Dolls, Slavery and Unhappiness
How to raise a child and make them Unhappy
I was recently struck by the number of articles coming out about President Trumps response of having “less dolls” for American Children. God Forbid we ask our children to get buy with less. We are American and we define our greatness with excess.
After reflecting a while I popped off a response to one of the journalist. Due to privacy (both theirs and mine) I’m leaving their name out. However I did not want to deprive my readers of the response. Also, I’m starting to make my publication entirely free and will be “unleashing” my past articles too.
My response:
5/21/2025
Thank you for your recent article. I agree that toys do light up a child's life and also provide an educational opportunity for any parent. Too state my conflict of interest I'm one of those parents who did "buy happiness". Looking back it may not have been the wisest choice in parenting. But in your article I would like to point out parenting is a life journey that doesn't end but the end goal at a minimum is a child who can put food on the table and a roof over their head. Second, possibly happiness.
My son recently a graduate with an associates degree and cannot find a job. Any job he can find he cannot afford to move out of his parents house. Not for lack of trying or the "number of dolls" he got when he was a child. My question and challenge to you as a follow-up is to write an article that talks about the entire time-line of a child. Not just the “Barbie phase”. Write an article of a child that grows up, finds a good job. Moves out of their parents home and starts a factory that makes dolls in the United States. Then sell those dolls to children in China so their children can be happy.
If you write that article you will find each stage of that child's life is impossible under the current institutions and world dynamics staged against the Citizens of the United States. From ability to get a job, afford rent and afford an education. But also examine the taxes and hurdles to build factories in the United States let alone export challenges to China. The subsidies their doll factories are getting including slave labor and 7 day work weeks.
Maybe we should have an Uyghur Muslim Barbie doll that makes Barbies. Unfortunately no child will every want that doll because they work 7 days a week and never have time to play.
I look forward to your more rounded journalistic article that examines the entire spectrum of a child's life.
Unfortunately I did take a negative turn with that response. But I do hope the public talks more about the entire journey of a parent raising a child in the United States. I remember the phrase once that my parents, grand-parents and great grand parents always felt their kids were better off than they were. Maybe that’s why they buried them with dolls and other frivolous toys.
Unfortunately I know for a fact the current generation cannot say the same.
Let’s hope for further civil discourse.