Monday, October 10, 2011

Reason #41: Til 2013 Do You Part

***** SPECIAL MEXICAN EDITION *****


Sadly, I can't credit this one to the US government, but it was too cool to pass up - officials in Mexico City have proposed the development of marriage licenses with a two-year expiration date.

Which is to say, the terms of a theoretical future separation are built into the initial marriage contract, so if after two years it's decided that things aren't working out, no messy divorce to drag on for months and further alienate the couples involved. If things are still hunky-dory after two years, then you just renew it - no muss, no fuss.

I think this is a brilliant idea.

It's cynical, perhaps, but so is any sort of prenuptial agreement whatsoever, and nobody is arguing against those. This just streamlines things and saves a lot of time, acrimony, and lawyer's fees. Like gay marriage if it were legal, it would only be a bureaucratic recognition of the societal reality we're already living in, without doing a shred of damage to any happy long-term couples.

And not only would it be good for the court system by eliminating a lot of legal mess, but damping the commitment pressure associated with marriage might actually encourage more of them in the short term - and nothing boosts consumer spending like a shit-ton of weddings.

Which, now that I think about it, is another good argument for gay marriage, as well.

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