Hacker News Reader

It’s frankly shocking and disturbing how many people are celebrating the collapse in fertility worldwide. This should be a sign that something we’re doing is very very wrong.

Plus population is expected to plateau around 9 billion so we’re not actually being threatened by overpopulation anytime soon.

I can’t help but be reminded of the movie Children of Men.

View on HN

It's only a sign that we're doing something wrong if you assign a positive value to procreation. Many of us don't, either for ethical reasons (life includes suffering, and you have no right to inflict suffering on someone who didn't ask for it) or environmental reasons.

And as the logical conclusion of that ethical value system, I do sincerely hope we get a Children of Men scenario where we put an end to procreation entirely. (I'm aware that that viewpoint is fringe)

Having heard very few people espouse that opinion (which I share), I appreciate that you shared it. Somehow it seems very rare that parents consider their children's capacity for suffering before insisting that they exist without the chance to be asked if they actually want such an existence. Everyone just rolls the dice without truly knowing what they're getting into and assumes that "of course my kids will enjoy life, they're mine." It needs to change, in my opinion.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com