Comments on: Freedom, Freakhood and Economics http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/ Politische Kommentare mit Snarkenremarken Mon, 14 May 2012 18:16:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Doc Rampage http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-159271 Doc Rampage Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:49:25 +0000 http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/#comment-159271 Xrlq, you are overlooking the effect that easy abortions has on the creation of single-parent families. Abortion gives an out to a man who is struggling with his conscience about whether to marry his pregnant girlfriend. Before abortion it was "We got into this together so it's not fair for me to abandon her now." Today it's "She was the one who chose to have the kid so let her deal with it." As to the number of unwanted pregnancies, you are focusing on the effect that abortion has on women's decision-making and neglecting the effect that it has on men's decision-making. For men, abortion is a subjective risk-reduction factor regardless of how the woman feels about abortion. Even if she says she wouldn't have an abortion, you might be able to talk her into it. And even if you can't, it's her decision to have the kid so you don't have to marry her. I also think that you are undervaluing the effect that the words "you're pregnant" have on women. There are many women who think that it's only a piece of tissue until they hear those magic words; suddenly it becomes their baby and they couldn't think of letting anyone harm it. Just from off-the-cuff considerations, it's highly plausible that legal abortion increases the number of single-parent families substantially. Xrlq, you are overlooking the effect that easy abortions has on the creation of single-parent families. Abortion gives an out to a man who is struggling with his conscience about whether to marry his pregnant girlfriend. Before abortion it was “We got into this together so it’s not fair for me to abandon her now.” Today it’s “She was the one who chose to have the kid so let her deal with it.”

As to the number of unwanted pregnancies, you are focusing on the effect that abortion has on women’s decision-making and neglecting the effect that it has on men’s decision-making. For men, abortion is a subjective risk-reduction factor regardless of how the woman feels about abortion. Even if she says she wouldn’t have an abortion, you might be able to talk her into it. And even if you can’t, it’s her decision to have the kid so you don’t have to marry her.

I also think that you are undervaluing the effect that the words “you’re pregnant” have on women. There are many women who think that it’s only a piece of tissue until they hear those magic words; suddenly it becomes their baby and they couldn’t think of letting anyone harm it.

Just from off-the-cuff considerations, it’s highly plausible that legal abortion increases the number of single-parent families substantially.

]]> By: Xrlq http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-159262 Xrlq Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:04:07 +0000 http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/#comment-159262 I guess I did gloss over the distinction between wanted/unwanted and married/unmarried, but I'm not sure that affects my basic argument all that much, unless there was data I missed in the book showing that a disproportionate number of abortions are obtained by married couples who simply don't want another child, and not by unmarried women who can't raise them well. Even then, it would be tough to see how the availability of abortion would <i>cause</i> the unwed pregnancies, unless it could be shown that legalized abortion functioned as a false incentive, <i>i.e.,</i> a large number of women had unprotected sex because they thought they could just get abortions later, only to have a change of heart afterward. I'm sure that happens every now and then, but it would have to happen quite a lot in order to offset the total number of abortions obtained by single women. And given that legalized abortion came around the same time as the loss of social stigmas associated with premarital sex and single parenthood, how could that variable even be isolated enough for anyone to know? I guess I did gloss over the distinction between wanted/unwanted and married/unmarried, but I’m not sure that affects my basic argument all that much, unless there was data I missed in the book showing that a disproportionate number of abortions are obtained by married couples who simply don’t want another child, and not by unmarried women who can’t raise them well. Even then, it would be tough to see how the availability of abortion would cause the unwed pregnancies, unless it could be shown that legalized abortion functioned as a false incentive, i.e., a large number of women had unprotected sex because they thought they could just get abortions later, only to have a change of heart afterward. I’m sure that happens every now and then, but it would have to happen quite a lot in order to offset the total number of abortions obtained by single women. And given that legalized abortion came around the same time as the loss of social stigmas associated with premarital sex and single parenthood, how could that variable even be isolated enough for anyone to know?

]]> By: JohnLott http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-159261 JohnLott Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:40:39 +0000 http://xrlq.com/2007/06/16/freedom-freakhood-and-economics/#comment-159261 Thanks for the review. I do have one comment. I didn't argue that the liberalization of abortion increases the number of wanted kids. What I argued is that it increased the number of single parent families, with all the well known problems in raising children there compared to a two parent family. Even if a child is wanted, it is simply much more difficult for a single parent to give a child the same attention that a two parent family is able to give. It is an empirical question whether the reduction in the number of "unwanted" children as a result of more abortions is offset by liberalizing abortion rules increasing the number of single parent families. The book lays out why there is an increase in out-of-wedlock births and single parent families. Thanks for the review. I do have one comment. I didn’t argue that the liberalization of abortion increases the number of wanted kids. What I argued is that it increased the number of single parent families, with all the well known problems in raising children there compared to a two parent family. Even if a child is wanted, it is simply much more difficult for a single parent to give a child the same attention that a two parent family is able to give. It is an empirical question whether the reduction in the number of “unwanted” children as a result of more abortions is offset by liberalizing abortion rules increasing the number of single parent families. The book lays out why there is an increase in out-of-wedlock births and single parent families.

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