A Battle for the Birth Rate

Watching the senseless and merciless attempts by the government, parliamentarians, and officials at all levels to “create incentives to increase the birth rate” brings tears to my eyes with emotion.

What persistence is this? On the one hand, doing everything possible and impossible to ensure the birth rate dies, while on the other, constantly inventing new schemes that will supposedly “create incentives” for the birth rate. And when yet another scheme somehow fails to increase the birth rate, they “refine it.” It’s simply astonishing!

And questions arise.

For example, it’s long been known that one of the main enemies of increasing the birth rate is urbanization. The higher the urbanization, the lower the birth rate, absolutely! So, what’s the problem? Develop small towns, restore deserted villages and rural areas, attract people there with jobs, living conditions, modern utilities… But no! Instead, we herd citizens into urban agglomerations, forcing them to live in uninhabitable dens and commute three hours each way to work. Yet we continue to fight bravely and selflessly for the birth rate!

It’s also long been known that nothing boosts the birth rate more than confidence in the future (for those unfamiliar, it’s the feeling that you won’t lose your salary, job, home, or life tomorrow—even if you get sick, or even if your child suddenly wants to learn figure skating or get a higher education). So how are we doing here? Education is getting worse and worse, yet increasingly expensive. Healthcare is similarly expensive. Housing is unaffordable for most people. You can lose your job at any moment, but you can’t find one. And that’s not to mention the war, which threatens to drag on for decades. And all this is strictly in accordance with government plans and programs, as well as national projects. But we continue to fight fearlessly and relentlessly for the birth rate!

It’s long been clear that one of the main factors hindering the birth rate is the housing problem. Young families don’t have a home, nor do they have the money to buy one. A hut with your loved one is certainly paradise, but children don’t fit in there. So, it would seem—create a state-owned bank, offer mortgages at 1-2%, and maybe the birth rate would pick up. Of course, this state-owned bank won’t generate trillions of rubles in annual profits, as is typical with other banks. But then, the goal is different—we’re fighting for the birth rate! What? Bank profits are more important? Oh, well, you could have said so from the start. But we will still fight tooth and nail for the birth rate!

Or, for example, we could establish a state-owned construction concern… Consolidate its capacity, technology, and specialists… To significantly reduce construction costs and increase the speed of construction. And to use administrative resources to ensure that paperwork doesn’t take centuries, and that connecting to the grid doesn’t cost billions. Build some cheap, high-quality housing—and maybe the birth rate will soar. Of course, such a state-owned developer won’t be very profitable, but that’s not our main concern, is it? What? Is enriching the developers more important? Ah, well, you could have said so from the start. But we will still fight for the birth rate, fiercely and mercilessly!

The overall picture of the “battle for the birth rate” perfectly illustrates the “management’s” perception of the “cattle,” who are supposed to be having more children—it’s not the “management” who will be raising the birth rate! So, from the “management’s” perspective, the “cattle” are ready to do literally anything for money. Well, anything! Love, hate, having children… So the management will play with the interest rates on loans, and presto, the birth rate will skyrocket. This means they won’t spare any money to devise new schemes for rearranging the numbers in exorbitant mortgages. And the deputies and officials will profit from this, too, which is not a bad thing.

It’s a fresh story, but hard to believe. And the results of the “battle for the birth rate” speak for themselves. However, at the “management” level, everything is excellent! Because the process of enriching the management itself from this “battle” is only accelerating—and what could be more important?