Should The Left Talk About Birthrates - Stephen J Shaw

JOIN US ON SUBSTACK: substack.com/@wtfisleftEarly Access to Ad-Free Extended InterviewsAsk our Guests QuestionsLIVEs with Jovan + FreddieWL Book Club + Community DiscussionArticles + Exclusive ContentMAKE A DONATION: https://buymeacoffee.com/wtfisleft****Demographer Stephen J Shaw's research on global birthrates has become a cause célèbre of the radical right. Since publishing his data on delaying parenthood as the cause for "unplanned childlessness", Stephen has been welcomed to the upper echelons of Right-wing discourse - with the likes of Jordan Peterson and appearances at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.Undoubtedly, these are places that don't share our politics. So why have we hosted Stephen? Well, because Stephen's research and his methodologies have been peer reviewed. His data, as much as we might find it uncomfortable, is real. And if the Left doesn't have an analysis for the effects of global birthrate decline, then the Right certainly will.In this discussion, we explore Stephen's findings and why there has been cross-cultural delaying of parenthood. In particular we question why population decline would be harmful, how attitudes toward parenthood have changed and why the Right have co-opted this issue as their own.Is there a case for a left-natalism, drawing on the innovations and heritage of social democracy? Chapters00:00 Intro05:43 Are Birthrates "Collapsing"?13:03 Population Apocalypse?16:05 Is Immigration a Fix?22:00 The 'Replacement' Debate26:03 Why The Left are Suspicious of Stephen31:51 The Challenge of Ecological Collapse37:42 Freddie and Jovan's Theory of Birthrate Decline45:30 The Vitality Curve51:24 Is 'Unplanned Childlessness' a Fair Term?58:25 Can Delayed Parenthood be Reversed?1:05:21 Is 'Hypergamy' Real?1:11:20 The Loneliness Epidemic1:15:02 Do Freddie and Jovan Want Kids1:21:33 Have Romantic Relationships Changed?1:25:50 Why Religious Fundamentalists Are Pro-Natalist1:29:36 Is There A Case for Left-Natalism?1:36:02 How Do AI and Demographics Affect Labour and Capital?1:40:00 Should People Move To Africa?1:45:18 How Can We Talk About Birthrates Maturely?