Cradle To Grave Nanny State: February 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!

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Used solely for nonprofit, educational purposes.

Hi!

I would like to share a form with you that was given at our first visit to the äitiysneuvola. We are expected to fill this form out and return it. On page 2, we are informed that this information will be kept, and returned to us when our child turns six years old. This doesn't sound too far out of the ordinary, at least not in Finland... except for the fact that all this information is kept by a government-run healthcare system, and the fact that you can opt out is not told to anyone that doesn't ask.

Let's take a look at some of the information that this form gathers. I have the form in its entirety attached to the bottom of this post for your viewing (dis)pleasure, but for now, let's just explore a few of the more juicy tidbits:

Each question has four response choices: Agree, Partially agree, Partially disagree, and Disagree.

They range from the parents' knowledge about health such as #4, "I am aware that intoxicants (alcohol, drugs) have a negative impact on the fetus," to the parents' own childhood experiences such as #13, "[As a child,] I was accepted for who I was."

The partner relationship aspect is also a big one, with a questions such as #17 and #18 which deal with physical and mental violence, and #21, "I know that our sexual life can be affected by our child's birth," to #26, "I am prepared to make an effort to develop our relationship."

Topics about parenthood, social support, and economic situation come into play, too, with questions like: #33 "Together with my partner we are trying to develop a shared view on how to take care of and raise the child," #41 "I know when I can turn to the maternity clinic," #48 "If necessary, I will try to find new ways of combining work (or studies) and family when the child is born."

However relevant this information might be to developing a healthy family environment, I don't think that it is the government's place to make it their business. I don't think that the government should have the right to demand this sort of personal information from myself or my wife. As responsible citizens, I believe we are in a far better position to be able to deal with these sorts of issues without any government intervention whatsoever. As Henry David Thoreau said, "That government is best which governs least."

As mentioned above, I have included the form at the bottom of this post for you to take a look at it. I'm seriously considering having my wife fill in all the "right" responses, and then filling in all the "wrong" responses myself... either that or just opting out. Such a tough decision...

Either way, if you're interested in hearing the latest, feel free to subscribe using the link below, and if you have something to say, feel free to leave a comment!

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Sunday, February 21, 2016

Shoutout to Bill Watterson!

Hi!

One of my favorite communicators, Bill Watterson, put together a wonderful piece that summarizes how I often feel about many people who have taken the responsibility to make society work.

Image solely for nonprofit, educational use.

As Bill Watterson once said about this very comic strip, "People will pay for what they want, but not for what they need." As I put together my analysis of my wife's and my visit to the äitiysneuvola, I hope and pray that it gives citizens everywhere the information and the energy to give politicians the swift kick in the butt that they need to get this world on track!

All the best,

-Matt

Thursday, February 18, 2016

And so it begins...

Äitiysneuvola!

For most Finns, this word marks the beginning of a long journey. This is the first consultation visit of a new mother to get advice about maternity, and to schedule an ultrasound. The father can come along, too. My wife is 10 weeks pregnant, and we are going together to the äitiysneuvola tomorrow. As a scientist who is well versed in embryology, I'm going to have trouble keeping my mouth shut. Don't worry, though, my wife will make sure that I do!

So, what does this word, "äitiysneuvola," actually mean? When inserted into Google Translate, it translates to the very benign sounding "Maternity Clinic." However, if we look at the etymology of the word by breaking it down into its parts, we find a much more specific answer: "Äitiys" refers to maternity, so that's all fine and good. But, rather than a clinic, "neuvola" refers to a center for guidance. This, at first glance, may seem great, especially to a Finn who is used to outsourcing important decisions to experts. However, I believe that this is the first event in the life of a human being, which increases his/her reliance on the social welfare system and perpetuates the idea that an expert is more qualified to make your life's decisions than you are.

Yes, this visit itself is totally benign. Still, it is vitally important for us to remember that we, the parents, are responsible for raising our children the way they should be raised. Outsourcing this job to the society, and blindly following the directives given by experts would be irresponsible of us.

Don’t get me wrong: my wife and I believe that education is a good thing. Furthermore, we believe that each person should be responsible for educating him/herself in the things that are important, rather than blindly relying on the word of someone else deemed an "expert." We are all for mothers getting as much information as possible to better the care of their children! It would just be better if the information were complete, and up-to-date. Although it takes more time to look at the latest articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, the information you can get from your own research is a lot more thorough and good than what you get from a 1-1/2 hour consultation.

Yes, we are going to the neuvola although we could opt out. We’re doing this for three reasons.

1. Her parents would kill me if my wife didn’t go. After all, as caring parents we’re pretty much “obligated” to do it. Besides, if we pay taxes, we might as well exercise our "right" to two free ultrasounds throughout the course of her pregnancy. Ultrasounds are beneficial, and it will be good to get one (or two).

2. I will be recording the entire consultation on my phone and analyzing it for your benefit. If there is anything to be gained from the neuvola visit, you will find it on this blog, shortly!

3. Even though societal pressure practically forces you to go to the neuvola, we set out to demonstrate that, whether we go to the neuvola or not, we will make our decisions in the best interest of our new child!

All the Best,

Matt