Need To Know with Mona Charen and Jay Nordlinger
Episode 12: The Wedding March
December 6, 2012 at 7:17pm
This week, Jay and Mona welcome The Weekly Standard's Jonathan V. Last to discuss his latest piece "A Nation of Singles". They discuss the most politically potent demographic (Jonathan makes the case that it is not Hispanics) and what the GOP can do to appeal to them. Also, the consequences of falling fertility rates, the fallacy of the Middle Class, what factors determine who will vote Republican, marriage versus Julia, and Mona makes the case for children.
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Nov '11
Re: The Wedding March
I have five adult children ranging in age from 21 to 31. While it’s true that raising kids is not necessarily fun to be doing at the moment, it’s wonderful to have done. Just a case of delayed gratification (in which people are less and less interested these days).
On the demographics issue, a declining birth rate is definitely a problem for a welfare state dependent on current workers to support those not working. It is a still bigger problem for nations that have borrowed on the prospects of the future productivity of generations not yet born.
Edited on December 7, 2012 at 2:53pmNov '11
Re: The Wedding March
Fantastic discussion, as always.
Some have complained about your podcasts being grim. Well, yes, contemplating our social problems (the apparent collapse in modern society of the family, education, personal ethics, the arts, etc.), demographic problems, and economic problems, one sometimes does feel overwhelmed. So . . .
. . . how about a podcast in which you two put your heads together to discuss some plausible ideas for fixing the mess we're in.
It seems to me our sad situtation is not simply a problem of the moment that will be cured if we can just get ourselves across the latest fiscal cliff or even if we can solve the pressing demographic difficulties of medicare and social security. Those seem to me to be symptoms of a more serious and possibly permanent failure of the whole of Western society due to something out of sync at its core.
Yes, I'm looking for a big silver bullet, something beyond petty politics, some one thing that, if done, would put things into a good and sustainable balance.
(One would have to ask first, What is the thing that is out of sync? Are we too wealthy? Or too ignorant to use well the leisure wealth brings?)
Aug '12
Re: The Wedding March
While I understand all the reasons why he won't be nominated, I wish some enterprising politician would either coopt Santorum's issues, or just plain rip him off.
May '10
Re: The Wedding March
We have a "Mark Steyn baby" too! My husband was content with two boys, but I made a convincing case for a third after reading America Alone. Now we have three boys! Crazy as it sounds, I'm trying to talk him into a fourth, but he said he's done. Who would've of thought that Mark Steyn would compete with Marvin Gaye when it comes to inspiring baby-making!?
Feb '11
Re: The Wedding March
Feb '11
Re: The Wedding March
Ed G.
Agreed. His riff that personal prosperity closely correlates to being married could be a powerful, because empirical, message in the right hands. It's a message that dovetails nicely with conservative positions. I'm not sure, though, how well it and some of his economic policies line up with libertarian positions. As much as I am a free marketeer, I'm not so sure that some trade barriers and incentives (like the ones Santorum proposed during the campaign) would be devastating as the dogma goes; his economic policy suggestions intended to strengthen manufacturing sounds like a practical manifestation of marriage-friendly and working class friendly position that might just also be popular. · 0 minutes ago
May '11
Re: The Wedding March
Thank you Jay, I too have always been disgusted with discussions of class. I used to be poor and now I'm not. I never got a notice that I somehow changed my class. As usual the Stupid Party falls right into the trap of using their terminology