Breeders' bonus: the former US considers paying women $5,000 a head to create future climate refugees

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ABC News: Trump administration looking at $5,000 'baby bonus' to incentivise public to have more children

$5,000 payments to women in the former United States to have babies? Let’s consider: (at least) 8.2 billion people already strain a planet of dwindling resources, amid unprecedented societal destabilisation. Yet this regime proposes to—at staggering public expense—artificially inflate the population, exacerbate the national debt (despite the GOP’s current austerity posturing), divert funds from healthcare and education, intensify housing crises, and reduce women to reproductive vessels. All so these unwanted children can inherit a world of climate catastrophe and mass impoverishment. A masterstroke from these natalist fanatics, let me tell you. Frankly, it’d be preferable to pay the majority of today’s Americans—demonstrably unfit to parent—*not* to procreate.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

American women are fleeing the institution of marriage faster than rats from a sinking cruise liner—and who could possibly blame them?

American women are fleeing the institution of marriage faster than rats from a sinking cruise liner—and who could possibly blame them? The average American male is nothing more than an uncouth, slovenly buffoon with the emotional intelligence of a dim-witted teenager and the manners of a baboon raised by wolves.

Half of them are one minor traffic incident away from homicidal rage. Simultaneously, they worship a geriatric property developer with a synthetic coiffure as their paragon of masculinity. It would be utterly laughable were it not for the tragic consequences we are enduring.

Not that today's young women are without fault, mind you—many harbour expectations so fantastical they'd make a Disney princess blush with embarrassment. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of men are either seeking companionship abroad or embracing monastic solitude. I cannot say I blame them, either; after seven failed relationships over the decades, I am now happily one of their number.

The most promising development in all this dreary societal collapse is that Americans are finally questioning whether the whole marriage-and-reproduction charade is worth the bother, breaking free from societal expectations.

The stark truth—which, even now, many steadfastly refuse to acknowledge—is that despite this catastrophic deficit of collective intelligence, we continue to propagate our species with reckless abandon. This beleaguered orb now groans under the weight of at least 8.2 billion human parasites—likely far more if those Finnish researchers I posted about in the past few days are correct.

In my birth year of 1978, the global population was less than half today's grotesque figure. Yet somehow civilisation managed to function without the additional four billion mediocre contributors to our species' dubious legacy!

A dramatic population decline might be precisely the remedy this suffocating planet requires to recuperate from our incessant pillaging. One need only examine European history—after the Black Death eliminated approximately half the population, a veritable renaissance of prosperity followed in the decades and centuries after. Humanity desperately required a major reset then, just as it does now.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Kremlin prepares law to bind the wombs of Russia's daughters and essentially force them to give birth

Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images.

An extreme fervor for fertility amongst those who cloak themselves in piety and nationalism - and predominantly amongst men - is quickly becoming rampant in #Murica. Five minutes on Twitter will confirm that this is a major tenet of the Christian nationalists. From whence springs this obsession? Where they get nearly all their propaganda and marching from, of course, Mother Russia. Eight billion people inhabit this mortal coil, far more than was ever needed or is sustainable: yet fascists everywhere repeat the same refrain of 'we need more babies’. Indeed, Russia’s birth rates are lower than those of much of the world, but the last thing this world needs is any more Orcs. {Daily Wrap 28/6 - Kremlin targets child-free ideology: new laws to boost birth rates}

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Senate GOP blocks bill to protect access to contraception, claiming it is 'unnecessary'

Photo: Elon Musk

Though not mentioned in the AP article, extreme natalism is increasingly becoming mainstream in Republican/#Cult45 circles, and any Republican who saith they voted against this bill because it is ‘unnecessary’ is gaslighting the public. These extremists, such as the pictured Elon Musk, along with their natural inclination to control women and their bodies, are trying to convince the general public that there are not enough babes to sustain humanity. There are eight billion souls in the world, more than twice the population at the time of mine birth in 1978, and roughly half of them are starving and living in extreme poverty. Frankly, bringing a life into this world today is an act of sadism, but I digress.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

U.S. records its lowest population growth in the nation’s history during the pandemic; Deaths outnumber births in more than two dozen states

AFP via Getty Images

AP - US population growth at lowest rate in pandemic’s first year

In the long run, fewer mouths to feed and fewer people to cause problems in the United States would be a net positive for the planet, though will likely be offset by the uncontrolled and unacceptable levels of population growth in places like India, Africa, and other poverty-stricken backwaters of the world. There is a (very humane) reason we spade and neuter our cats and dogs, and necessity demands we will soon have no recourse but to apply the same to humans. Make no mistake, there are going to be some severe issues that result from lower birth rates in the U.S. – some are already present – but overpopulation will eventually lead to humankind’s demise. - 

U.S. population growth dipped to its lowest rate since the nation’s founding during the first year of the pandemic as the coronavirus curtailed immigration, delayed pregnancies and killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents, according to figures released Tuesday. 

The United States grew by only 0.1%, with an additional 392,665 added to the U.S. population from July 2020 to July 2021, bringing the nation’s count to 331.8 million people, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

The U.S. has been experiencing slow population growth for years but the pandemic exacerbated that trend. This past year was the first time since 1937 that the nation’s population grew by less than 1 million people. (Read more)

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here. DONATIONS - click here

Russia and the USA - ‘The diminishing quality of … human capital’

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‘(A)cclimatization to deteriorating conditions as the new normal.’ Vladimir Putin has stagnated Russia’s economy and society. Meanwhile in America, we have millions demanding much the same sort of anachronistic, paternalistic, and nationalistic garbage, and a political establishment that is delivering it for them. Any sense of balance has all but disappeared. And the results of our stagnation are just as sobering – or more, in the long run – as they are in Mother Russia. Two former world powers that now lay, slowly dying, and each by their own hand. This is a very long report by the Carnegie Moscow Center, but well worth reading. 

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

Week in review, 04/24 - 04/30

Seems to me the majority of people are no longer interested in reading news articles (or reading, period), and most especially if their narrow worldviews are in any manner challenged. Echo chambers that demand no critical thinking are so much easier and provide far more entertainment for the masses. As the old saying goes, of course, 'the masses are asses.' Always been true, and truer still today in this unprecedented technological age. All the information in the world at our fingertips, yet blissful ignorance is always going to prevail …

In defense of Dr. Anthony Fauci. Efforts by the far-right to portray Dr. Fauci as ‘some bespectacled Beelzebub’ fall flat and are ultimately self-defeating

Not yet close to America’s death toll, but at the rate they’re going it may not be long: India passes 200,000 Covid-19 deaths as new cases spike to a world-record 360,960 in one day, ‘widespread shortages of medical oxygen and beds’

‘Russia has launched a major campaign using ministries, companies and pro-Kremlin media to promote the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine and spread fake news that the West and the European Union are trying to undermine the shot, an EU agency said in a report Wednesday’

‘The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines were found to be 94% effective at preventing hospitalizations among people ages 65 and over in a real-world study published Wednesday by the CDC’

Beware of Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, another huckster having great success peddling fear and disinformation about COVID vaccines to evangelicals and others predisposed to be anti-vaccine

‘A man and his three sons are facing criminal charges after they sold more than $1 million worth of toxic industrial bleach that was fraudulently marketed as a cure for COVID-19 and other serious medical conditions, federal prosecutors said’

‘The Border Patrol says it has insufficient time and space to conduct coronavirus testing at crowded processing stations.’ This obviously needs to be rectified. At the very least, it should be ensured those coming to this country are not spreading disease

If Florida sees a surge in COVID infections soon, we’ll know where it likely started: 15,269 pack Jacksonville arena for UFC event

Massachusetts surpasses 640,000 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with a statewide death total of 17,199; an estimated 30,000 active cases

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announces the final phase of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan

Photo: AP

The United States formally recognizes the mass slaughter of Armenians by Ottman Turks as a genocide: Over a century in the making, and what leverage do Erodgan and Turkey really have to do anything but pout over it?

Turkish despot Erdogan calls on President Biden to reverse calling the mass killings of Armenians a genocide

Prayers for the innocents left behind: U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan already underway, Pentagon confirms

President Biden unveils American Families Plan, including provision for universal preschool: It is said the first three years of a child’s life are the most important in determining their life course, and I firmly believe learning should begin young. As soon as possible. Ideally, it would not be the federal government providing these services, and I’m certain the president understands this. The government should not have to cajole parents and communities into properly educating their children, but here we are. We cannot continue to allow our kids to fall behind so many other nations, especially those most hostile to us

‘No one will have to endure inane punditry that Biden has finally “grown into the presidency.” He is comfortable in his new job — and determined to do big things.’ Jennifer Rubin: Biden’s address to Congress proves we have an adult back in the presidency

Approval ratings must be always taken with a grain of salt, as data can always be twisted to suit an agenda and the opinions of most Americans are worthless to begin with. For whatever those ratings are worth, though, President Biden’s approval is considerably higher than his predecessor’s were at this time in 2017. What is most important is that this president is leading by example, conducting himself with dignity, and America is finally making a little bit of progress in the fight against COVID-19

Photo: PolitiFact

Fact check: No, President Biden is not going to prevent us from eating red meat

Fresh off election falsehoods, Republicans serve up a whopper about President Biden

‘At some point, the blame for modern Republicanism must pass from the party to an electorate that could cure it at once by levying harsher political costs.’ Janan Ganesh: Blame the U.S. electorate for the Republican Party’s success

‘The G.O.P. response to the Biden agenda has been anemic because the base doesn’t care about mere legislation, just their own cultural standing.’ David Brooks: The GOP is getting even worse, and Trumpians are having a venomous panic attack

Any wonder these people went to the desperate lengths they did to prevent a lawfully elected president from taking office? Feds execute early morning raid of Rudy Giuliani’s apartment and office in investigation of his dealings in Ukraine

Arizona Republicans choose a known conspiracy theorist to lead another futile audit of last fall’s election: Can gaslighting be any more shameless than this? Why are we still litigating an election that is over, and why are so many committed to this Big Lie when there has not been even one shred of credible evidence there was any election tampering? These f**kers lost and really should move on with their lives, but endless grievance is what the base demands and where the money is

Tucker Carlson’s anti-mask rant: A ‘useful data point for how American conservatism has transformed, especially in the Trump era, from a movement that (at least putatively) believes in limited government to one that primarily prizes marshaling the power of the state to punish those who disagree with it’

‘In a world where nothing is true, everything is permitted.’ Max Boot: The American right is becoming completely untethered from reality

‘White conservatives always assume they’re on the side of popular opinion.’ Absolutely true, and why so many of them accepted the Big Lie, even without real evidence. A well-reasoned response to an editorial writer who complained of ‘wokeness’ ruining his experience at Disney World

‘(T)his paragon of limited government is threatening to hurt companies who express opinions he disagrees with.’ Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud

Sure, a multi-billion dollar, majority black sports league is going to expel its most marketable star to appease eternally aggrieved white people. Okay: Ohio bar owner refuses to show NBA games until LeBron James is ‘expelled’ from the league

Federal hate crimes charges filed against the Georgia men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery

Conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction charges added in 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Menthol cigarette ad, early 1960s

FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars: A terrible decision that is going to adversely affect - or at least seriously piss off - many black Americans. This country has far more pressing issues than to engage in this anti-smoking hysteria any longer. So it’s unhealthy, who cares!? I do not care. All of you out there have made life in this country and world so god-damn stressful with all your noise and bulls**t, and I’m supposed to feel sorry for smoking a cigarette? F**k off

Good: U.S. population grew over the last decade at its slowest rate since the 1930s

If sanity prevailed, this would be hailed as an achievement and not something to hide: Chinese government censoring reports that their population fell for the first time in decades

Alexei Navalny makes court appearance via video link, calls out Putin as ‘a king with no clothes’ and says Russians are being turned into slaves

Rest in Peace, Michael Collins. Apollo 11 astronaut dies at age 90

Pioneer League to replace extra innings with a home run derby: Utterly hate this idea with a passion. Settling games with a skills contest has made a joke of hockey, and it has no place in baseball. Play the game the way it’s supposed to be played, stop fixing that which isn’t broken

Got to hand it to Bryce Harper, the guy is tough: Phillies star says he ‘feels good’ after taking a 97 MPH pitch to the face from Cardinals pitcher Genesis Cabrera on Wednesday night

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

Week in review, 01/20 - 01/26: First week of the Biden administration

Photo: Getty Images

The amount of personal loss and/or sickness I’m seeing being posted about by contacts on FB and Twitter in, say, the last month-and-a-half to two months has been astronomical in scope. Like no period I can ever recall or ever want to see again. #WearAF**kingMask

Straight to work, as he said he would do: President Biden’s first-day executive orders in detail

Masks now required for interstate travel; centralized data collection, sped-up vaccine production, increased testing capacity mandated: President Biden issues executive orders aimed at defeating COVID

President Biden reinstates COVID travel restrictions, adds South Africa to the list of countries affected

First known U.S. case of Brazilian COVID-19 variant found in Minnesota

National Guardsmen on COVID protocols: ‘There’s none. We are on top of each other all day, every day. We’ve given up.’ Scores of National Guard banished to the Senate parking garage during inauguration

Brian Karem: Energy (and honesty) in the Executive. ‘A spectral administration of lies is swept out, replaced by an active new team and a president talking of unity’

President Biden inherits one of the worst job markets for any incoming presidency, as jobless claims remain at historic highs

Regardless of how one feels about illegal immigration, the United States should not be in the business of hurting children of any nationality: President Biden’s immigration bill would provide more protections for child migrants

This lady is nuts: Freshwoman GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files articles of impeachment against President Biden

Perhaps the prospect of being sued into the next century will be the greatest deterrent to future coup plotters: Giuliani sued for $1.5 billion by Dominion Voting Systems over false election claims

A once-proud party that destroyed itself on the altar of a failed real estate king from New York: Republicans grapple with their future post-Trump

Crazy Trump supporter issues tear-stained video, says she doesn’t even see the American flag anymore. I watched the inauguration, there were American flags everywhere. Prime example of what cult-like devotion will do to a person when everything falls apart

‘(S)trung from failed promise to failed promise.’ QAnon adherents in disarray as President Biden takes office, prophecies fail to materialize

Group of GOP senators seek to block President Biden’s moves on Paris Accord, Keystone XL

American Petroleum Institute: ‘Impeding American energy will only serve to hurt local communities and hamper America’s economic recovery.’ President Biden imposes sixty-day suspension of oil and gas leases and permits on U.S. lands and waters

Under President Biden, China faces renewed trade pressure

Massachusetts: Gov. Baker lifting 9:30 p.m. curfew for restaurants and other businesses as COVID metrics improve

1,900 doses of COVID vaccine thrown away after incident at Jamaica Plain (Boston) facility

Getting the vaccines to everyone will continue to be a lengthy and difficult process: Merck ends COVID-19 vaccine program, citing inferior immune responses, will focus on treatments instead

New CDC director says COVID vaccine won’t be in every pharmacy by late February

Researching the possible connection between COVID and ME/CFS: What if you never get better from COVID-19?

ILO: 255 million full time jobs lost due to pandemic; $3.7 in lost earnings, economic damage four times higher than during the 2008 financial crisis

COVID vaccinations for cats and dogs? ‘(N)ot unthinkable that vaccination of some domesticated animal species might... be necessary to curb the spread’

Evidence emerges that an anticipated COVID ‘baby boom’ has not come to pass, and is more likely a ‘baby bust’

An American icon. Rest in Peace, Hank Aaron, you will never be forgotten

Unbelievable. First time since 1960 there will not be a new group of inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, the silver lining is the delayed 2020 class will have the stage to itself

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

Infamous Biogen conference could have led to up to 300,000 COVID cases worldwide

Up to 300,000 COVID cases worldwide are estimated to have been connected with the infamous Biogen conference that took place in Boston this past February. Also estimated to have led to 1.6% of COVID cases in the United States. Perhaps it's just not a good idea to ever allow too many people to gather in one place at one time. Perhaps there are just too many people, period. A lot of things that were taken for granted about our world pre-pandemic need to be reconsidered. CBS Boston - Study shows Biogen conference could be connected to as many as 300,000 COVID cases

Copyright 2020, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.