Edward Luttwak suggests that declining birth rates have made countries less willing to go to war. Worldwide, families are so small that parents are unwilling to sacrifice their only child to war. Which is a startling mercenary observation to make in the continuing conservative chorus about the need for more children. If you have extra children, you won’t have to worry about losing an only child, you will always have a spare.

It isn’t because they love children and bringing more children into the world is a good thing for both parents and children. No, it is parents need to have spare children so that they won’t make a scene when their children start dying in battle. Nothing is so annoying for generals than for a bunch of parents balking at the thought of little Billy dying at the front.

Luttwak glories in Israel women who bear more than the replacement value of children. Well, yes but then is their willingness to sacrifice their children due to less then all of the than Israel is fighting for their existence. On October 7, Hamas was killing men, women and children inside of Israel. This isn’t a war of choice for them, not like, for example the Russians in the Ukraine or Macron wanting NATO troops in the Ukraine. Parents, I think rightfully, will balk at wars for no good reason.

And, isn’t that a good thing. Luttwak looks back to the past when people had more children than they could fed, and thinks isn’t it a pity that parents don’t do this any more. It is preventing armies from taking the battlefield because parents actually care if their child lives. How wonderful for both the parents and the child. If Luttwak is correct, and let’s hope he is, there will be a trickle down effect of less war in the world. Good.