coverage for the elderly, with complete coverage by folks at all levels. Even, for example, the top 1% paying at the same average level as the poorest among us. Fair food distribution for the healthy development of all children. A clean environment for all children to reduce such problems as asthma. Excellent schooling for all children encouraging each child’s special ability, including freedom of reading choice, encouragement of interest in all arts.
- Reducing the appeal to violence and drugs by encouraging delight, respect, and rewards for the potential of all children.
Or maybe it’s to provide worker bees for the economy?
- It’ll take at least 18 years for today’s newborns to be eligible for that task.
- In 18 years there’s no doubt our economy will be running with fewer worker bees.
- Even amateurs like me can see that methods that worked with the introduction of the industrial revolution are old fashioned.
- We can’t know now what the work world will be like in 18 years.
- Chances are, though, that special skills will be needed at all levels. Even now I see stories of buildings being constructed by 3D printers. Artificial Intelligence will require human intelligence in ways we can only try to predict.
- Retirement no longer means what it used to mean – (fruit for a future blog?)
Or maybe it’s to provide more fodder for wars to protect whatever it is the world will become.
- From what I read, trench warriors will be needed less and less.
- Computer directed attacks even now are increasing.
- Wouldn’t it be great, though, if we helped some of the people we already have to develop their creative skills in the service of peace.
Well, I guess that’s the end of whatever I have the know-how to talk about. I just know that in my academic days it didn’t make sense for students at the beginning of a college career to make their choices for majors on the basis of what well-paying jobs would still be available when they graduated. They just might not be. By the same token, requiring women to have babies to meet today’s needs is ludicrous.
I know there are at least some 350 people following my blog. It would be great if a few of you, or those on Facebook, would help me to understand what would be so great about having more babies for the simple sake of increasing the size of the population.
I had hit 70 straight wins, setting an ultimate goal of 100 (only 30 more days to go). Then, darn it, came one of those where you get the last four letters right on the third try with lots of possible first letters to make a word. And, guess what, I tried the wrong first letters on the last three tries until I lost. And that was my teaching moment. Well, it’s what I would have tried to turn into a teaching moment if I were still teaching. I could physically feel the energy draining out into a kind of “why bother” attitude.
It was a demonstration of an approach gradient in action. “Approach gradient?” If I could do anything more than just write words on this blog, I’d draw a picture. Or even find one to copy. But I haven’t been good at extra stuff ever since they made the blog system “easier?” a few years back. So please picture this with me. (Or skip the next paragraph if you don’t like imagining graphs, even simple ones.)
First there’s the horizontal axis, the bottom line, representing the distance from the goal, in this case the number of tries (one per day) starting in the left-hand corner. Straight across, 1-2-3-4-5-etc to 100. And then there’s the vertical axis, heading up from the left-hand corner representing the strength of the desire to reach the goal. You might call it the enthusiasm for getting to 100. Intro Psych tells us the enthusiasm measure will rise as one gets closer to the goal (of 100). In other words, the intensity of the desire to reach the goal increases. OK. So now picture that suddenly at try number 71 the line flops down to zero, necessitating starting all over. Enthusiasm drops to zero, or close to it.
You don’t really need to picture an “approach gradient.” Just see that, having made my way steadily and eagerly toward 100, I was suddenly – thud — back to zero. I failed. It didn’t help much to blame the game creator. I’m the one who didn’t get the right answer. My upward journey was stopped. And I could feel my enthusiasm drop. It really felt like a physical thud. Oh yes, I played Wordle again the next day, but I was in a “don’t-really-care-very-much-if-I-don’t-get-it” mood.” That “thud,” and the “I don’t really care that much,” reminded me of the many people who don’t find energizing success anywhere. Like kids in school whose interests and skills are not identified or encouraged. What a loss! I’m talking about the failure to encourage some among us to appreciate the gifts they can use and give. And then we’re surprised that they just kind of “hang out” their lives, or, worse still, revert to socially undesirable things like drugs, or bullying, or violence of other forms.
And that’s just referring to people who aren’t encouraged. Worse still are the kids who live in atmospheres where punishment and shaming are used in the attempt to drive them to socially acceptable behaviors. Ridiculous, really, when the function of punishment is to stop action, not to encourage it.
I lost on Wordle and was reminded of the approach gradient and its importance in encouraging the living of life. I’ve been fortunate to have abilities appreciated for most of my life, so I find it fun to try again. But that’s not true for too many people. And then we call them lazy. I don’t believe in lazy.
monagustafsonaffinito 