USA is Lousy - Increase Taxes and Regulations

You may have heard in the news that the USA isn't all that great a place for mothers, because an organization - that depends significantly on government grants and contracts – has said so. Don't believe it.

Please keep in mind as you read this that I am fond of mothers. Half of my ancestors were mothers. I was born from a mother. I was nursed by a mother (probably explains a few things about me). I'm married to a mother. I provide full financial support for one mother directly, and some financial support for other mothers through my taxes.

Okay, with that – on with the article.

The United States has scored poorly on a campaign group's list of the best countries in which to be a mother, managing only 28th place, and bettered by many smaller and poorer countries.

It is funny how all of these studies and lists say how lousy life is in the USA, and yet people die trying to get here, and scream hysterically when anyone suggests that they should not be able to stay here illegally. Things are so bad for mothers here that pregnant women will come here just to give birth.

Norway topped the latest Save the Children "Mothers Index", followed by a string of other developed nations, while Afghanistan came in at the bottom of the table, below several African states.

Does anyone compile a Fathers Index?

One factor that dragged the US ranking down was its maternal mortality rate, which at one in 4,800 is one of the highest in the developed world, said the report.

How many of those were illegal aliens? How many never sought prenatal care?

It also scored poorly on under-five mortality, its rate of eight per 1,000 births putting it on a par with Slovakia and Montenegro.

Our infant/young child mortality rates take into account stillbirths, premature births, birth day deaths, and prenatal murder that a lot of other countries don't take into account in their stats. Ann Coulter, no matter what you think of her, aptly exposed the flaws in the infant mortality stats. And what about abortion? How many abortions are there in Finland and Sweden? I suspect that like to the infant mortality rate, some mothers in other countries aren't counted as mothers in death stats.

Only 61 percent of children were enrolled in preschool, which on this indicator made it the seventh-lowest country in the developed world, it said.

Ah. So warehousing the kids in a day orphanage is supposed to be a positive thing? Maybe, if it gets them away from lousy parents. Look, I went to preschool for two years. It was playtime. I could have learned more at home, and had more options for playing.

And it added: "The United States has the least generous maternity leave policy -- both in terms of duration and percent of wages paid -- of any wealthy nation."

The terms of maternity leave should be between an employer and an employee. Pregnancy is almost always a choice in this country. Whenever we can avoid it, we should not force one person to pay for the choices of another.

Norway headed the list of developed countries at the top of the list of best places to be a mother, followed by Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

At the bottom was Afghanistan, followed by Niger, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Sudan, Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea.

Yeah, it is all good in Iceland until the volcano erupts. And the fake swan you're wearing as a dress falls apart.

"The shortage of skilled birth attendants and challenges in accessing birth control means that women in countries at the bottom of the list face the most pregnancies and the most risky birth situations, resulting in newborn and maternal deaths," [Save the Children’s Mary Beth Powers] added.

Some women in developed countries CHOOSE to give birth without skilled birth attendants, believe it or not. I've done seen it on cablefied television.

Save the Children compiled the index after analyzing a range of factors affecting the health and well-being of women and children, including access to health care, education and economic opportunities.

I wonder if "economic opportunities" includes being able to make and keep more of your own money? There is plenty of access to health care here, and education.

The report recommended more funding for women's and girls' education

Wouldn't that be sexist discrimination? Oh, and women outnumber men in colleges in the USA.

and better access to maternal and child health care, particularly in the developing world.

Translation: US citizens should be forced to pay more to the federal government, which will then transfer the funds to… Save the Children… and the UN or some other messed up agency out of our control. A better way, though, would be more voluntary, private charitable efforts, which could include donations to Save the Children.

Check out Righthinker for more on this.

Look, whatever good Save the Children does, I applaud. And I believe mothers should be honored, and we should personally support motherhood, and good parenting. However, I resent it when misleading reports are used to malign the USA, especially when the agenda is to push for larger, more centralized government and the work of private programs is ignored. Men (and women for that matter) who have opted not to become parents should not be forced to pay even more in taxes to women who have chosen to become parents. I say this as a parent myself, and someone who supports private charity. Actually, parents should only be legally obligated to support their own children and spouses, not the spouses and children of others.

To me, it is bad to pressure married mothers of minor children whose husbands can and do financially support the family to take on a career. It is bad to take more of a mother's income (via her husband's payroll taxes or otherwise) in higher taxation. It is bad to interfere or undermine a mother's authority over her own children. How about an index that takes those things into account?

Mothers of America, don't let these reports discourage you. You can raise healthy, educated children in the USA. In the USA, we can choose which religious organizations, if any, with whom we will associate. Mothers have much more liberty than a lot of other countries.