So, is it birthright or birthwrong?

Raphael Samuels beard is clearly fake In one photograph his eyes are covered with what looks like a little girls little bra On his Facebook page quixotically named Nihilanand he has posts with inyourface statements like Your parents had you instead of a toy or a dog and You owe them nothingOne irate post demands Why should I suffer Why must I be stuck in traffic Why must I work Why must I face wars Why must I feel pain or depression Why should I do anything when I dont want to Many questions one answer Someone had you for their pleasureA few days ago Raphael Samuel hit the spotlights when he announced that he was suing his parents for having given birth to him without his permission and thus bringing him into a miserable world and a guaranteed wretched life full of suffering pain and uncertainty The BBC interviewed him and he was featured in a number of other publications Donald Trump Jr tweeted Im going to go out on a limb and say this definitely a liberal sicHis parents both skilled lawyers dont seem very disturbed by their offsprings wackiness Samuel himself says he loves them very much and thanks them for having raised him to be such an independent thinkerHis mother Kavita Samuel sportingly told this paper If Raphael can come up with a rational explanation as to how we could have sought his consent before he was born I will accept my fault She added that if she could have met him before he was born she would definitely not have had him But six months earlier at breakfast when Samuel broke the news to his parents she hadnt minced words I will destroy you in court she promised himBut does Raphael have a point The planet is visibly stressed Tyrants and dictators are in charge and the odds are against children the poor and the vulnerable Wars last forever devastating and uprooting millions of lives Rape violence and random brutality seem to be the norm Pollution and reckless looting of the earths resources is depleting our planet destroying species at a historically unprecedented rate Global warming is ensuring random ecological disasters and rising sealevels guaranteeing mass migrations and a hot miserable planetIs it fair to bring a child into this world Even if foetal consent is an idiotic idea should gratuitous birth be made an offence Those who believe the answer to this question is a clear Yes now lead a movement called antinatalism believing that giving birth has become an irresponsible actNot everyone agrees of course The Buddha taught that pain and suffering are woven into life and there is no avoiding them and preached detachment from pleasures and pains Pain and suffering werent invented in the 1990s when Raphael Samuel was born The caveman stepping out of his cave lived with the expectation of sudden brutal death hunger helplessness and random weatherHistorians say there was far more violence and mass death from disease and wars in the Middle Ages roughly 500 to 1500 AD than in the last 100 years In The Better Angels of Our Nature Pulitzerwinning writer Stephen Pinker claims providing solid numbers in proof that we are living in times of unprecedented peace security ease comfort and personal choice Immunisation peace treaties advances in nutrition and medical technology and instant communication driven by the human will to solve problems and improve life have reduced deaths extended life spans and improved living standards across the globeSo what does the jury say Is it indeed a better world or are we headed towards a nasty end To be blindingly honest a part of me has struggled with the fact that my two millennial children will deal with a world more chaotic unpredictable and changeable than any I knew Desperate to be of use I began a book of letters with life advice to them but struggled to find any relevant wisdom My babyboomer world seemed to have no lessons for their millennial onesMy son 22 said First please describe me as an antimillennial millennial I keep away from Raphaels they are lazy uninformed entitled and uninterested in anything that requires more than a couple of minutes of their time Raphael is clueless and superficial hes getting a quick social media stroking and instant notoriety but he doesnt know that life has always been like this You have to work and struggle but still live with hope and always do your best believing in the human spirit and do what you can to make the future better Thats how its always been Thats why we are here today In a world that can and will get betterHere viewed from there C Y Gopinath in Bangkok throws unique light and shadows on Mumbai the city that raised him You can reach him at cygopigmailcom Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates