Low birth rate worries PM

From: Zanzibar
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 02:54:14 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Wed, Aug 5 2009 5:54 pm
Subject: Re: low birth rate worries PM

On Aug 5, 4:10 pm, b...@b.com (Polar Bear) wrote:
> Why does he need to be worried? he already has the solution to the problem, the
> best of 1.3 billion Chinese and 1 billion Indians are there for him to cherry
> pick.

> Kudos to women but low birth rate worries PM
> by By Lee Hui Chieh
> PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong lauded women here yesterday for having made
> tremendous progress in the last few decades, and for their contributions to
> Singapore's development.

> But their advancement has brought unintended and worrying consequences,
> including late marriage and falling marriage and birth rates, he said.

> "The Government has been watching these trends with growing concern, and has
> been taking baby steps to do something about this," he said, speaking to 600
> women leaders at a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Women
> Leaders Network yesterday.

> The Government has introduced measures to encourage parenthood, such as longer
> maternity leave and baby bonuses, but, despite these, the total fertility rate
> has remained at a very low 1.28.

> Mr Lee said: "What this means is one husband, one wife, 1.28 children. Next
> generation, 0.64 husband, 0.64 wife, and we are disappearing.

> "So, we are far below replacement level."

> The Prime Minister is the second senior Cabinet minister to speak about this
> issue.

> Just three days ago, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong listed falling marriage and
> birth rates as one of the 10 challenges that Singapore faces.

> Yesterday, Mr Lee noted that education has helped more women enter universities,
> work in senior positions and participate in politics.

> For example, women now make up 55 per cent of the university intake here.

> The proportion of Members of Parliament who are female has also increased from
> less than 5 per cent to almost a quarter now.

> This has made women more financially independent and more inclined to prioritise
> their careers over other aspects of their lives, Mr Lee said.

> But some men's attitudes may not have changed quickly enough, resulting in a
> mismatch of men and women's expectations.

> So Singaporeans are marrying late, or not at all.

> And when they do get married, they have fewer children.

> The problems are not unique to Singapore and the country does not have all the
> solutions, Mr Lee said yesterday, but "like everyone else, we have to evolve
> with the times, and we hope to learn from one another".

> He said that the Government would continue to encourage pro-family policies and
> flexi-work arrangements.

> "Perhaps, eventually, we will find a new formula in society which enables young
> people to fulfil their aspirations and, at the same time, have families and
> children, and live complete, fulfilling lives," he added.

They have been saying these same things for the last 40 years at
national day speeches.

It shows that the Govt has not studied enough of the needs and wants
on why these couples refused to get married, and if they do, they
refused to have children, and if they do have, they refused to have
more than 1.

By blaming that other countries are having the same problems is not a
good excuse to apply in this uniquely Singapore.

This is because we have the resources to create ways unique from any
country in meeting those unique problems of expectations and wants
that Singaporeans constantly faced in this perpetual suffocating red
dot crowded system.

The long term cost benefits of having home-grown children and home-
bred chidlren are so high (than those imports) that I can give them or
met them all, if I am the PM,