(Childfree, Rights to Life, Reproductive Rights, United Nations, The Dam Valve Theory)
The decisions made by an individual definitely affect society. Many of them require agreements between two or more parties. One assesses the other one's eligibility to make an agreement. For instance, creditors are required to validate the debtors' qualification in granting mortgage and credit card. Regardless of its relatively non-fatal output, this may be normalised in the modern society. When it comes to money which is relatively non-fatal decision, everyone takes precautionary measures. Yet, when it comes to fatal decisions such as giving a birth to a child, everyone ironically becomes laissez-faire, ignorantly holding on the argument of natural human rights. One shall realise that taking a loan and giving a birth are decisions made consciously with a consent.
As it has been pointed out in the last article (click here), the problem of labour over-supply can be neutralised by limiting the reproductive rights. The article discusses the violation of basic human rights caused by limitation in reproductive rights and the mechanism of reproductive quota system.
This article will not discuss reproduction related to unplanned birth.
The reproductive rights can be seen in two different lights: negative and postive rights. The negative concerns about the basic human rights which enforced by United Nations (UN) to reproduce without being coerced, discriminated, and violated. It is similar to negative liberty which emphasises the freedom from something, instead of to do something. Hence, one has right to either reproduce or childfree. This article focuses on the positive which entitles couples an eligibility to reproduce. In other words, couples' freedom to bring forth a child is limited by the positive reproductive rights.
The positive reproductive right is a product of conflict between negative reproductive rights and basic rights to life. Some may argue that the limitation will violate the basic human rights. UN implied that it is couples' rights to decide whether to give birth or not with freedom. On the other hand, UN also emphasises the rights to life mentioning that no individuals shall be arbitrary deprived of life. The conflict between both rights may potentially arise as overpopulation in respect of economy causes damage leading to sufferings and eventually, death. Hence, the former shall utterly be placed above the latter as the negative reproductive rights is arguably unsustainable. One can conclude that preventing arbitrary death is presumably as easy as allowing selective birth.
Imposing limitation of reproductive rights will surely decrease supply of workers. The less babies being born, the less labour forces being increased. This can simply be understood by using a simple supply-and-demand model. The goal is to reach equilibrium. Once equilibrium is achieved, there will be a perfect employment. However, this constitutes a challenge as there is a delay gap between newly born age and productive age.
The main reason why such right has to be controlled is either positivity or negativity bias of couples towards future economy. The delay gap exists as it takes approximately 20 years for freshly born individuals to participate in labour forces. Two decades are assuredly beyond the predicting capability of common couples towards long term economy. Hence, the rate of human reproduction shall be controlled.
The impeccable Vehicle Quota System (VQS) in Singapore has laid a blueprint for quota system related to couples' limitation to reproduce. To prevent traffic congestion, the authority control the number of active vehicles in respect of the lengths of roadways. Using a vehicle-road ratio, the authrotiy controls the valve by imposing taxes in Certificate of Entitlement (COE). Thus, the floating prices of COE are directly affected by the current quantity of vehicles on the road. The reproductive quota system should work in similar way as it can be illustrated in the following dam diagram.
Dam Valve Theory
Supposedly, the highest reservoir holds the couples' aspiration to reproduce. The middle second container is the labour market in economy supporting the employment. The lowest third illustrates death, spillage from employment capacity. The first and the second pool are divided by a dam with a long narrow tunnel. This passage represents the delay between freshly born children and productive age. An inevitable spillage by a heavy downpours portrays the natural death occurs in labour force. However, the unnecessary spilage caused by overflown dam illustrates the damage resulting from death by poverty. In order to limit the natural downward flow from first reservoir, the valve, located on the entrance of the tunnel has to be installed. This represents the reproductive rights policy.
The Dam Valve Theory may sound radical due to its extrimity. However, a spectrum spreading linearly from reproductive duties to birth prevention may determine the effectiveness of the valve. The spectrum will argue such duties and limitations in many familiar perspectives. Subsequently, this will lead to simple flow chart of its implementation. The spectrum and flow chart will be discussed in the next article featuring Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Netflix Series, 3%. Stay woke, stay tuned.
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