Vladimir Putin Hires Boyz II Men To Boost Russian Birth Rate

Last month during his state of the nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the need for Russian families to have more children as a way for their country to remain strong and sovereign. In fact, he even offered new incentives for those having a third child in addition to the ones already in place for a second child. From The Telegraph:

Also in his speech, Mr Putin lauded recent measures to give cash payments and other benefits to mothers having a second child. Current birth rates show an average of 1.7 children are born to each Russian woman, but the president urged a huge leap in family-building.

New payments for those having a third child would begin next year, he said. “Demographers affirm that choosing to have a second child is already a potential choice in favour of a third,” he added. “It’s important that families make that step… I am convinced that the norm in Russia should become a family with three children.”

To achieve that goal, he said, women needed to be provided with the opportunity to continue work, so that they “did not fear that having a second and third child would close the path to a career.”

Mr Putin has long equated Russia’s demographic decline over recent decades with a potential threat to security. On Wednesday, he added: “In order for Russia to be a strong and sovereign country, there must be more of us and we must be better in morality, in our competences, our work and our creativity.”

Although I think paying people to have children is a terrible idea, I get what he’s saying with regards to having a population capable of defending their nation. I still wouldn’t pay people for kids, but I understand his argument.

OK, so you’re the President of Russia and your latest thing is that you think your citizens need to make more babies. You have already announced you will bribe pay them cash award for having a second and third child, so what else can you do to help the baby-making? I mean, you’d think the cash would be enough, right? Not Putin. Nope, he decided what he really needed to increase people production is Russia was to hire American R & B group Boyz II Men. Not even kidding:

President Vladimir Putin’s crusade to raise the country’s birth rate is set to get the support of three powerful voices on its behalf.

A baritone and two tenors, that is.

The stylish trio of Boyz II Men, the most successful R&B group of all time, is coming to Moscow on Feb. 6. The group will perform a selection of their classic and new romantic ballads, hopefully giving Russian men some inspiration ahead of St. Valentine’s Day.

I don’t even know what to say to this. I mean, the President of Russia just hired some band from the 1990s to help get his country ‘in the mood’ to make babies? Really? Is this real life?

Here’s the bigger question: If the president of a country thinks hiring a group from the 1990s to help his people have more children is a good idea, does that make him more or less of threat to rest of the world?