i have seen a stunning collection of luxury mobile phones at http://www.continentalmobiles.com
I don't disagree with anything you've said. I find the whole concept sad and perplexing.
All your examples are of families, with one or more parent working full-time (usually the father) and both parents actively engaged in making ends meet. (That was my family--four kids, no Atari 2600; my life's not great, but I'm not selling my body for my next smack hit, so I'd say it was successful.)
What I find interesting is, if either of us would suggest that women raising their children on public assistance might be better off refraining from making a third (or more) baby with a man who won't be around to help raise it, half the people who twitter at you and other married woman for wanting more than two babies would go ballistic nuts calling us names that end in -ist and -itch and -hole (the other half would go into a scary racist Margaret Sanger mode). How dare we impose our white middle-class values, keep our morality off women's bodies, etc. And they wouldn't even notice the big blinking neon IRONY sign right in front of their face.
And I'm not trying to control people or eliminate segments of the population; I just see a difference between expecting others to buy food, housing, and medical care for six kids, and having to choose (the horror!) the free local library summer reading program over six weeks at Camp Snooteewocky in the Adironacks while you pay for everything else your six children need.
I agree Heather. Especially your second - make that third - paragraph.
I can just here the "Well, gee, you don't want them to have abortions do you?" in my head.
But all I needed to know about this topic came to a head with Michelle Duggar. The Arkansas mother of 16 (or is it 17?). Women - some progressive, pro-choice women - derided her choice to have that many kids. Accused her of using welfare to support them, etc. (even though the Duggars are debt free. How I envy them). No harm in criticizing her.
But I've known families with 4, 5, 6 kids by different fathers (who are all absent) and you can't say anything to them.
Well, nothing's gonna stop me from having the kids the Lord sees fit and He knows what we can afford.
Even if the eco-fanatics had their way, I've already got two baby credits from another blogger... 
Well, I guess Dave was my luxury kid. I'm sooooo glad I am NOT politically correct or we wouldn't have you & Charley in our lives.
People constantly talk about how expensive it is to raise a child, but honestly, I haven't noticed a change in our finances at all, except for the better, because we're not at Second City and Wicked and Charlie's Ale House every weekend.
Babies can live on breastmilk for a year - free
Babies can use cloth diapers - expensive initially but well worth it
Baby clothes are dirt cheap if you buy online at The Children's Place and from the sale rack at Target.
Where's the expense?
Babies don't need crap cluttering up their lives and separating them from their parents' attention.
They need love.
Exactly, Ma. There have not been huge changes in our finances, either.
I don't get it, which is why I blogged about it.
Glad I've got TEN!
On the other hand, my husband works with some men who lean to liberal politics and now that their children are grown wish fervently that they had had more. We were happily surprised to hear that.
I will never understand how people cannot see children as a blessing, or decide what other people can afford.
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