Conservative Donnybrook

An interesting thing is happening over in Europe these days. It is no secret that the economic meltdown is of global proportions, but not every country has the luxury of throwing wads of cash at the problem. You see, when a country seeks to save the economy today by lavishing government largesse on the problem, it is essentially asking future generations to pick up the tab. But, what happens if the prospect of future generations is sketchy? That is the problem that Germany, Itlay, France and Russia face. With dwindling populations for as far as the eye can see, their hands are tied inasmuch as they cannot, in good conscious, spend future money. There simply won’t be anyone to pick up the bill down the line. Of course, they could dramatically increase immigration (mainly from Northern Africa and the Middle East), but the immigrants have to be aware that it is they who will be asked to pony up the cash. In that position, it is not hard to imagine the prospective immigrant opting for greener pastures – one where the population is still growing.

The United States has been hovering right around the replacement rate for about a decade – that is, we have as many babies as deaths, on average, each year. Simple math dicates that increased spending today (which we have emphatically committed ourselves to), will mean a large debt service per person for the babies being born today as compared to today’s taxpayer. In addition, we seem to be expanding the percentage of the population that pays no taxes (welfare recipients, in essence). As a result, the average taxpayer is already being asked to increase his support of his neighbors. Babies born today will face a double whammy then, as more people will be on the dole (including a segment of those same babies) and the debt will have increased. It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that we need either 1) dramatically more babies; 2) more immigrants or 3) all of the above.

Perhaps, we could advance the argument: “For the welfare state, consider adoption.” Wouldn’t that leave the Lefties in a bind.