[kdmccormick]

Because raising children is essential to the survival of human society.

If we're going to be brutually economic about it: Are you invested in stocks or bonds at all? If our population collapsed, so would those. Today's investors' wealth is tied to the success of future generations.

[breather]

> If we're going to be brutually economic about it: Are you invested in stocks or bonds at all? If our population collapsed, so would those. Today's investors' wealth is tied to the success of future generations.

That's brutally market-oriented. The brutal economics looks like starvation.

[silverquiet]

Maintaining the global temperature within a certain range also seems important to the survival of human society, but we seem to be deadset on cranking up the thermostat regardless of the consequences. I suppose whatever will be, will be, but almost no aspect of modern life feels particularly rational; having children included. It's post-modernism all the way down, and if you want to have kids for whatever reason, then have them. If not, then don't. But I suspect very few people consider the perpetuation of society as high on the list of reasons to have them; that's too abstract while being woken up at 2AM is anything but abstract.