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Comment by nazgob | Hacker News Reader

This is all good but no country in the world managed to turn the tide, even great policies in a rich Scandinavia.

Scandinavia isn't doing much to bring down housing costs, or cost of living in general. So I'm skeptical that their policies are really that great. Some of the countries like Sweden have allowed in large numbers of immigrants, many of which ended up working in elder care facilities. While that might be a positive in some ways it also drives up housing prices.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2013.756686

Many countries have a higher birth rate today than last year. They tend to be lower income, have fewer women's rights, or be more agricultural.

IMHO, we overemphasized the dangers and impact of children, especially for women or career, and so couples have made the rational decision to have fewer children in industrialized nations, when given the choice.

I think children actually have a huge negative impact on quality of life if you aren’t rich and if anything that impact is still underemphasized

That is a fine opinion to have. Mine have been worth every minute and penny and I wish I had them 10 years ago - but was dissuaded by nearly everyone including my grand plans for myself.

I am not trying to convince you, but one rational / philosophical argument goes:

Imagine the thing you are trying to accomplish before you have children. Now imagine your neighbor lets his children die (or be taken away) so he can do that, because parenthood was in the way. Everyone is aghast. Yet we deny ourselves parenthood to do that thing all the time.

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