Sterilistion through the water supply

Well well well, who would have thought one of the most well known Alliance activists in NZ, Otago Professor Jim Flynn, would be so unsound as to point out that thick and poor people are having too many babies, and to suggest sterilising them through the water supply. Cactus Kate looks set to join the Alliance as a result.

First of all let us look at fertility rates. It is a sad fact globally that generally those who can least afford lots of children, are having them. The replacement fertility rate is accepted to be 2.1 children per woman. If a country has a lower fertility rate than that, its population will decline unless immigration occurs etc.

The countries with the highest fertility rates are:

Mali 7.38
Niger 7.37
Uganda 6.84
Somalia 6.68
Afghanistan 6.64

No amount of aid will solve that problem. Jim Flynn’s suggestion of “sterilising” the water supply might though. The lowest fertility rates include:

Hong Kong 0.98
Italy 1.29
Austria 1.37
Germany 1.40
EU 1.50
Canada 1.53
Australia 1.76
NZ 1.79
UK 1.87
US 2.09

There has been quite a bit written about Europe breeding itself out of existence. At an average of 1.50 fertility rate we’re not talking long.

Now what in NZ? Well Stats don’t seem to have much data on fertility rates by household income, but according to Stuff women who have tertiary education have a fertility rate of only 1.85 compared to 2.57 for women who are not tertiary educated.

So Flynn is correct that both NZ and the world face very significant problems in the future, as wealthy educated women are having less babies.

Now Flynn infamously mused that contraception in the water supply, could be used to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies to less educated women. He later tried to say he wasn’t serious, but still pushes the proposition:

But to have a contraception device that meant women had to take action to get pregnant instead of having to take a pill not to get pregnant, “would be wonderful”.

I will point out the obvious here. Women do have to take action to get pregnant. They have to have sex.

It goes without saying that mass sterilisation of the population is not the solution. It’s in the same league as China’s former free toaster if you only have one child scheme.