Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyWolf
The stability of China is somewhat of an illusion. Please note I said not necessarily right away. The effects of the one-child/male preference policy/effect in China probably won't really be felt for another 10 years or so. But rest assured that the stability of the country rests on a very thin edge right now.
A standing army/paramilitary total of 7.5 million manages to deflect some of the competition for females (the US military, including reserves totals only about 2.5 million). Traditionally, men who cannot find/have not found a mate move into the military. This suggests that the 7.5 million figure will swell as more men follow that route. A country, even China, cannot long sustain a huge military without finding an outlet for it. That outlet is war. Including reservists (40+ million), almost 4% of China's population is tied up in the military. The US, by comparison has less than 0.8% of it's population in the military/reserves.
And sterilization IS quick, cheap, and easy... for men. But unlike women, who have a "built-in" end to their reproductive viability, we don't - so it seems like a bigger step for us. For many men, sterility = loss of manhood. It ain't.
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I'm all for pluralism, and authoritarianism seems like an extension of pluralistic methods of implementing governmental influence. I am curious as to how stable China will be in the coming 30 years (as opposed to a democracy which, has its own sets of shortcomings, such as a paralyzed government, special interests, oppression of minorities through the will of the majority).
Anyway, China enforces its one child policy through forced sterilizations (would any one here want to be forced to undergo a vasectomy?--I know I would not. It violates my fundamental right to autonomy), kicking families with more than 1 child out of school, and occasionally razing the homes of families with more than one child (Oh, you have a son AND a daughter? Lemme tear down your house and make you homeless).
Still sound like a good system?