Re: AltInst: Tradable birth quotas

> The fixed annual birth quotas
> can be initially allocated to families with deaths according
> to a variable births/deaths conversion ratio. These tradable
> birth quotas with fixed expiration dates will permit families
> to choose different numbers of children according to their
> desire and ability. Tradable fixed annual birth quotas can
> thus combine the macro-stability of a smaller stationary
> population with the micro-flexibility of optimum allocation
> of birth quotas.

That's a funny idea. "How you feelin', gramps? You know we can't have
any kids until you're dead. Don't want to rush you or anything..."

I suppose "trading" birthrights means selling them. It wouldn't make
much sense to trade a right to one birth for another. How much do you
suppose they would go for? Even if you're not waiting for grandpa to die
so you can have children, you'd be able to make some bucks off him.

If there were truly a free market, more births would presumably go to
rich people than to poor, as with other commodities.

All in all this hits so many hot buttons that I can't see it working in
this form: euthanasia as people are paid when their relatives die, genocide
as races which are less wealthy have their reproductive rates reduced,
all the tricky issues raised by buying and selling human lives.

Hal

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Received on Wed Aug 5 19:23:34 1998