Jan Baker

Economic Crisis: Good Luck Europe, You'll Need It

". . .it is ironic, or 'unfair' according to Niall Ferguson, that the situation has manifested more ferociously abroad. . ."

It may be ironic, but it's not unfair. Europe makes choices, and those choices have consequences that force them to use our markets. They choose to abandon the values that lead to stable familial relationships that in turn to lead to robust family sizes. So their 'internal markets' stink. That's just another name for population.They don't have enough.

And now they've waited too long in many cases to pursue 'pro-natal' policies and governments can't afford, with no taxes coming in, to pay women their equivalent salaries to stay home and have babies (women's salaries, mainstay pro-natal strategy, are simply too high in many countries to try to replace with a 'mother's salary' due to the educational levels which women have obtained throughout Europe). Women in Sweden are not responding to all the allurements the government can offer. Same in the Netherlands. You must read the deal they are offering women to go home and procreate. No dice. But Europe chose each turn in the road. So has Japan. China hunts women down and forceably aborts them to maintain its one-child per couple birth rate. They planned to leave consumption to us, since our birth rate was at least at replacement level. And for workers, they've relied on immigration, and are suffering for it now.Europe is in chaos.The UK is in a cultural crisis. Sharia law is replacing British common law like vegetation overtaking a rotting courtyard.

If we turned to a buy American, hire American policy, if we began our own pro-natal policies to encourage the formation of procreating families, instead of imitating those same suicidal European values, or non-values, we could survive this. Our young people are still willing to have babies (According to Self magazine's recent poll, which made fun of them for it).

How about we wake up? This is about very simple things.

Europe's Economic Contraction Intensifies in February

Yes, thanks. I can't wait for the analysis of France's better performance than Germany's. One can't help but thnk that France's 'internal market' is better because their birth rate is up.

I wish Mr. Hugh would answer this question: what would happen to the US economy, theoretically, if our birth rate climbed and settled in at, say, three offspring per couple? (It is presently, last time I checked, at 2.1, down from a previous period of 2.3, which was, at the time, the highest of industrialized nations, and the reason why Europe counted on us to consume their exports, since their own internal markets are crushed by lifestyle issues. If Madame chairman has her way, it will continue to drop as the stimulus package deliberately funds more abortion and birth control.)

Or what would it do for Europe if their birth rate suddenly took off?