Segway

Mark Steyn's article "It's the Demography, Stupid" tries very hard to make women who can control their fertility the villain of the piece. But it didn't convince me.

In his second paragraph, he humorously writes: "Go forth and multiply, because if you don't you won't be able to afford all those secondary-impulse issues, like cradle-to-grave welfare."

What, as opposed to making people understand that they need to be more responsible?

The idea of the National Health system in England always seemed illogical to me. I pay a few pounds a week and that provides me with high quality medical attention? Don't make me laugh. I haven't met a National Health doctor who was a smart as me or knew as much as me, but then I've never had a critical illness. Nor have I had a baby. If the chips were down I'd fly home. I've seen enough of the National Health service to know - you get what you pay for.

Same with everything else. People on the dole living a fabulous, rewarding life? I don't see it. I've known women to take a year off to have a baby, and their company pays for their leave. Then when people say this stops employers from considering hiring women of child bearing years I think, well, that makes sense. There is a certain logic to life you know.

Lavish social welfare will blow up in people's faces very naturally, companies won't be able to sustain it and it will end. I'm not looking forward to the time it happens but I'm hoping, if the worst comes, that my family will help me out. There are so few of us and the adults have such great jobs. That's the secret. Ask anybody in the third world. If you're smart and you're educated you can pretty much sort yourself out, as long as you don't have a big family that needs to be provided for.

That's why birth rates are declining. The second women could control their fertility they went for it like gangbusters. The double whammy of the pill and safe abortion means you don't have to live with the consequences of being silly one night. I believe God gave women 280 days between act and creation for a reason. And that reason is to assess and decide whether the circumstances will allow for one more person in the world that completely relies on you.

I have certainly had the opportunity to make babies since I reached puberty. I've heard some charming seduction lines too, all very much appreciated. No one's ever said to me though, "go on, make me a baby, I'll care for it from the moment of birth, I'll nurture and cherish, and I've got tons of money in the bank to cover all the expenses up to and including a fabulous college on the East Coast, you won't have to do a thing if you don't want to..." Now that would be something to hear!

I don't think it's wrong for America to have administered the Marshall Plan in Europe after the second world war. It was very wise and very kind. So too is the reconstruction going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. They'll probably be as resentful about it as the Europeans are. They're the kids and the donor nations of the world are the parents. What little kid comprehends how much their parents do for them? I didn't.

"In essence, the lavish levels of public health care on the Continent are subsidized by the American taxpayer." It will all end soon, that's clear.

He goes on to talk about how the Muslins will take over Europe but Sharia law and their lack of financial acumen will stop that from truly happening. All the most backward societies have poor treatment of women as standard operating procedure. And they're still backward!

When these gals get ahold of the contraceptive shot, I don't believe for a moment that they won't be meeting in secret and injecting each other - women help each other out when they can. They all want to be educated - they'll figure out that no babies gives them more time, and then we'lll see where Mark's demographic argument ends up.

Read the whole thing he wrote for the Wall Street Journal here.