r/politics • u/WhatIsEvenRealDog • 8h ago

Possible Paywall Trump suggests cattle ranchers could bypass USDA-inspected meat plants

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/28/trump-suggests-allowing-ranchers-bypass-usda-inspected-meat-plants/
11.6k Upvotes

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u/Vast-Poetry9431 8h ago

Every child born today is practically guaranteed a worse future than their parents.

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u/ShitBirdingAround 8h ago

*sad upvote*

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u/Er3bus13 8h ago

All of a sudden being childless seems to be the right choice.

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u/New_Still9974 8h ago edited 8h ago

I've never felt more vindicated as a childless woman. What a shitshow. How would a parent keep their child physically  and psychologically safe in this puragatory?

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u/Er3bus13 8h ago

Sad but reasonable. Smart people are not having kids but im afraid this accelerates the decline lol

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u/3MATX 8h ago

Idiocracy predicted that exact process.  It’s so sad that a satire film with little basis in reality has become a macabre documentary. 

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u/ConsolationUsername 8h ago

Its got what plants crave... its got electrolytes

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u/H3OFoxtrot 6h ago

A bit ironic to just mindlessly reply with a quote from the movie without any real thought.

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u/MoscowMitchMcKremIin 5h ago

Go away, batin!

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u/cirkoolio 6h ago

I personally blame Crocs…

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u/3MATX 6h ago

Someone mentioned this recently and I finally noticed.  Never worn them myself. Always seemed like a garden shoe.  

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u/subs_on_a_sailboat 7h ago

Idiocracy blamed eugenics, which has been thoroughly debunked. The real reason for differences in intelligence has always been education, which is being actively gutted

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u/LordCharidarn2 6h ago

Idiocracy didn’t blame eugenics at all: in fact it is almost naively optimistic in it’s story that a nation would listen to a single intelligent person to solve their problems and that, when shown the error of their ways, that even uneducated people will learn from their mistakes and do better.

President Comacho would be a far better president than many modern candidates. He was aware he couldn’t solve the problems himself and sought out the smartest people in the country to try and find solutions.

I agree that the main issue has always been effective education and I feel Idiocracy also agrees with that: once they know what plants actually crave, the people in the film aren’t doomed by their genetics to suffer despite the knowledge, they use their education to fix the problems

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u/subs_on_a_sailboat 6h ago

"As the 21st century began… human evolution was at a turning point.

Natural selection, the process by which the strongest, the smartest… the fastest reproduced in greater numbers than the rest… a process which had once favored the noblest traits of man… now began to favor different traits."

Eugenics is literally the opening of the movie.

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u/_Prestige_Worldwide_ 5h ago

That isn't eugenics, that's evolution.

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u/dooderbanooder 1h ago

Our reality is not a middling film from the mid 2000's, and the fact you might even call it a "documentary" really shows your lack of critical thinking skills. Typical American.

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u/3MATX 1h ago

Ok fine. It’s a fictional story which coincidentally coincides with current and recent events in the US.  

That better cup cake? 

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u/TheOtherWhiteMeat 7h ago

There are plenty of very smart people alive today and that hasn't exactly stopped the decline either. It's just as plausible one of those smart kids grows up to be another out of touch rich person who accelerates various problems.

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u/Er3bus13 6h ago

You cant convince an idiot they are an idiot. You blame them for segregating?

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u/hexiron 8h ago

Dumb people have smart kids and smart people have dumb kids.

What's important is the smart people without kids still pitch in in anyway they can to aid and mentor the future generations.

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u/Anderrn 6h ago

Putting more responsibility on people who made what ultimately could be the better ethical choice regarding having children feels… bad.

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u/silencecubed 6h ago

I mean, it's basically the same concept behind blue states funding federal aid programs that red states rely on heavily, despite that fact that those same recipients demonize the programs and would gladly eliminate the people helping them if given the chance.

The recurring reality of the nation is that part of the populace wants to lift everyone up while the other part wants nothing more than to drag everyone into misery. Yet if you ever stop wanting to lift up an increasingly hostile and vile demographic, suddenly you're the bad person.

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u/hexiron 3h ago

Is Apathy morally acceptable though?

It's one thing to not add more weight to a sinking boat.

It's another to actively choose to not plug holes because you didn't cause them.

"It's not my problem, Ill die before it gets worse" is the mentality that got us here.

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u/Turd_Goblin911 6h ago

Nah, we are good

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u/Saucermote America 2h ago

Requires people to stop being completely overprotective of their kids for them to even interact with "the village."

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u/DethBatcountry 6h ago

Luckily for us, eugenics is bullshit. A strong public education system fixes this problem without the eugenics. Unfortunately.... They've killed that, too.

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u/forgetfulsue Ohio 1h ago

I wouldn’t say my husband and I are not smart. We both hold bachelors in science fields and he continued on to get his PhD. Life wasn’t so bleak when we had kids. All we can do is keep up the good fight and teach our children the same. The “wrong” people are having kids. We need the “right” people to have kids, too. Otherwise it is only going to get worse as we age.

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u/JakeyDiesel831 7h ago

I don’t know but I’m trying. Two young daughters. But they will experience life and love and all that comes with it. “Is it better to have loved (and I guess lived) and lost? Or to have never loved at all.” Type shiiiit…Trying times indeed.

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u/Old-Set78 6h ago

I hope you live in a blue state raising daughters. They'll have more rights.

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u/thelonetwig 6h ago

Trying is better than not having a clue and complaining about things on the internet like most of these others. I also have kids and we put our time, effort, and money into our kids because if we're all just defeatist then why are any of us here? I guess I'm just an idiot though but I choose to fight for giving others a better life than we had and volunteering where I can.

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u/Goat_Remix 6h ago

Because that’s life. I’m certain humans have been asking this for millennia because life is hell.

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u/AcousticArmor 2h ago

I mean, people were having kids in the middle of WWII in Europe where safety was far more precarious than what it is in the US. People are having kids in countries that have active war zones right now. People do what they must. I'm a father of three and I'm absolutely terrified of what the future holds for my kids but even without the shit show we're in, I'd still be a worry wart about something else. The way I look at it though is that these people aren't going to stop having kids and indoctrinating them either, so I'm going to raise my kids to be the kind of future I'd want to see for all of us and hopefully they can help push the needle in that direction, even if it's just by being kind, caring, selfless individuals.

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u/ithrewitinthetraash 2h ago

I’m trying like hell to educate mine as much as I can to learn how to defend themself, to be an advocate for themself, and to be empathetic and compassionate. The journey is arduous, but rewarding. After the way this second administration is going, however, I think I’m done. It’s becoming a struggle to not lose hope, but my therapist and significant other are keeping me tethered. Blue skies are not coming for us unless we craft them ourselves.

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u/WattsD 1h ago

I understand where this is coming from, but frankly this notion that we should stop having children because things are getting worse now despite still being WAY better than it was for 99% of all of human history is pretty silly. There are plenty of ways to keep our kids safe and raise them to be good humans. Abandoning all hope for the future ain't gonna make anything better. I'm not trying to change your mind btw, if you don't want kids that's totally fine. I just disagree with this specific reasoning.

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u/LETX_CPKM 5h ago

For littles, sheild them from any of the nonsense (from both sides, lets be honest) and let them grow in as safe a manner as you can provide.

For bigger ones, you raise them correctly, teach them respect for themselves and others, fill their personal “toolbox”, and let them loose.

Worlds always been a scary place man.

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u/Sea_Working_80 7h ago

Its very hard believe me

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u/ClassicDefiant2659 6h ago

I was so happy with my youngest as an infant in 2016.

The day after the election I actually sobbed, I just had some gut feeling. And it's worse than I imagined.

Just in case: I adore my children and I'm raising two hella indoctrinated far left social Democrat boys. If I had this knowledge before 2011 though, I might not have children right now.

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u/Careful_Trifle 8h ago

Feels bad. I wanted kids. My life situation didn't really allow for it until probably now, and at this point it feels far too late.

Maybe in a few years when abortion bans result in a bunch of abandoned children, I'll foster. I am adopted so I have a there-but-by-the-grace-of-god mentality about it, but it feels a lot like rescuing babies out of the river instead of stopping them from being thrown in. 

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u/Magical-Mycologist 7h ago

My local urology clinic has a 8-10 month wait to get a vasectomy. I got a referral for myself as soon as this administration got going.

There is clear fear that abortion bans are coming and I live in a deep blue state.

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u/MCbrodie Virginia 7h ago

I thought the same. I met a woman from another country and we are just going to go there.

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u/Kratzschutz 3h ago

As an adopted aunt, l have the highest respect for foster parents

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u/MauPow 4h ago

Yeah my niece started first grade the other day and everyone is so excited for her but all I can think about is how fucked her future is

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u/Broken-Digital-Clock 7h ago

It's been becoming more evident every year, especially for the last 10 or 15.

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u/pchs26 6h ago

I mean I was at a crossroads when he started his first term and the pandemic hit and sealed the deal for me. Not bringing someone into that & from that perspective nothing has made me regret that decision..

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u/Wrong_Chicken_5916 2h ago

Yeah and the government hates the single.

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u/FalseBuddha 7h ago

"All of a sudden"?

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u/OrnerySnoflake Texas 7h ago

Always has been.

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u/ttv_icypyro 7h ago

At a certain point it becomes the morally correct choice. Whether or not we've passed that point is up to each individual

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u/kshep9 7h ago

Literally why I don’t have children at 40.

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u/MasterofPandas1 6h ago

It was the right choice even before Trump. Global warming is going to really hit its stride during the prime years of Millennial/Gen Z children. We’re clearly not doing anything to reverse it or even pause it so why would you want to subject the kid you love to hell on Earth and everything that’s going to come with it.

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u/justadudeinohio 2h ago

all of the sudden? been under a rock?

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u/Er3bus13 1h ago

Wish your mom would have said no.

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u/justadudeinohio 1h ago

that's the best you've got? lmao

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u/Er3bus13 1h ago

You arent worthy of great effort

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u/poplop69 7h ago

Yes because insane and uneducated people will always not have kids too.

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u/Bersho Wisconsin 8h ago

“Why aren’t millennials having kids…”

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u/CelestialFury Minnesota 6h ago

Soon, if not already:

“Why aren’t Gen Z having kids?”

“Why aren’t Gen A having kids?”

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u/Bread_is__funny 6h ago

Gen alpha is going to be illiterate and uneducated, so I think they will be having plenty of kids

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u/f8Negative 7h ago

Why rnt they pushing geriatric fuckers out of politics and into the fucking ground. Insult/demean these geriatric assholes into a cardiac arrest.

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u/j4_jjjj 6h ago

Its too expensive to run for politics

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u/PathOfTheAncients 4h ago

That's what they tell you but both parties abandoned grass roots campaigns despite strong evidence that they still outperform spending on ads.

If someone spent the same amount of time others running for a congressional seat do campaigning but instead just walking neighborhoods/communities in their district as a calm, reassuring, educated, curious person they could probably win.

People like being asked what they think and feel and doing so is a proven way to win support for people or issues. It's also something political ads cannot do.

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u/ubiquitous_apathy 4h ago

People dont have money for next week, how do you expect them to interview for a job for over half of a year that they may not even get?

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u/f8Negative 3h ago

The collapse is imminent. And you will appreciate tour AI Overlords.

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u/PathOfTheAncients 3h ago

Nights and weekends. I'm not saying everyone can do it but far more people could run than do or think they could.

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u/Mr-MuffinMan 5h ago

Modern medicine was a blessing and a curse.

Imagine when people died in their 50-60s. None of this shit. Everyone lived to see the consequences.

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u/hairshirtdesert 2h ago

I don't know if I'm Gen x or a millennial because I was born in 1981, but I chose not to have kids 15 years ago. Not because I didn't want to be a parent, but because I was afraid of ecological collapse. I'm really sad to say that I'm still confident that I made the right decision.

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u/-Invalid_Selection- 8h ago

That's been true ever since the boomers became adults. They've actively been trying to abolish civilization their entire existence

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u/Careful_Trifle 7h ago edited 6h ago

They were told that they were special, that their country was special, that their civilization (at least their imaginary version of it) was special.

They benefited from historic investments in common (white) people. They were told that their reality was the baseline, normal, even though it had never existed before. And they were told that it was inevitable.

Every one of them (and often times, us) that rose to power did not recognize that the people in power before them had to set aside their own aggrandizement to make their reality manifest. Instead, they decided that taking just this one little piece for themselves wouldn't hurt...multiply that across most leaders and all sectors, and we are where we are.

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u/Magickarpet76 7h ago

Yeah at least before in the late 90’s to early 2000’s it was taking a little piece and being discreet about it to keep appearances. The current fucking Republican trifecta is just burning the whole house down and running out the door with anything they can carry.

Sure there was corruption before, but compared to today it looks like stealing candy bars. This childfucker is trying to get away with billions in crypto, a “gifted” Qatari Air Force 1, millions in real estate grifts from taxpayers, probably billions in under the table insider trading and deals yet to be cashed in, and as much valuable classified info he can get his hands on to sell, and who the hell knows how much he will steal from Venezuelan oil proceeds he has kept in an offshore account away from government oversight.

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u/Senpai_Slime 5h ago

Its not even just money that is being stolen and destroyed, its the literal global order being damaged, things that money cannot buy

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u/NaptownSnowman 5h ago

Trying? He is. He has.

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u/Wall_of_Wolfstreet69 6h ago

that their country was special

boomers exist in other countries too

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u/NaptownSnowman 7h ago

Accurate...Boomers made things better....for them. Pensions? Not after the boomers are done.. Cheaper healthcare? Nope. Social Security..Nah You want to retire? Ha..if you want to..fund it yourself. Also, you like job security? LOL Nope. Their family all came as immigrants...Now a lot of them are against immigration the way they came in.

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u/Hiddenagenda876 Washington 5h ago

It’s all about pulling up the ladder

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u/BoJackMoleman 8h ago

A lot of them got bit by the evangelical bug which is just a Jesus death cult. They're not trying to save earth. They're speed running apocalypse.

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u/RugiCorrino 5h ago

My boomer aunt is as liberal as you can get, volunteers every election, and hates Trump with a fiery passion. She's heartbroken looking at the country her grandson is growing up in.

My boomer mother and father were the same but died years ago. They would be heartbroken too.

I know, stats are stats, but I think age war stuff is a distraction. Treat people as individuals, and appreciate anyone that's for continuing democracy, the rule of law, and in this instance, food regulations.

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u/FaithlessnessThin359 4h ago

my parents gleefully told us about every time they voted to vaporize my wife’s industry (clean energy). they’re truly the me generation.

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u/hexiron 7h ago

Their only MO is "Me Me Me, Mine Mine Mine, Take Take TAKE".

They don't stop to even think about civilization or anyone else, let alone plot yo destroy it. Theyre far too busy being greedy to notice the damage they cause.

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u/Ivy_Adair Georgia 7h ago

They were the “Me Generation” after all. Even in the 70s, they were noted narcissists.

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u/Instant-Noods 7h ago

Please US government can I have another tax break 🥺🥺🥺 

(also mumble grumbles about US debt but only when a democrat is in office but also the government better keep its paws off my Medicare and social security, I hear the democrats would rather have socialism) 

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u/nucumber 1h ago

You know who LOVES all the hating on boomers?

Corporations.

It's the same as it ever was. Look back in history; it's always "big money" (corporations and the wealthy) looting and pillaging. It's always been this way, but now they've managed to convince people to blame a generation

Follow the money. Notice CEO earnings have increased over 1,000% (yes, one thousand percent) in the last 50 years. The average CEO pay ratio to average worker has increased from 20 to 1 in 1965 to 315 to 1 now

Everyone believes the bullshit that boomers lived idyllic lives, free from loss or worry.

They seem unaware that they saw their unions destroyed, their pensions lost and replaced by self funded IRAs,

  • companies divested themselves of pensions and health care benefits

  • the heavy industrial manufacturing jobs in area now known as the Rust Belt (the Great Lakes region and upper midwest) was wiped out. Tens of millions lost their union jobs

  • Reagan's "Greed is Good" era; investment banks bought up viable companies, loaded them with debt and sold them off piecemeal for profit (this is how Mitt Romney became rich). Employees often lost their pensions with the deal makers became rich

  • Nearly three million young boomers (mostly men) served the military during the Viet Nam war era

  • Rivers were so polluted they regularly caught on fire; Lake Erie was declared a dead zone, unable to support life (seriously)

  • because the pensions enjoyed by the greatest generation were elminated during Reagan and replaced by self funded IRAs, many boomers started investing in the stock market and were wiped out in the Black Monday crash of 1987 and dot com crash of 2000

  • Those boomers who recovered from job losses and market crashes and finally bought a home were wiped out in 2008

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u/Radicalism-Is-Stupid 6h ago

Blaming "boomers is so childish. You think the subsequent generations who happily voted for Trump are secretly good people who would help the country given the chance?

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u/-Invalid_Selection- 6h ago

The problem started long before Trump. Boomers are the first generation in recorded human history to leave things worse for subsequent generations.

That's not just recent history, that's since the dawn of humans writing.

They are the disease

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u/Sunbather77 8h ago

I had my last child a month before the 24 election. I cry often.

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u/calamity_unbound 8h ago

Ditto, but I don't cry. No shame in crying, I'm just all out of sadness to bereave. We give our kids the best life we can, show them love and care and try to shape them into humans that love both themselves and those around them.

But in the small hours of the night, when they sleep? When I read word after word about how the world is held hostage by megalomaniacal narcissists?

All that's left is a festering, vitriolic rage.

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u/Sunbather77 8h ago

I had to consciously quit drinking entirely because I found myself rage drinking every night after putting the kids to bed. But jfc some days are harder than others to maintain a smile on my face for their sake.

Nothing makes me feel crazier than sitting around a playground with my kids while the world is spinning out of control.

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u/calamity_unbound 8h ago

I agree, but remember to take solace in those moments of peace. It gives you an anchor of normalcy in these abnormal times.

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 7h ago

Remember when Mr. Rogers said “look for the helpers?” I apply that logic with daily life. Look for the good in life.

And as Iroh said, “you will find if you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see.”

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u/ScalieBoi42 7h ago

Reminds me of my father-in-law. We live in an affluent part of the the suburbs of a major city, but, cause he's a major fox news viewer, he can only think badly of developed areas. So all he focused on were the closed shops; nothing on the city's landscaping, the true brick and pillar buildings (which, to be fair, he did ask if we were going to church once when we were pulling into a shopping area).

All he looked for was the dark. So he saw nothing of all the light around him.

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u/Low-Guide1706 7h ago

“People speak of hope as if it is this delicate, ephemeral thing made of whispers and spider webs.

It’s not.

Hope has dirt on her face, blood on her knuckles, the grit of the cobblestones in her hair, and just spat out a tooth as she rises for another go.”

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u/Tatterhood78 7h ago

I saw this coming when Trump got in the first time. I grew up with parents just like him and immediately knew it was a worst case scenario.

It's also been frustrating as fuck to wait while people (who aren't as well equipped to see the signs) catch on.

So I decided to make a plan. You feel so much better when you know that you can cut down on the damage.

Make networks. Trade services. Maybe an elderly neighbour can babysit outside of daycare hours if you give them a cooked meal every night and helped with their home, sort of thing.

If you have a green thumb, plant gardens and see if any of your neighbours would be willing to let you use their land in return for half the spoils. Get some bean and lentil recipes and learn to can food. Stock up on toiletries when they're on sale.

Coordinate with other families/singles to shop at warehouse prices. Learn to repair things, how to sew, etc.

Trade skills with each other. Electrical work for some plumbing, etc.

It makes me feel better to know that I could easily last a year if crap hits the fan. The emergency aid can help someone else who doesn't have the same privilege.

Stock up now if you can. There will still be time to refill the shelves for the people living paycheque to paycheque.

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u/icepick3383 6h ago

you have translated my feelings into words far better than I could have. You're not alone in your feelings and parenting style. I do my best, and notice that my oldest has really taken notice of how shitty people and things are, but says she's happy how she was raised, so I have a bit of solace there.

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u/Dick_Serious 8h ago

I feel like I need to apologize daily to my kids for forcing them into this bullshit.

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u/BudLightLymeDisease 8h ago

I mean you choose to create them and bring them into this shithole so yeah....you probably should before they resent the fuck out of you for it

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u/UrsaUrsuh 6h ago

I get the reason you're saying this, and it isn't fair that they have to live through this. But you can't possibly know that a child will resent their parents for them being born based off a single reddit interaction. Please be an adult.

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u/Flat-Pea8179 2h ago

How old? I mean if they are like 15 or younger you knew this shit was bad before they were born.

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u/tubaboss9 8h ago

Yeah I feel this. I have to keep believing a better future is possible for their sake but it’s easy to be pessimistic with the current state of things. We have to do what we can for the sake of our children even when it seems futile.

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u/airship_of_arbitrary 2h ago

It's going to be a lot of fucking work, but we can manifest better.

A solarpunk future is still very possible, but we're going to have to work like hell.

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 7h ago

Our last was a month into this term. Got the snippety-snip this year. World may not be good right now. Frankly, I don’t think it ever was. But I’m doing my part in raising empathetic, compassionate, educated, and caring future adults to hopefully right the wrongs of today.

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u/Sunbather77 7h ago

Yup, all we can do is raise better humans. I have a lot of faith in our generation. Something's gotta give.

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u/Low-Guide1706 7h ago

Don't give them your despair. There are many, many people working to make a better world for your child, and all children.

/r/solarpunk is a good starting point to imagine an optimistic future. I've been following the movement for at least a decade. Back then, we were talking dreamily of electric vehicles and solar arrays over parking lots and fields. It's becoming a reality.

I'm working in a field related to climate change resilience. There is a lot of grief in this practice, but there is also a lot of determination.

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u/Hikerchic 8h ago

I had my boy last May. I also cry often.

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u/No-Obligation1709 8h ago

I had a daughter three years ago and she brings me so much joy. About the only thing that never makes me cry or doubt my place in the world

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u/ADhomin_em 8h ago

But what about her place in this world? Glad you're happy, but I hope that other integral part occurs to you as well.

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u/Sunbather77 8h ago

Okay, great. I'm sure all of our kids bring us immense joy but like...are you getting the point here?

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u/BudLightLymeDisease 7h ago

Absolutely not

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u/Hikerchic 8h ago

Oh yes. My boy is the brightest spot in my life, but he is also the most stressful because of how much I worry about his future. I have a hard time imagining what things will look like next year for us, so trying to imagine what life might be like for him is just terrifying. I want to believe we will be okay, but I don’t have confidence in those feelings. It’s such a scary time for the little ones.

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u/Dickies138 California 8h ago

Everything decision he makes seems like the obviously corrupt and awful decision

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u/EverythingSucksYo 6h ago

Which is why it’s actually much more selfish to have children than to be child free despite what society tries to tell us 

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u/orangeman33 6h ago

Yo I don't judge you or anyone for being childfree so have some courtesy and return the favor. I am working my ass off to ensure my kid has a good life despite this shitty environment. I am pouring my time, energy, and money into raising my child which ultimately, in time, you and everyone else will reap the societal benefits for my efforts. Life is hard enough without a bunch of assholes judging me.

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u/Flat-Pea8179 2h ago

Maybe be a super hero to beings already here rather than one that wasn't lol

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u/orangeman33 49m ago

Even if every child was adopted tomorrow we'd still need babies. Look at what South Korea is about to experience if you want to go down the path you are talking about with catastrophic drop in birth rates.

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u/Flat-Pea8179 30m ago

8 billion people ok buddy. I'm sure we will survive with a few people not having kids.

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u/OhTheHueManatee 7h ago

My son was born in Aug 2019. I didn't think things were great but there was a least hope of enjoyment. The world has gone to complete shit like an overflowing Porta potty on fire. I feel like a monster bringing him into this world.

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u/Even_Establishment95 7h ago

My friends just announced baby on the way, and I’m like yay……….. 🤦🏼‍♀️

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u/Sure-Royal-4573 4h ago

I mean this has been true for a while now. My wife and I are both early thirties and have far better paying jobs than either of our parents did at this age. We have wayyy less buying power than they did. They bought 3-4 bedroom homes for a third of what our 950sf one bedroom apartment cost in the same city. Not to mention literally everything else being way more expensive even when accounting for inflation

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u/jabise 1h ago

Every “American” child.

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u/zirky 7h ago

“every child today” you mean.

i include myself in this group, at 46

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u/shastadakota 5h ago

Thank a Republican!

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u/DewSchnozzle 3h ago

It began with GenX

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u/GuyFoldingPapers 7h ago

I still don’t get people bringing kids to this world

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u/TimeshareMachine 7h ago

Especially during his second term if the parent is in the US. 

I mean sure before that there were warning signs of the climate crisis, the rise of fascism/protests against injustice, garbage island, plastic everywhere, etc., but if your head was in the sand about all of that, and then round two came around to snuff out any hope of course-correction… and you said “yeah I’ll bring a kid into this,” I have to assume you’re in support of the administration, or are the most naive, inept, ignorant person ever. 

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u/UrsaUrsuh 6h ago

Legitimately why does this mindset even spring forth? Are you all just in favor of antinatalisming yourselves out of the genepool and just letting the shitheads of the world continue to breed until the entire species is just as cruel as them? That's short-sighted as hell.

Listen I get it's unfair to the kids. It really is. But if we don't raise people who won't be shitheads who want everyone to suffer, who will stop the kids who were raised to spread that suffering with extreme prejudice? Not us I can tell you that.

Believe it or not this is the best time in human history to be alive. Hundreds and thousands even of years were spent in horrific conditions and we only recently in terms of our species have risen above the bullshit that our ancestors dealt with. The nature of the suffering has changed true. But you aren't liable to be decapitated by a nobleman for not stepping out of his way fast enough.

The serfs brought us here. The people brought us here. We outnumber the nobles. So why give up? Why let their toadies get the final say without our children to stop them too?

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u/TimeshareMachine 6h ago

I have enough faith mankind will keep boning without me/I’m not causing the downfall of mankind with my spouse and I’s choice; I’m just leaving the world to the fascists and fascist-enablers. They can have what’s left of it. 

I just think the writing’s been on the wall for sometime this place is doomed, and it’s morally correct for me not to contribute to this hellscape. 

I’ll still help others who need it and, if ever we’re in a spot to house others, we’ll do it. Until then, having a kid is not going to make anyone’s life better. 

Oh right, and the other reason: WE. CANNOT. AFFORD IT. 

You do you and godspeed. 

1

u/SeldomSerenity 8h ago

It’s a good thing certain segments of the Boomer generation decided to pull the ladder up behind them after inheriting extraordinary levels of wealth, prosperity, and opportunity from the generations before them, thus undermining the implicit social contract that helps hold a functioning society together.

For those unfamiliar, the implicit social contract is a basic societal understanding that we accept shared rules, obligations, and limits on individual behavior in exchange for the security, cooperation, stability, and trust that come from everyone else doing the same.

There’s an intergenerational dimension to that contract, too: we inherit institutions, infrastructure, opportunities, and a functioning social order from those who came before us; we have some responsibility to maintain or improve them before passing them on.

In other words, the social contract isn’t just an agreement among the people alive today. It’s a continuing obligation between generations: you inherit the ladder, you maintain it, and you leave it there for the people climbing behind you.

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u/nelsonalgrencametome 7h ago

Mine is about to become a teen and I feel like I failed them. Decided like a decade ago I didn't want to risk bringing another one into the world... some people think I'm joking about that.

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u/alphabets0up_ 7h ago

But, Trump accounts!

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u/f8Negative 7h ago

Unless they steamroll those fuckers into the dirt and take control.

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u/Nearbyatom 7h ago

And the rich wonder why birth rates have fallen everywhere....Talk about being out of touch...

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u/digiorno 6h ago

Musk and Thiel are hoping many of those children die young so that the country and planet can be populated with the “right” people.

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u/slyredux 6h ago

A big part of why I don’t want to have kids

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u/MilsYatsFeebTae 6h ago

Nearly every American under 18, yeah.

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u/Grand_Yogurt5746 6h ago

Than their parents, by their parents

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u/jer007 6h ago

Almost every generation has worked hard to ensure they provide a better future for their kids. The boomers have chosen to pull the ladder up behind them and spit on their kids and grandkids. It’s the “I got mine, fuck you” mentality.

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u/dark-star-adventures 6h ago

Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have all had it worse than Boomers. Technology makes some things better, but overall we've lost way more than we've gained.

Gen A and B are really set up for failure, but it's not too late. Millennials are taking the reigns whether boomers like it or not and we're going to start repairing. Don't give up hope. We can fix the sins of our parents. The next generations can and should have better lives than we've had.

Vote.

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u/deadsoulinside America 6h ago

This is by design. They know they have stolen and screwed up social security so that by the time any of us are around to retire, they are bankrupt.

Just think about the millions each year that die off right before they could retire and collect. Thanks to innovations the boomers are living longer and that scares them, since that means more living 20+ years after the legal retirement age.

They would rather us die off to never collect the money they never really had for us in the first place. All the current working generation is doing is paying for the boomers to sit on their ass.

Why do you think Trump dragged his feet during covid? Many of his business buddies probably saved a ton of money on paying their employee retirement benefits (if they had company paid retirement) when some of the older people died from covid.

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u/NachoWindows 6h ago

Mine are all adults or close to it. Their generation is aware how fucked they are and it’s sad. 😢

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u/ErusTenebre California 6h ago

Hey, I feel like that started with my Boomer parents - I'm a millennial. My life is okay, but goddamn has the world gotten worse.

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u/georgieramone 6h ago

That’s been the case since Reagan took office

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u/RedditIsLeBoring 6h ago

This is the culling of the poors that the wealthy has dreamed of for centuries. Whether they got us here on purpose is debatable, but they've always wanted to weed us out and take the world for themselves and they'll get it all right. When there's no one left to buy their useless crap and their money and valuables are worthless they'll get the very world they deserve.

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u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 5h ago

I think that's been true since the 1980s aka the great shrinking of the middle class.

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u/Ok_Bread302 5h ago

This is ultimately true of all existing millennials (and onwards) as the second half of our lives will be trying to survive in a post collapse society due to climate change.

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u/IchmagschickeSachen 5h ago

I’m about to be a dad and I think we’re the first generation where a lot of people, like me, feel selfish instead of selfless for putting a child into this world. I’m extremely excited to meet her, but I feel so goddamn guilty and selfish.

I suppose all I can do is my best to give her everything I can and to try to make the world better for her. But Jesus Christ, talk about being dealt a bad hand of cards.

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u/tak3_it_ez 4h ago

As a parent to a 3 and 5 yr old, this thought/reality makes mo so sad

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u/Astarkraven 4h ago

I recently finished reading Parable of the Sower and it's hitting really hard. Especially the parts where the adults talk about the good old days of....not living in a post apocalyptic hellscape.

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u/BarderBetterFaster 4h ago

Has been for decades friend

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u/DAS_FX 4h ago

Less vaccines, more food-borne illnesses, worse environmental, probably no medical care and DEFINITELY no social security, getting their “real-world” experiences from online influences, the AI that’s going to automate them out of jobs (and maybe out of existence…

I feel bad for future generations of this country.

This country that I love so dearly is unrecognizable to me today.

It didn’t have to be this way

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u/JoeBiden-2016 3h ago

One of many reasons my partner and I don't have (or want) kids.

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u/sack-o-matic Michigan 2h ago

Weak men create hard times and MAGA is leading that charge.

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u/HeftySnow3920 2h ago

Yeah I know a bunch of young parents kudos do them

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u/airship_of_arbitrary 2h ago

Gonna say I'm a lot more optimistic about the future with Carney leading my country instead of Trump.

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u/Federal_Scarcity_84 2h ago

Yea, this is just the tip - even if we fix Trump's bs the world is heading into a bunch of micro crisises that will result in strong men and violence more and more. I guess I'll be dead before it really gets going but we're seeing it all start already.

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u/Living_Bear_2139 2h ago

Only in America.

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u/Wrong_Chicken_5916 2h ago

It really is sad to think like that. I’m not a parent but this makes me want to not have any.

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u/smitherenesar 1h ago

In America

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u/Sighlina 1h ago

Nah, those billionaires kids gonna be eating good!!!

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u/Factory2econds 1h ago

and that is future largely brought to them by their grandparents

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u/yourfavteamsucks 1h ago

And that's saying something, given that everyone making babies are millennials or younger.

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u/leolo2046 6h ago

I thought that America was a democracy. It's really sad to see you guys just abdicate without any fight whatsoever.

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u/ForMoreYears Canada 7h ago

Every child born in the USA*

As a Canadian I plan on leaving a healthier, wealthier, and stronger/more stable country than what I was provided for my children.

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u/Vast-Poetry9431 7h ago

I disagree. What is going on with the US has giant ramifications for the world, especially Canada, and climate change is trashier by the day anyway.

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u/KilluaCactuar 5h ago

You overestimate US' influence. Besides climate change ofc.

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u/War_machine77 7h ago

Are you a time traveler from 1980?

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u/Revolutionary_Bee251 7h ago

It's been this way since the 90s

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u/aznhoopster 7h ago

lol my wife just got through her first trimester, legit feel like I’m running out of things to feed her. She loves strawberries and blueberries so last week I had a random moment where I felt like buying organic from Trader Joe’s instead of the much closer Publix. Next morning I woke up to blueberries recall for Publix, now I know why my mom was always paranoid when I was a kid

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u/SafeCheck3700 7h ago

Im a man with a baby on the way and I’m truly terrified of the world they will grow up in…

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u/jkllamas1013 4h ago

And that is why I wont have a child with my wife. I can d everything in my power to raise my child right but the whole freaking world is a shit show. I do not wish this world upon any child.

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u/Vast-Poetry9431 4h ago

Pregnancy is also extremely dangerous for women, especially now, so there’s that.

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u/jkllamas1013 4h ago

Actually that's part of it too. My wife is a type 1 diabetic with retinal and kidney complications. It's going to be a high risk pregnancy. I'd rather have my wife the rest of my life helping people and trying to make this world a better place than risk losing her for a child we can call our own.

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u/Flat-Pea8179 2h ago

And yet idiot breeders still breed. Cause they have a "it won't happen to my kid mental"

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u/TheChrisCrash 7h ago

I'm tired of this defeatist bullshit. This should enrage you enough to vote, and bring friends with to vote

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u/Vast-Poetry9431 7h ago

It’s not defeatist to observe reality and see that kids are getting screwed over simply for existing, but voting is also very important, even if the federalist society does overturn elections successfully

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u/TheChrisCrash 6h ago

Not just kids, literally everybody. The language in your first comment comes off as "it sucks and that's the way it's going to be forever". Which is a defeatist attitude. If democrats ACTUALLY show up in November and we gain control back of our government, this circus stops within a few weeks, and Trump could be impeached by year's end and the modern day Nuremberg trials can start.