Russia - extreme measures to prop up the birth rate

As we well know, declining birth rates across substantial parts of the globe, coupled in many countries with ever-increasing longevity (of a sickly fashion), is a massive strategic issue – economic, social, political, demographic, you name it.  Russia has it as bad as any, and they are now losing their youthful menfolk to war at a striking rate.  As elsewhere, they are increasingly reliant on immigrant labour, but as elsewhere this causes serious tensions.  Wage inflation is rampant as the war economy grows. 

But Putin is, after his fashion, a strategist – and plans are afoot to rectify the situation long-term.  Some of what follows is in the “do we really believe this?” category, but I assure you it all comes from informed Russian sources.  Measures under active consideration include:

• a “childlessness tax”
• reducing the age of consent (the early kids get at it, the more offspring they’ll have – that’s the theory)
• banning abortion
• revival of all manner of patriotic “have lots of children!” campaigns from former years
• Orthodox priests to tell their flock childlessness is a sin
• tax breaks for large families
• some of Putin’s childless mistresses to “mend their ways” rather publicly
• banning alcohol 

Banning alcohol?  In Russia??  Yes, you heard that right.  When I first read this, I assumed it was some Russian satirist at work: just one piss-take too far – but no.  Apparently there will be some experimental “dry regions” established in the near future.

Never, ever, consider getting into a drinking contest with Russians – they have what is termed “special training”.  If you’ve never been there, it can be like Saturday night in the Gorbals, seven days a week.  For Russians, hitting the age of 60 is a really big deal, so many of them keel over of alcohol-related causes before then.  In any office, at all levels of seniority you’ll find puffy, red-faced people bimbling around doing not very much: that’s the latitude given to dipsos.  As for the streets … Russian cops carry big black-and-white striped sticks, notionally for traffic control, with which they tenderly shepherd the drunks into side alleys.  

Good luck with that aspect of policy, eh?

ND