Population Control Policy Issues

On Wednesday 01 October 2003 18:07, Joe wrote:
(...)
> On the subject of a closed system approaching a (too darn small)
> population crisis.... While I agree that many people find "Brave new
> world" style baby factories repulsive, I submit that this is a work of
> fiction - ie, the author was TRYING to be as repulsive as possible. Actual
> 'baby factories' (if they ever exist) may not bear any resemblance to the
> ones in BNW at all - or even be called 'baby factories'.

I don't think that the baby factories in BNW are repulsive. Maybe one day
ectogenesis will be the preferred way for having children. Very comfortable
and without body sequels for women, and perhaps safer. Besides, fetuses in
glasses are kind of cute. (Okay, my aesthetic tastes are slightly distorted.
:-)

My main "concern" in BNW was raising children in orphanage-like institutions.
I think that we have hardwired instincts demanding something like a family...

> Could you please
> elaborate on the subject of 'Paid Families'? Would a paid family have to
> have 20 children? Or would 3 be acceptable? Is there something in this
> concept as you see it that is inherently repulsive? If so, what? Could
> every family be a paid family, or would there be a selection process?

Unwillingly, I think that I raised an issue related to paid families in my
other post where I pictured a birth-control system where people could sell
the right to have children.

As for your questions:

- No, the concept of paid families does not sound utterly revolting to me. In
some extent, that already exists: there are countries where the government
gives subsidies/fiscal incentives for people who have children.
- I really don't know how to answer the questions about the ideal number of
children per family and how the families would be selected. I think different
mega-corps would have different answers for that. Indeed, I just imagined a
bizarre mega-corp eugenics program where they would select families that
produce a lot and consume a lot - the ideal family under a market view. Over
many generations, they would build a population of ber-compulsive-consumers
and ber-workaholics (and floppy ears :-).

(...)
> Joe
(...)

Lucio