The Economist says white Americans having babies is 'insidious'

The Economist suggested in a op ed published earlier this week that the pro-natalist movement, an activist campaign surrounding wanting more babies, is actually racist.

The outlet, usually known for in-depth analysis on business, posted a link to its story on X, with the caption, "With Trump and Vance in power, many pro-natalists believe this is the moment to jump-start baby-making. But some critics see pro-natalism as part of an insidious project to create a whiter America."

The caption, along with the outlet's coverage on the topic, led to heavy ridicule from conservatives on X, with commentator Matt Wash joking, "Oh no. They've uncovered our insidious plot to continue existing."

The Post Millennial editor-in-chief, Libby Emmons, posted, "LOL The Economist says having babies is racist."

Turning Point USA's spokesman Andrew Kolvet reacted on X, posting, "According to The Economist, white Americans having babies = 'insidious project.' Are you paying attention yet?"

The piece was written by Barclay Bram, who claims to be an anthropologist on his website, and studied philosophy at Oxford. Since graduating, Bram has been a "fellow in the Asia Society's Cetnre for China Analysis."

"There was a sense among many at NatalCon that, with Trump and Vance in power, the moment to jump-start American baby-making had come at last. But those gathered outside the museum on the opening night of the conference had a different impression: that pro-natalism was part of a broader and more insidious project to create a whiter America. A group of protesters, their faces mostly covered, gathered in the museum’s courtyard. 'Nazis off our campus!' they screamed through a megaphone as conference attendees streamed in. One sign read 'Eugenicists' with the word 'Natalists' crossed through," Bram wrote, suggesting that a movement to stop the decline of population is tied to white supremacy.

The outlet took aim at Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec, who said at a natalism conference in Texas known as NatalCon, "We are in a war for civilisation itself," and that “natalism is our sword and shield." Bram then took the time to point out that at NatalCon, the crowd "was nearly all male and mostly white." He made mention of this pattern in other aspects of the conference, saying that "almost all the speakers were white Americans.”

The article also suggested that the natalism conference was associated with "a regressive vision of the future, or even the dystopia created by Margaret Atwood in her novel 'The Handmaid’s Tale', in which women are seen simply as baby-making machines."