[grraaaaahhh]

I've never understood this argument. Caregivers are paid; it's a job. No one is forced to go into elderly care.

Having kids isn't even a guarantee that they'll be around to care for you in your old age. My grandparents had four and still needed to be moved to a home with a full time carer at the end because none of their kids were able to move back home to take care of them.

[iggldiggl]

It probably still holds on the level of the whole society. Modern society and division of labour means it doesn't have to be specifically your kids who care for your, but it still need to be somebody's kids. If nobody had kids any more, nobody would be left to provide any care, paid or not.

Plus it's not just about really literal full-on elderly care, but also simply keeping society running even when you're old enough that you can no longer actively contribute your share as much.

[aprilthird2021]

It's not about caring for you, it's, in cynical terms, about building the future tax base to maintain the infrastructure you will utilize in your old age. Every Western society has the elderly using more resources than they contribute, esp. regarding healthcare. Some even use more resources than they ever earned in life.

I know it's horribly cynical, but if you don't have kids then go on Medicare then rack up a huge bill, you've basically burdened a smaller next generation with a higher tax bill and basically are setting up a Japan 2.0