Alternate title: The complete idiot’s guide to raising a successful child.

As Men Lose Economic Ground, Clues in the Family – NYTimes.com.

I’ve written about a lot of controversial topics over the years, but the only time I’ve ever received threats of physical violence was when I made a message board post describing why I had absolutely no respect for those who choose to become single parents.  I don’t intend to re-produce my argument in totality, but rather to point out that the New York Times has (in a rather roundabout way) come to the incredibly un-PC conclusion that yes, being raised by a single mom is a very good predictor that, on the whole, a child will underperform their peers, especially if they are male.

This article meanders a bit, covering favorite leftist topics such as the glass ceiling, income inequality, social justice, and education.  But make no mistake about it; the overall conclusion is that the rise in single-parent homes is a primary factor in the decline in incomes for men.  If true (and they seem to think it is), this has all sorts of socio-political ramifications that I’m quite certain the NYT is not at all prepared to address.  What does this imply about religion?  About divorce laws?  About welfare and other social benefits (incentives matter)?  About the tax code?  About homosexual adoption?

One thing is for certain – it implies that I have been right all along.  That single parents by choice are not the heroes the media portrays them as.  That they are not noble and self-sacrificing, but rather, that they are engaging in incredibly selfish behavior that is absolutely destructive to the future of their children.  Being a single parent is not a legitimate lifestyle choice.  It is something that should be met with near-universal scorn and contempt by society.

Disclaimer:  In making these claims, I am dealing with the aggregate (y halo thar Keynesians!).  I do not need any comments or e-mails about how you were raised by a single parent and you turned out great.  Of course such things are possible.  Anecdotal evidence does not overturn statistical trends.  If you were raised by a single parent and everything was fine, you were incredibly lucky, and statistics indicate that you probably would have turned out much better if you grew up in a two-parent household.