Thirith on 17/7/2009 at 21:33
Quote Posted by Stitch
I make no claims on support, only about him being generally right (which he is).
I have to say that I stopped reading AR's posts very early in this thread, but are you actually calling his massively sweeping initial statement him being generally right and making very valid points? Or are you referring to some stuff he wrote later?
Vasquez on 17/7/2009 at 21:36
Quote Posted by Stitch
I make no claims on support, only about him being generally right (which he is).
Generally right? Yes, about this:
Quote Posted by AR Master
Simply put: people who don't wish to have kids, shouldn't.
And probably about this, too:
Quote Posted by AR Master
Birthrates in the Western world are far below the replenishing standard
The rest of the thread has not been facts or "universal truths", but subjective opinions and viewpoints - for all of us - based on our own feelings and experiences. And with a topic this emotional and sort of primal it's easy to read written words in a slightly colored way (no, I'm not above that either ;) ).
heywood on 17/7/2009 at 21:41
OK, how about we actually review AR's posts of merit:
Quote Posted by AR Master
Birthrates in the Western world are far below the replenishing standard; we're not even breaking even.
Score one valid point.
Quote:
I suppose it is the inevidible end to an increasingly materialist culture, if you stay single and childless until you die you'll have a much higher quality of life and you can sleep around with anyone you want. really what is the utility of marriage and children to someone who lives to consume.
A bunch of generalizations here, implying that the childless are more materialistic and live to consume while those with children don't, and implying that the childless want to sleep around. Not much merit here.
Quote:
To be honest I find the "childfree" attitude an unattractive, anti-social extremism, but it's your life
Whatever. His opinion.
Quote Posted by AR Master
i dont really "rage" against people who don't want to have kids; i was 14 once too.
Insult.
Quote:
What I don't like is the attiude behind it often, that they're somehow the universe's savior because of shit like "overpopulation" or "limited resources" or "hell hole world" or "crotchspawn" or whatever. You know, if a couple is barren or just can't afford kids there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but when one is too busy being self involved and parades their decision around like it's the first step towards sainthood then it irks me. You don't see this attitude often because being childless is fairly rare still but with the internet anyone who labels themself "childfree" is generally like this in my experience
This is a classic strawman argument. Instead of arguing against what other posters were actually saying, AR introduced a stereotype and then tried to paint all the childfree with it, to make them easy targets I guess. Some of Vas' later posts revealed a little of this attitude, but it certainly was not the attitude taken by the majority of childfree posters.
Quote:
I disagree that families consume more than couples. Maybe they buy things in bulk and drive an SUV but a couple in their late 30s, early 40s committed to never having kids I can guarantee you will be spending at least an equal amount of money on things, whether trips, hobbies, vacations, etc. I've never known a childless couple to die rich on purpose
Hard to call this a valid point because it's so easily refutable. For one thing, it's based on the false premise that spending equal money means equal consumption of resources. More importantly, it misses the fact that the children will continue to consume after they leave the family unit.
Quote:
Again the birthrates in our countries have been falling for quite some time and we're below the standard for just breaking even (2.1) so people who harp about overpopulation are looking in the wrong place
Again, the point is valid. It might be interesting to discuss whether this is actually a problem though.
And Stitch - you said before that nobody in this thread would take the stance that there is a duty to procreate. The way I read AR, he's implying there is.
AR Master on 17/7/2009 at 21:53
nigga i is a lyrical WORDsmith aiight. yall cant step to my mastery of the english language. yalls little bitches.
Renault on 17/7/2009 at 22:00
Quote Posted by AR Master
nigga i is a lyrical WORDsmith aiight. yall cant step to my mastery of the english language. yalls little bitches.
When he talks like that, I can't help but think of (
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/26042) this guy. :laff:
Starrfall on 18/7/2009 at 02:05
you pussies seriously need to get over AR right quick what the FUCK
Gingerbread Man on 18/7/2009 at 02:11
AR got a 3-day earlier. So I have to use that as a fair baseline. RavynousHunter, by virtue of fucking baiting AR after being one of the prime engines of AR's long weekend, has now earned himself a whole week off. Because I don't like being dicked with.
Tell you something else I don't like, and that's the nitpicking shit-argument tactic of snipping posts into microquotes and injecting smug bon-mots in between each one like a fucking Desmond.
So let's try to cool it on that one. Because the bidding now stands at one month. Do I have any takers?
Tocky on 18/7/2009 at 04:07
Well damn. I was going to post Rogue Keepers comment about "extinction of this pathetic species" to show how it proved the other side of my example I was so crawled for being dumb for making but I don't want a whole month off.
I would like to point out that AR was the first to bring up demographics and Stitch the second but got damn little response one of which was mine and a pathetic one it was. But yeah, we need to get off AR. If anyone doesn't get him then it is thier loss.
I also want to acknowledge that Vas has been gracious thoughout. I'm sure she doesn't remember it but about five years ago she flew off the handle a bit about an innocent comment I made about how anyone who wants a child should consider time. Tick Tocky bingo, yeah yeah. I didn't understand the sore spot then and don't really now. Honestly it has left me feeling Scandinavians must be vicious to the childless.
And I've owned nearly all motorcycles including Harleys but I've yet to have one of them come running at me grinning like crazy. But as AR said, it's your life.
