April 8, 2010
Lola Verlarde
European Network Institute for Family Policies
email: ipf@ipfe.org
website: www.ipfe.org
Dear Lola Verlarde:
I appreciated your contribution to the documentary “Demographic Winter.” It is heartening to see such an interest being taken in families. In recent decades such interest has been sorely lacking.
In addition to the issues raised by that documentary, there is one that has been proven but is little mentioned. I thought you might be interested.
The number of offspring a couple has – probably in the first generation but clearly in subsequent generations – depends on their kinship. They have to be of the same extended family. This effect accumulates over multiple generations.
Clearly family is more important than anybody realizes, at least anybody who is making themselves heard. Marrying within the larger family is simply a matter of survival of the human species. Of course more is needed. The family must be caring and secure. But the big hurdle, the one almost nobody in the world now even attempts to clear, is the matter of choosing a spouse. Get that wrong and nothing else matters.
I have put the information I have been able to accumulate on my website nobabies.net along with the letters I write and other material. If you want the strongest proof in the least time, look at the March 25, 2010 entry. It is bare bones. There is much further material from impeccable professional publications and there is an equal amount that is more or less anecdotal.
Reproduction is not the only concern when one is talking about family. But family is the only concern when talking about reproduction. The statistics in the documentary rather understate the case. Things are far worse than that.
Have a look at my material and let me know what you think. If I can help in any way, do let me know.
Sincerely,
M. Linton Herbert MD
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