[Aufschlitzer]

To Josh:

One day I was thinking about a number of things, namely, revolving around Abortion. Suppose Abortion were for the most part, done away with. But given that the number of parents looking to adopt children is probably far smaller than the number of abortions performed each year, there will be an excess of children being placed in the foster care system. What do you propose should be done about this?

I have thought about this deeply, and quickly have come up with a number of proposals.

One of the easiest is the strong-armed approach. The government can force every able family to absorb a child who cannot find a foster family. Such law will be enforced through punitive measures - any family that refuses the child will face a variety of unpleasant legal consequences. Granted, this will probably stir up a great furor in any democratic society, and is unlikely to succeed in any place other than some backwards dictatorship.

If one is so uncomfortable with the government having so much power, another idea would be to encourage the private sector to take care of these children. For instance, businesses and corporations could be given tax benefits if they set up their own centers to take care of children without parents. Likewise, families could be given tax incentives to adopt such children. Of course, this system has apparent weaknesses. Could corporations and families cheat the system and falsify such adoptions? Could they adopt large numbers of children, only to neglect them while still reaping tax benefits? If the commodification of children and the reduction of human life into a means of boosting capital is particularly unsettling to you, then I offer another alternative, which I urge you to approach with an open mind.

This proposal assumes on a number of preconditions, namely that the government has 1. enough resources to successfully implement such a plan and 2. has a sound enough infrastructure to uphold the proposal. It aims to strike a balance between choice and overall societal utility.

Instead of families or corporations taking control of the children, suppose the government were to care for the children and have them eligible for quick adoption up to a certain age. To encourage the adoption of these children, families are given tax breaks. But upon reaching a certain age, say, 6, all children who have not yet found families will commence education in privately owned schools that have been contracted by the government. While the schools are privately owned, they must adhere to universal governmental standards with regards to the educational curricula. These schools are designed specifically for one purpose - to provide a comprehensive for all children remaining in the foster system, and prepare them for life as adults. At this point, any children in the system may still be adopted, but the process required to remove them is slightly more difficult.

The children will receive a broad education that encompasses all areas, from the liberal arts to the sciences, from age 6 to 18. This education also includes a prominent physical fitness component. Children who show the most potential in math, science, or the liberal arts, upon reaching proper age, may apply to universities and will have their higher education paid for by the government. Children who do not remain distinguished in any area will be sent to the police and emergency services, military, or receive other vocational training. The number of police/soldiers/firefighters/etc. produced will vary depending on the needs of the country. For instance, if the country were at war, a greater emphasis would be placed on the preparation of new soldiers.