I think about that too, like "what kind of world would my child be growing up in?" but that question is always going to be there and I don't think I can let it affect my decision. Who knows, maybe it is your child that makes the world better. However, the part about people who just have kids to have kids and know little to nothing about the rest of the world and how their decisions impact it also bothers me too.
I think about this a lot, and I came down on this:
- The world may be a fucked up place, but it's an existential threat. Geezer Butler was writing about nuclear holocausts back in 1970, and we're almost 50 years on and we're still kicking. I think about my step-grandson, who is cared for 24 hours a day by two loving parents, and then I compare with what I've learned in putting my family tree together (three of my great-grandparents had seven or more kids, and all had at least two not survive past the age of three) so in many ways the world in which Cram, Jr. will be born is far better than it ever has been in the history of mankind.
I also think of "changes"; whether it's kids or something else, it's naďve to think we are going to be able to live out the remaining years on this planet without some life-altering change. Illness, loss of loved one, child birth, job loss, erectile dysfunction... and we adapt. We accommodate our circumstances. With kids, I was not able to play softball five nights a week, but I did play one or two, and it was acceptable. I didn't get drunk as often (though the ex wife found a way; grrr.). But in exchange, I now get to take my kid to concerts (she loved Kiss, and after I showed her a picture of the Powerslave tour stage set, she wants to see Iron Maiden). It's all a trade off, like any other you have in life, and only you can make it.
For those without kids, I salute you, and for those with kids, I salute you.