Republican Answer to Poverty - GET MARRIED

[exploited]

I thought we were talking about marriage in general not how it impacts kids. My bad. Of course there are serious financial benefits to a two parent household. Denying that is lunacy.

[Spider]

I kinda think marriage averages out to a reduction in stability. It only adds stability in the less likely scenario where people are actually really compatible and willing to work for it. Marriage is a fantastic thing when it works, and I believe it has fantastic family benefits in those less likely situations. Mostly it doesn't work, though. We have to acknowledge that rather than stubbornly idealize the whole thing.

The vast bulk of the time the result of getting married is the relationship eventually death spirals and ends, leading to a divorce that is far more disruptive to everyone involved because of the social implications and legal entanglements than a simpler termination of a non-civil relationship. To say nothing of what it does to kids.

If there were no such thing as civil marriage, we'd be a lot better off, methinks. Then marriages could be a lot less damaging and a lot more flexible, allowing that majority of people who in fact made a mistake by entering into it a bit more latitude.

The majority of people we've known who have gotten marriead have been divorced within the first ten years. Its just been a giant mess for most of them, though there have a been a few amicable and relatively smooth splits. My sister in law has been divorced twice and she is 28.

[eynon81]

perhaps its a correlation/causation mess.

perhaps it is not that marriage makes people stable, but that stable people get...and stay...married.

[exploited]

They should have trial marriages. "Come back in two years and make a decision. If you decide to stay married then you now have obligations. If not the marriage is nullified."

[Spider]

[exploited]

[Spider]

[Dylan]

while i understand the nostalgia in this thread most of you are pining for something that never existed. just fyi....

[exploited]

It exists... just not for most people who get married. Most people shouldn't be getting married because most people are either stupid or a cheater or both.

[Dylan]

the idea of a time when people honored their commitments damnit and were steadfast, strong-jawed and unwavering is the myth.