What I suspect will happen is that a lot of parents may find themselves being shipped off to nursing homes instead as their way of being looked after because they raised their children reminding them of the costs and expenses involved in raising kids, or the parents keep reminding their children that they are a burden.

I have no plans to “retire” per se (I currently homeschool the boys) I don’t think my husband does either. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself and I don’t think he would either. It would be nice, though, to work when we want and for how much we want, instead of having to slave away to pay for the Gov’t excesses.

And Sean: good point–I fail to understand how ANY other countries gov’t or citizenry would want to fund the US. Unless of course, they are being real “predatory lenders”. I wonder what China will do when we default on our debt to them…

http://mises.org/story/2451

Sassy answer to the question “why do you have so any children?” To pay YOUR social security.

Sean, work until you can’t and then have your children care for you? What a concept! And each of my kids would only have to take care of just over one month a year! Sounds to me like the principal of subsidiarity…getting the job done at the lowest level.

What happened was a booming economy, combined with a federal bureaucracy that was a small fraction of what it is today. As Sean alludes to, in 1950 it seemed Social Security could go on forever–there were over 16 workers pumping money into the system for each retired beneficiary. Today, because of the decreased birth rate–and abortion–there are less than 3, and it continues to drop even more. Plus, Medicare did not debut until 1965.

I remember reading a book in early 2000 called “The Roaring 2000s” that was predicting a massive bust for the Western World over the next decade. Why? Because of the baby boomer generation leaving the workforce and starting to retire, without leaving behind a growing population. Eventually every member of the workforce will be expected to support a crushing burden from their parents generation. How are they going to support their own children?

Here’s a thought, and it may sound brutal, but retirement is not a right. You have to earn it, or else your own kids can support you. In other words, if you had no children, then you had ample opportunity to work and save. If you squandered your time, then you are going to regret it as you get older. If you were unable to save for retirement because you were caring for a family, then no doubt your children will return the favour.

For an American regime that views having children as a punishment, it is obvious that they intend to punish future generations for existing by splurging now. But as a foreigner, let me ask you this: You Americans are likely to be unable to pay your debts in the future. Why should I lend you the money? The only real option that you have is to print more greenbacks, making them not worth a Continental.