The Reality of Disposable Kids "As the economy progresses, there is a tipping point when the children become a liability, and that is when the child birth reduces, parents spent their income on teh children."

btw, WTF does this mean? Is it supposed to be some kind of Malthusian population theory (in a demented form)? You make no economic sense. What is your 'tipping' point? What does child birth have to do with child labor?(or you talking on marginals or numerical terms? Issues of demand, supply, aggregrates?) And again, disposable income does not necessarily apply to the subsistence farmer, the issue is not of income, but wealth. Understand the difference.

The Reality of Disposable Kids jayp

it would be wise not to indulge yourself in national-heroic-pride and country bashing. We can all see how nationalistic and heroic you are (country of preference need not be named). Congratulations, give yourself a pat on the back for some moral support and an appraisal of self-esteem.

The issue at hand is child labor, and mainly policy. While historical economic facts for the Indian subcontinent clearly point towards an exploitative nature in wage differentials and labor participation, it is important to not that consumable income and disposable income are not issues of relevance to lets say, the subsistence farmers. Without getting into any form of scientific/mathematical modelling of labor and IO issues, it is important to note, from a policy point of view that child labor is only a product of disintermediation between the labor and production. You may be a socialist or a capitalist, but the problem of checks and balances is clear to a certain level in each 'economic' system. Child labor is not a product of necessity, but instead is rooted in the nature of the system in which it grows, one where de-regulated profit maximization is central. In Pakistan, as in most 'third' world countries, or to put it in nicer terms, 'developing economies' (development? what does that mean anyways?) child labor is an inevitable course that will eventually run aground itself, as it has in most 'developed' economies.

Now fight over the politics of it...