I agree changing attitudes towards divorce was the main factor. I was imprecise in my wording, I was fishing for phraseology that would encompass both.

"Let's trap people in bad marriages" is exactly the social infrastructure I'm criticizing.

What’s a “bad marriage?” I think there are some that are truly bad and should be dissolved. But I think in many cases (perhaps the majority), people are simply indulging their own selfishness and poor impulse control at the expense of their kids. Americans highly prioritize (to my eyes, as a foreigner, childish) notions of self actualization and individual happiness over duty to family. And then there’s the kids whose parents never got married, typically because the father is stuck in some sort of extended adolescence.

My siblings in law come from one of those middle/lower middle class primarily white towns you sometimes read about, where two-parent families have declined tremendously. The devastation to the kids is real. Comfortable finances dissolve into financial strain. Lack of stability affects kids’ performance in school. Boys, in particular, suffer growing up without fathers to keep them in line. (It wasn’t until I had boys of my own that I realized how differently they often relate to their mothers versus their fathers. And trust me, we’re not modeling traditional gender roles at my house—my wife’s a scary trial lawyer who pays our mortgage.)

Interesting reflections. It probably goes hand in hand with the US culture where individual mobility (both geographically and economically) seems to be highly regarded (which also has many positive effects). I live in Sweden. Since the late 19th century or so, and especially after WW2, we’re very influenced by the US and I can see the same tendencies here.

You really can't compare with Sweden. Sweden is a much more secular country and marriage is for a lot of people just a nice one-off ceremony get together totally devoid of any religious feelings. It doesn't carry close to the same weight as in the US.

I think it is a remarkable testament to your patience that you continue to treat this guy as if he is interested in arguing in good faith, and not as a hardcore ideologue & culture-warrior.

This guy is one of the most valuable contributors to the site, all the more so because we disagree about so much politically; I have almost total faith that he means what he says, and, especially on politically-tinged topics (also compiler theory), tend to learn a lot from him.

Always happy for the opportunity to say that, so thanks!

Well, in that case I suppose this has actually been a testament to poor judgment on both our parts.

I’ll admit to being a gun nut and originalist, but “breakdown of two parent families is bad” is a completely mainstream position among non-white immigrants in the US.

Hacker News invites paleoconservatives, neoconservatives, reactionaries, fascists, etc. because the moderation team and owners are cryptofascists. It's that simple. To quote Genesis, they know what they like and they like what they know.