Between not being able to afford any/more kids for 60% or more of the population, anyone in their right mind even if the $$$ wherewithal is not a problem, has to ask themselves if bringing kids into this mess makes sense and is fair for the kid. While the point about the robber barons wanting more labor for their machinery and as people to buy their product is true, the military is also immensely interested in this. Last I read, recruitment was way down and it is not just that the economy is good and few need to enlist, it is that even as they find potential recruits, the percentage that are physically fit enough and smart enough to run all the sophisticated weaponry and other gear has been dropping precipitously as kids exercise less and the public education system leaves more and more underprepared for a more complicated and technically demanding world.