Unpopular opinions.

[19QOS19]

The 'parent point of view' being adopted when someone has the temerity to criticise the massively disruptive behaviour of their family unit to everyone around them is the problem. In no other situation would supposedly rational adults be allowed to take a massive tantrum and 'do nothing out of spite' to address valid criticism: indeed the same people would have an absolute meltdown if a shop worker or work colleague did the same to them. But pop out a kid and it's suddenly OK to get on your cross every five minutes about it. 

Well no, I'd say it's more about being a decent human being and approaching a situation appropriately.

[vikingTON]

31 minutes ago, scottmcleanscontacts said:

I'm a believer in the state not interfering in people's lives, unless those people need them.

As one French politician said once "The only red thing left on Clydeside is the tenements". It's true, and it's sad.

1) Giving a tax break to people for having children is not an example of the former. People choose whether to have children or not in a modern secular society, it is not something that befalls upon them by the mysteries of nature anymore. 

2) There's nothing even remotely 'red' about the politics of tax breaks or indeed your own view of the state uttered above, which is in fact just welfare liberalism of the most handwringing type. 

[Academically Deficient]

32 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

I quite like that idea as someone who has no kids- imagine strutting about Tesco's laughing at the eunuch Dads 

Once you've been married for years and had a couple of kids, you'd be no worse off as a eunoch anyway. 

Apparently. Some guy in the pub told me.

[coprolite]

11 minutes ago, Hedgecutter said:

We could swap our pensioners with youths from Africa with the lure of a (one-way) free cruise out there.  Old 'uns love a safari, and even a flimsy private pension will go a long way in Kenya, Botswana or some other Commonwealth state.  

We could just mock up part of the kenyan coast to look like costa blanca and most of southern england would pay to retire there. Kenyan egg and chips and Carling is indistinguishable from the spanish. The staff may need to be trained up to do a passable Manuel voice. 

[vikingTON]

5 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

Well no, I'd say it's more about being a decent human being and approaching a situation appropriately.

If you're prepared to let your precious sprog shriek and bang all day long if they feel like it in a shared tenement building then you lose the right to that level of respect. It's really not the job of those being massively disrupted by your breach of the peace to protect your paternal feelings in complaining about it. 

[Academically Deficient]

2 hours ago, Sigma said:

The "My child has the right to do whatever they want!" mentality from parents has always pissed me off. 

I have recently moved into the first floor of a new property, and the people on the ground floor have this incredibly loud kid. This noisy wee shite from hell bangs and screams constantly starting from 6am to 12pm through the day. There are times I can hear my living room vibrating from the loud bangs he loves to make. 

Been there, mate. The parents were junkies/alkies as well.

I dont have any advice or smart arse comments, just sympathy for your situation.

[D.A.F.C]

Not sure if its just a fife thing but the amount of single parent families these days seems to be off the scale on Facebook. Call me old fashioned but kids need a stable home with two parents and to know how to behave should be the baseline.
Not blaming any single parents but its a fact that kids usually don't do as well and get into bother.

Someone I used to know has a 18 year old and just laughed at him posting up bragging about drug dealing.
What a f**k up

[scottmcleanscontacts]

1) Giving a tax break to people for having children is not an example of the former. People choose whether to have children or not in a modern secular society, it is not something that befalls upon them by the mysteries of nature anymore. 
2) There's nothing even remotely 'red' about the politics of tax breaks or indeed your own view of the state uttered above, which is in fact just welfare liberalism of the most handwringing type. 

I beg to differ.

It's just being decent that's all it is.

I have never and hope never to depend on any benefits but you know what I'm awfully glad that they are there just in case.

You're spot on, having kids is indeed a choice, and I'm sure that the vast majority who struggle to get by would still have them, even if there was no welfare system in place.

I do fail to understand how giving tax breaks isn't 'red' however. Of course, you could argue that it serves to keep capitalism above the parapet, but nevertheless it's an act of Socialism, whether you like it or not.

In Scotland, policy is largely made by left leaning people, updating and modifying a hundred odd years worth of socialist and liberal ideas.

In The UK more generally, the policies you see that, mostly, affect the welfare system, were introduced by a Labour Government, so to say it's not 'red' is way off the mark.

[19QOS19]

...it's more about being a decent human being...

If you're prepared to let your precious sprog shriek and bang all day long if they feel like it in a shared tenement building then you lose the right to that level of respect. It's really not the job of those being massively disrupted by your breach of the peace to protect your paternal feelings in complaining about it. 

Probably not worth continuing.

[Hedgecutter]

43 minutes ago, scottmcleanscontacts said:

As one French politician said once "The only red thing left on Clydeside is the tenements". It's true

I'd say they're mostly a shade of orange, although such an inconvenient fact wouldn't sit well in much of Clydeside I'd imagine.

[Hedgecutter]

2 minutes ago, scottmcleanscontacts said:

You're spot on, having kids is indeed a choice

My parents may disagree.

[scottmcleanscontacts]

Not sure if its just a fife thing but the amount of single parent families these days seems to be off the scale on Facebook. Call me old fashioned but kids need a stable home with two parents and to know how to behave should be the baseline.
Not blaming any single parents but its a fact that kids usually don't do as well and get into bother.

Someone I used to know has a 18 year old and just laughed at him posting up bragging about drug dealing.
What a f**k up

There's a lot to be worried about there but the historical idea of a two parent family should be left in the past.

There are many boomers and those who came after who were brought up in abusive homes etc. I'd rather a million times over have been a kid in a loving single parent household than live with parents constantly fighting, abusing each other or indeed the offspring.

Today, with women liberated in the workplace and the like there's no need (necessarily) for the old Patriarchal ideas of times of yore. Women don't depend on men to survive (and of course, this applies the other way around) and so on, they don't need to hang about in relationships they don't want to and ultimately this can only benefit children.

[scottmcleanscontacts]

My parents may disagree.

Sometimes I do too [emoji1787]

[scottmcleanscontacts]

I'd say they're mostly a shade of orange, although such an inconvenient fact wouldn't sit well in much of Clydeside I'd imagine.

There's maybe something in that. Though the term Orange Sandstone doesn't quite have the same roll off the tongue factor.

Ach, the grass is green and their hooses are orange, guess they'll just have to get on with it.

[19QOS19]

Not sure if its just a fife thing but the amount of single parent families these days seems to be off the scale on Facebook. Call me old fashioned but kids need a stable home with two parents and to know how to behave should be the baseline.
Not blaming any single parents but its a fact that kids usually don't do as well and get into bother.

You're old fashioned. And pretty judgemental as well I'm not sure how factual your statement is. Is there any evidence for it?

I'm skeptical. The problem isn't that it's because single parents are alone, it'll be because they aren't great parents. Being part of a couple won't change that though. And I expect there are thousands of great single parents and thousands of awful parents in relationships. I'd rather have one good parent than two shit parents.

[Hedgecutter]

I speak from first-hand experience when I say that living in a household in which two parents are constantly arguing certainly doesn't improve one's childhood.  The inevitable divorce and single-mum situation was undoubtedly the better option. 

 

[Raidernation]

1. Keep having kids, without children I have no job
2. I have 2 stepdaughters that are effectively dingle parents and do a fantastic job!

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

2 minutes ago, Raidernation said:

1. Keep having kids, without children I have no job
2. I have 2 stepdaughters that are effectively dingle parents and do a fantastic job!

f**k having Mandy as your mum.

[vikingTON]

17 minutes ago, scottmcleanscontacts said:

You're spot on, having kids is indeed a choice, and I'm sure that the vast majority who struggle to get by would still have them, even if there was no welfare system in place.

I do fail to understand how giving tax breaks isn't 'red' however. Of course, you could argue that it serves to keep capitalism above the parapet, but nevertheless it's an act of Socialism, whether you like it or not.

Giving tax breaks solely to incentivise childbearing is much more of a hallmark of far right thinking rather than socialism. It has absolutely nothing to do with asserting public control over the means of production in the economy: it is just shuffling around some money to 'deserving' candidates on an arbitrary and electoral calculation.

Quote

In Scotland, policy is largely made by left leaning people, updating and modifying a hundred odd years worth of socialist and liberal ideas.

In The UK more generally, the policies you see that, mostly, affect the welfare system, were introduced by a Labour Government, so to say it's not 'red' is way off the mark.

UK Labour is not and never has been 'red' by any credible standard, never mind the New Labour administration that introduced child tax credits in 2003. 

[D.A.F.C]

You're old fashioned. And pretty judgemental as well I'm not sure how factual your statement is. Is there any evidence for it?

I'm skeptical. The problem isn't that it's because single parents are alone, it'll be because they aren't great parents. Being part of a couple won't change that though. And I expect there are thousands of great single parents and thousands of awful parents in relationships. I'd rather have one good parent than two shit parents.

Theres definitely evidence that in general kids from single parent homes do worse.
Lack of resources and lack of a father figure will undoubtedly have an effect.
I agree that some of the worst off will be even worse off and that its better that parents split especially when theres abuse and other things going on that will effect kids as well.
One of the major issues with crime in america is kids without father figures. America has the largest single parent families percentage in the world.
Plenty of single parent kids have done well and not let it hold them back though so its not black and white.

In my opinion though a stable family with two loving parents will give kids a better upbringing. You don't need to look too far to see the consequences of how society has broken down to an extent since attitudes changed towards working mums and trying to juggle careers and kids alone versus the nuclear family.
Not saying either is perfect just that one worked better, usually.