My brother forwarded an article from the New York Times
Middle Class or So They Say
From my perspective,
thinking of aggregates of individuals as members of an economic class is unfortunate, and provides no benefits for making public policy decisions.
The discussion I was having with myself got me thinking about promoting a culture that guards others from the effects of your own dangerous activities.
If people believe it is bad to feel insecure, then they should not have children without buying an insurance policy that will keep their children from becoming economically insecure, and a burden on others. If they cannot afford such insurance, then they should not have children.
It should be part of our culture, that just as parents should vaccinate their kids to prevent illness, parents should have insurance to prevent economic catastrophes. If they are not willing or able to have their kids vaccinated or have insurance, then they should not have children.
Children can hurt people and property, and thus parents should either be self-insured or buy insurance to compensate other people who get harmed by children. If it is dangerous for children not to be vaccinated, the cost of insurance will be high. If it is not dangerous than the market will provide such liability insurance for next to nothing.