Who is to blame for the destruction of the western family? Capitalism or the left?

Question

All studies show the family in the west is in deep decline. Some blame the welfare state, while others say it is untrammeled capitalism, especially the rise of the selfish society in the 1980s.

Answer 1

The primary cause is the greed of big business. The turnover of national retailers(NR) is very much proportional to the number of people shopping rather than the wealth of individual shoppers. NR use their influence on the government to tax those on middle income and distribute the revenues to the poor, encouraging them to reproduce ad lib at the expense of others. Their spending power boosts the profit of NR but the reduction of income in the hands of the tax payers has little effect on their weekly shopping expenditure.
The excess of non-productive people forces up the cost of housing and those couples not on benefit find that two incomes are required to finance even a modest home. This generates immediate income tax and NI and inflates gains from stamp duty and estate duty. The government ultimately benefits from the child care costs paid from taxed income to businesses that will themselves be taxed.
The price of this at the bottom of society is the creation of those who will be burdens on society throughout their lives while the children of working people have unsatisfactory, often neglected upbringings as their parents slave to fund wasteful eaters and corporate fat cats.

Answer 2

I am really surprised that you don't know the answer to this one. It is the left wing, politically correct, feminist brigade that (particularly this government) have been undermining the TRADITIONAL family for years. There never was a selfish society under Maggie Thatcher, that was propaganda from the lefties, particularly the TV media. She tried to make people stronger as individuals by not allowing them to be dependant on the state. Also, she promoted the ownership of council houses and tamed the over-powerful unions. When she came to power, Britain was in a terrible, but terrible, financial mess, as is usual after a period Socialist Government.

Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand, and have grown out of a family based society. Socialists, always promote the welfare state because it makes more and more people dependant on the state. Socialist governments promote this because it makes you weaker as an individual and easier to control. It also buys your vote. Feminism, promoted by socialist governments, has done most to undermine men, and their role as bread winner in the traditional family. So, consistent with the objectives of Totalitarian (Communist style) government, the traditional family has to be undermined in as many different ways as possible, thereby, making your first duty, to be, not to the family, but to the state. Left leaning governments also don't like formal religion, because again, they see it as a threat to their power base. So, that too, must be undermined. In Britain, that process is now underway.

It would be possible to write at great length on this one, but, as a parting shot, have you noticed how much more direct control the government and its various agencies have taken over the upbringing of children. ie, the giving of contraception pills, morning after pill and abortion advice without informing parents. They use the social chaos that they helped to promote as an excuse for further extending their anti-family agenda.

Answer 3

ummmm, metinks it be neither (nyther-sic) of those but more of a persistent need to fulfill perceived modern 'needs'. Due to the costs of these 'needs' for modern life, gadgets, toys, vacations, educations, homes, etc, and the effects of higher taxation and insurance rates it has become almost impossible for the 'average' family to survive on one decent full time income. This problem dictates that both parents of the classical family must work. If both of them are working at least one full time job (and often both also have a part time job), then there isn't as much time for the family as there was before this advent. So, the family fragments. Too bad and very sad.

Answer 4

Welfare and the Selfish society, in my opinion. When personal rights come before the rights of society, then society is going to suffer. When moral values are removed, then there is no social conscience left to control our actions. Every study ever shown that children that grow up in a two parent household (mother and Father) are better adjusted socially, have better self esteem, do better in school and work, and are less likely to commit crimes or suicide.

Answer 5

If you want to blame someone or something... try evolution.
Originally the family was necessary, because there was no strong society to protect individuals.
Nowadays individuals have less need for protection of the family group, because society is organized in such a way that most needs are met after the individual has reached the age of about 14.
These last few ages we have been trained to develop our own views and values and so, our own individuality. If that is the same as selfishness (which I doubt) you can construct an answer you seem to be aiming at.

Answer 6

What's to blame for the destruction of the western family? Parents are suppose to be the one raising the child and instilling values and morals. Not the government.

Answer 7

Lets see, momma doesn't like the low wage pappa makes since they closed the factory. So she divorces pappa and marries another man. She now has two wage earners supporting her and the children.

Did this happen because the capitalist out sourced the jobs to another country?
Did momma just get greedy?
Was it because the welfare system supported momma and made pappa pay?
Could it be that divorce is an accepted outcome of marriage and many people make money when it happens?

Answer 8

Lack of a moral compass. I see greed, abortions, stem cell research, increases in addictions & other vices to be a result of our moral decline -- not the cause of it.

I know you'll think I'm ridiculous but I think our moral decline began with the pill. It led to promiscuity, a tremendous increase in illigitimacy & extra-marital affairs. The "hippies" dug into drugs; marijuana, LSD (that was a really bad one) and on to the drugs used in today's society. And drug use increases murders, prostitution, and armed robberies.

I was a child of the 60's. It didn't take long to feel hypocritical going to church so I stopped going.
It happened to many......& the downward slide began...

Answer 9

the western family is brought up by advertisers tv companies and media in genral. i believe that most in politics are of the sodomite persuation, and are anti family, plus it is part of the devide and rule consept they dont just want to seperate workers and unions they want to seperate the family unit because that means strength, old values were strong, so they have to go all world leaders are evil i am convinced of that.Aand they are the smartes cleverist at looking kind and innocent while they inflict their hate against us.

Answer 10

The left (by which I presume you mean we Democrats) are interested only in progressing into a better future and fixing the mess you Right wing crack pots leave behind!

Thus one is forced to conclude that it is our consumer society, the ready access to the Internet and yes, capitalism for the decline of the family.

The Iceman.