Baby-makin’ time: Russians given afternoon off to bump uglies

posted at 11:24 pm on September 21, 2006 by Allahpundit

This might explain why so many women on Russian mail-order-bride websites have young children.

…So I hear.

Imagine if Bush sponsored an initiative called “Give birth to a patriot”:

The governor of a Russian province gave workers an afternoon off and told them to go home and multiply in the most direct attempt yet by officials seeking to tackle the country’s growing depopulation crisis…

In exchange for an afternoon of state-sponsored passion, his “Give birth to a patriot” campaign launched last week offers parents who give birth next year on June 12, Russia’s Independence Day, a range of incentives from a fridge or washing machine to a four-wheel-drive vehicle, depending on how many children the couple already has.

That’s one way to deal with demography. Here’s another way:

Britons suffering from depression could soon be legally helped to die in Switzerland if a test case in the country’s Supreme Court is successful next month.

Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, the Zurich-based organisation that has helped 54 Britons to die, revealed yesterday that his group was seeking to overturn the Swiss law that allows them to assist only people with a terminal illness.

Captain Ed’s written an impassioned post condemning the Dignitas proposal. Me, I don’t know. To borrow an old line from the Simpsons: my conscience and common sense say “stop,” but my libertarianism cries — “proceed.”

These are weighty issues, though, requiring serious contemplation. I often find when grappling with a moral dilemma that staring at an appropriately solemn image can help concentrate my mind. The following was useful to me as I was writing this post. I hope it’ll be useful to you too.

beerbong.jpg

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Trackbacks/Pings

Trackback URL

Comments

…So I hear.

lol, oh man.

RightWinged on September 21, 2006 at 11:38 PM

Russia can meet China and work it out – ah, but they each want to remain ‘pure’. Thus, infanticide, mostly girls, in China and bribery in Russia…

Entelechy on September 21, 2006 at 11:38 PM

Paging Anna Kournikova…

speed647 on September 21, 2006 at 11:49 PM

uglies

Funny but not so funny… please change your title, Thanks in advance (You’ll thank me).

If you don’t, I won’t be surprised if Michelle will have to bail you out tomorrow…

: ) like I said, funny but can use a change.

ar_basin on September 22, 2006 at 1:01 AM

Bumping uglies is a common term.

I think Costco is selling thicker skin 2 for $24.99

Theworldisnotenough on September 22, 2006 at 1:17 AM

The following was useful to me as I was writing this post. I hope it’ll be useful to you too.

You covered the perpetuating the species part (college girls with a beer bong), and the legalized suicide for everyone issue (Kerry…), all with one pic.

Bravo! What will you do for an encore?

SilverStar830 on September 22, 2006 at 2:39 AM

The Russian idea should not be dismissed. European countries face certain decline if the baby bust is not reversed. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Rather encourage pro-creation, than try to temporarily remedy trends by inviting mass immigration from foreign countries.

MoonbatMedia on September 22, 2006 at 7:44 AM

Love the title. Don’t change it. Welcome to America ar_basin, enjoy that free speech stuff.

webproze on September 22, 2006 at 8:33 AM

I know a couple years ago Russia was finally starting to reinstate some restrictions on abortion. In 2003 I remember reading that they had 13 abortions for every 10 live births. And they wonder why their population is rapidly decreasing? As funny as the idea of a “Give Birth to a Patriot” campaign is… maybe completely stopping the killing of their unborn children would be a better start.

tiekitwist on September 22, 2006 at 8:40 AM

“We Are All Russian Now”…

-Bryan @ Sanctuary

Prophet on September 22, 2006 at 8:58 AM

If you have ever been to Russia, well let’s just say I’m amazed people still have the energy for sex. Or even the will to live. Horrible place for the most part.

Seems like the Russians should hook up with Chinese who have the opposite problem. The ultimate in outsourcing.

honora on September 22, 2006 at 11:03 AM

Too bad Wilt Chamberlain’s not around. He’d solve the problem overnight.

Attila (Pillage Idiot) on September 22, 2006 at 1:04 PM

Britons suffering from depression could soon be legally helped to die in Switzerland if a test case in the country’s Supreme Court is successful next month.

To borrow an old line from the Simpsons: my conscience and common sense say “stop,” but my libertarianism cries — “proceed.”You know better. I can remember when you were deep in melancholy, back in 2002 or 2003. I took my turn in 2004, and that’s one reason I react sharply. But I’ll focus on just one of the political reasons that victim-assisted homicide shouldn’t be made a cottage industry: A society needs something that its melancholy people can supply. Melancholy and profundity have some sort of close connection. Maybe clarity of vision is painful and therefore depressing, maybe the brooders are the ones who have time to think, or maybe a virtuous circle is at work here. As unjust as it may seem, it may even be that an evolved function of the melancholic type is to increase the fitness of the group by increasing its thoughtfulness.

You would be poorly situated to argue against this point. I don’t have to prove to you that there’s a connection between contempt and contemplation; I know you feel it, just as I do. Moreover, you yourself are Exhibit A here for the contribution in analysis and dark humor that the melancholy make to the happy-go-lucky sh!th3@ds who have just enough time and good sense to stop and listen to what you have to say. No doubt, some of the people you hurt wish you were dead, and it’s just as certain that there are those who would be happy to have your help in making it so. But the interests of Mary Mapes do not concern us. The common advantage of the society at large lies in forcing you to live, even if it means chaining you to the desk.

Kralizec on September 22, 2006 at 6:56 PM

Correction: In my comment above, I was trying to nest quotations. What looks like the first sentence of my comment is really a remark by Allahpundit, to which I’m replying. My comment begins after the word “proceed.”

Maybe the blog software has a bug, or maybe I forgot to close a tag. A preview function for comments would be a helpful addition to the site.

Kralizec on September 22, 2006 at 7:18 PM

AP
You been reading too much Kos with regards to your closing. I don’t care for JFK either but knocking off our political enimies in *that* fashion or even thought is hardly acceptable. They’re doing fine on screwing themselves so let their own mouths be their demise.

auspatriotman on September 22, 2006 at 10:09 PM