As is stands, parents are able to claim their children as dependents on their tax returns, which lowers their overall tax liability and in effect means that the parents either pay less in taxes or receive a higher return at the end of each year.
Until they reach the age at which they can work, children are a drain on society. They receive public schooling and receive the same benefit from public services that adults do, yet they contribute nothing in return. At the point that they reach maturity and are gainfully employed and paying taxes, they become a functioning member of society.
If a parent decides to have a child, they are making a conscious decision to produce another human being. They could choose to get a sterilization surgery, use birth control, or abort the pregnancy (assuming they don’t live in a backwards state that’s banned it). Yet even if they decide to have 15 children, the rest of society has to foot the bill for their poor decisions until the child reaches adulthood.
By increasing taxes on parents instead of reducing them, you not only incentivize safe sex and abortion, but you shift the burden of raising a child solely to the individuals who are responsible for the fact that that child exists.
I am a strong advocate for social programs: Single-payer healthcare, welfare programs, low-income housing, etc, but for adults who in turn contribute what they can. A child should only be supported by the individuals who created it.
What is so deeply wrong about their worldview?
You too, go get help
Very eye opening.
It’s extremely selfish way to view society. Like, would collapse society as we know it kinda selfish.
I tried typing this once before, but kept running into situations were I’m not sure if I’m just being condescending. These are the most obvious reasons this is a selfish and self destructive perspective:
When you are old, children today will be the only people able to take care of you. Optimizing society so that there are many more old people than young people will create unfair burden on the next generation, and probably lead to horrific suffering for millions of people (probably including you).
Children are best raised by stable, happy, healthy families, and they are more productive members of society (and happier) when that happens. Because we want the next generation to be happy and productive, aiding today’s parents helps us all tomorrow. Adding financial strain causes many negative effects for families, and therefor for children, and therefor for society at large.
Unless you are extremely lucky, you probably faced issues in your own childhood that would have been lessened if your parents had more money. Wishing the same, but worse on the next generation is twisted.