On Egg Donation and Cultural Narcissism

Stories like this one by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, which point out the demographic implosion taking place in the west because of sub-replacement level birth rates, are popping up more and more often. What's surprising is that they have now reached the awareness of such online liberal strongholds as The Huffington Post and New York Times Magazine.

Nicely enough, when the Rabbi begins to diagnose the problem, he begins with a point made by Pope Benedict:

... Pope Benedict summed it up best. "Europe is infected by a strange lack of desire for the future. Children, our future, are perceived as a threat to the present."

While the article blames the falling birthrate on poor government policies that do not enforce maternity leave or subsidize post-natal care, as well as inflexible working conditions for women, a far more important reason is growing Western narcissism. As the west becomes richer it is also becoming more self-absorbed.

Children consume time and resources both of which young adults would rather focus on themselves. Better to have the availability, and the cash, to jet to Paris for the weekend then push a kid on some dumb swing. Not that we don't love kids any more. We do, but in an abstract as-long-as-it-doesn't-interfere-with-our-freedom kind of way. Having them in our thirties, and about one or two max, minimizes the disruption.

... The Western cult of narcissism is spoiling our kids, making us neglectful of our elders, spawning an out-of-control material insatiability, and destroying us -- quite literally -- by having us die off without a replacement generation.

And of all the many remedies available that might free us from our growing self-absorption, having one more baby than we originally planned for our marriages is the best remedy of all. (HP)

The most one commentor can do in response is trot out some outdate overpopulation predictions that have long since been disproven. And wouldn't you know it? LifeSiteNews today reports: "Communist Government in Indian Province Proposes Crippling Sanctions against Having a Third Child"

And on a similar note, more women are choosing to donate their eggs as a way to make spare income:

Now more than ever, women are donating their eggs to make ends meet.

So, who's doing it, and how easy is the process?

Melissa, who declined to give her last name, admitted the main reason she's donating eggs is because she's struggling financially.

... At the Center For Egg Options in Illinois, the number of women donating has increased significantly since April.

"There's no reason to think that suddenly there's 30 percent more people who have suddenly had this inner feeling to help out people and what's changed, it’s the economy," said fertility specialist Ed Marut. (Fox 5 Vegas)

And so when a narcissist decides to have a child, they don't even have their own. Now that's self-destructive.