Girls and adoption in China

[IllinoisDave]

An interesting article on adoptions in China. Some surprising and heart-breaking info and statistics.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/123021.html

[GZBILL]

An interesting article on adoptions in China. Some surprising and heart-breaking info and statistics.

 

http://www.reason.com/news/show/123021.html

 

Interesting article though it would have been better were some of Jacob Sullum's opinions, fraudulently posed as facts, so retarded.

 

Although the government¡¯s oppressive, family-destroying policies have had the incidental benefit of bringing joy to the lives of adoptive parents in the U.S. and elsewhere, it will be a great victory for liberty when such heartwarming stories stop appearing on newsstands and bookshelves. These adoptions would not be occurring if the Chinese government did not try to dictate the most basic and intimate of life¡¯s decisions.

 

Anybody who has lived in other than poverty-stricken rural areas of China more than a few days can see the devastating effects that overpopulation has brought to the country. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that in the most economically desirable locations, when one person farts five people get lung infections. In a society where, by nature, people prefer large families, sometimes societal well-being and national survival surpass the rights of individuals.

 

Contrary to the impression that abandoned Chinese girls are unwanted, many of them are adopted domestically. Johnson notes that adoption¡ªof girls as well as boys¡ªis firmly rooted in Chinese tradition. Indeed, historically it was more accepted in China than it was until recently in the U.S. Johnson reports that the Chinese government registered more than 56,000 domestic adoptions in 2000, about 11,000 from state-run orphanages, the rest ¡°foundlings adopted [directly] from society.¡± She believes informal adoptions dwarf the official numbers, perhaps totaling half a million or more each year in the late 1980s, when registered adoptions ranged between 10,000 and 15,000 annually.

 

There are no special policies allowing for people to exceed the one-child limit by adopting additional children. The idea that you can have your one biological child and then adopt another is a myth. The overwhelming majority of domestic adoptions are Chinese couples who cannot produce children of their own and have little other options open to them. That adoption is "firmly rooted in Chinese tradition" is a myth when it comes to adoptions where there is no pre-existing nexus between the adoptive parents and the child.

 

Chinese officials may even be having second thoughts about international adoptions, which account for a small portion of abandoned girls but contribute (slightly) to the gender imbalance and could be seen as indirectly encouraging over-quota births. The number of Chinese babies adopted by Americans peaked at nearly 8,000 in 2005, falling to 6,500 last year. In December 2006 the Chinese government, which already rejected gay couples seeking to adopt, announced new, stricter criteria for adoptive parents that exclude, among others, single people, people older than 50, people with body mass indexes of 40 or more (equivalent to a weight of 271 pounds for someone who is five feet, nine inches tall), people with physical handicaps, people who take drugs for depression or other ¡°severe mental disorders,¡± people with assets below $80,000, and divorced people who have been married to their new spouses for less than five years.

 

I guess the days are over when people can just waltz into China and buy a baby after being ultimately rejected for adoption in their home country. What a pity.

 

In any event, conventional wisdon, of which Sullum lacks, indicates that psychos, non-traditional "families," people living under bridges, people near death as well as those who wouldn't know a healthy family if it bit them on the nose shouldn't adopt. New York Department of Social Services wouldn't allow these people to adopt.

 

So why should they be able to easily come to China and buy a baby?

[Shenzhen K-1]

An interesting article on adoptions in China. Some surprising and heart-breaking info and statistics.

 

http://www.reason.com/news/show/123021.html

 

Very intersting article for sure........

 

Watched a program on CCTV9 the other night about the kidnapping of potential brides in rural China. There were som 80 girls taken to be some guys wife in Chengdu the first part of this year alone. The one child and other policies that most people face every day is why our SO's want out and a problem that will have an affect on us as US citizens, sooner then later!

[Guest Mike and Lily]

There is a definite political (religious?) slant to this article. China is doing what it must do to avoid destorying itself. Would the writer of that article prefer a nation with 5B people? China already has 1.3B people, 1/3 of the world's population. Yes, large families and a family with many boys are rooted in chinese culture where children are considered a form of wealth and girls are no longer part of their own family after they marry. China sacrifices some individual rights for the good of the whole. China is already an ecological nightmare, what would China be like with 5B people? Of course there are going to be some problems when government interferes with individual liberties in such a personal way, but consider the alternative. Many of China's policies show why China will be the preemeninent economic power of the 21st century, while the USA continues to stagnate.

[warpedbored]

I also caught the authors implication that China should allow people to have as many children as they want. Although the methods are sometimes draconian, China is the only country in the world pro actively trying to curb over population. Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

[IllinoisDave]

I also caught the authors implication that China should allow people to have as many children as they want. Although the methods are sometimes draconian, China is the only country in the world pro actively trying to curb over population. Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

Ditto to that!

[C4Racer]

I also caught the authors implication that China should allow people to have as many children as they want. Although the methods are sometimes draconian, China is the only country in the world pro actively trying to curb over population. Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

Ditto to that!

 

Yes, methods are draconian, but China got themselves into this mess. They also were the first government to reward people for having many, many children. It was good at the time because China wanted to have lots of workers. They achived their goal, but at a cost. Now, they find their country hurting because of over population. So they have to do something about it.

The other way to deal with it is just let it run it's course. World population will eventually self heal to a level at which the world can sustain. This will be through starvation or wars. Once there is not enough food to go around people will either die of starvation or die in wars trying to get food. China is trying to keep this from happening at least sometime soon.

I don't always agree with the methods, but I do agree something must be done.

Edited December 2, 2007 by C4Racer (see edit history)

[IllinoisDave]

The other way to deal with it is just let it run it's course. World population will eventually self heal to a level at which the world can sustain. This will be through starvation or wars. Once there is not enough food to go around people will either die of starvation or die in wars trying to get food. China is trying to keep this from happening at least sometime soon.

I don't always agree with the methods, but I do agree something must be done.

 

It's too bad more governments and religions don't see this writing on the wall and wake up and realize that this is where the Earth is heading as long as humans remain on the course we're on now.

 

IMO,as long as countries like India keep reproducing at a rate that their own country can't sustain and certain religions continue to advocate endless reproduction, human-kind is doomed to this fate.

 

Over-population will inevitably lead to the self-healing of the Earth you mention unless we've already pushed past the point of no return with global warming and we're all fried to a crisp before we can kill enough of each other to ward off famines and wars.

[Guest knloregon]

I welcome communication with anyone at the Candle interested in any aspect of adoption in China, since I have done it twice.

 

First, in 1997, and the second time in 2001.

[chilton747]

I also caught the authors implication that China should allow people to have as many children as they want. Although the methods are sometimes draconian, China is the only country in the world pro actively trying to curb over population. Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

Ditto to that!

 

Yes, methods are draconian, but China got themselves into this mess. They also were the first government to reward people for having many, many children. It was good at the time because China wanted to have lots of workers. They achived their goal, but at a cost. Now, they find their country hurting because of over population. So they have to do something about it.

The other way to deal with it is just let it run it's course. World population will eventually self heal to a level at which the world can sustain. This will be through starvation or wars. Once there is not enough food to go around people will either die of starvation or die in wars trying to get food. China is trying to keep this from happening at least sometime soon.

I don't always agree with the methods, but I do agree something must be done.

Chairman Mao was always creating messes. He implemented policies that would always have dire consequences. The Chinese people have always suffered from these dire consequences and will continue unless China's government really understands the real value of human life. After all, they are humans themselves.

[DMikeS4321]

Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

 

China's population policy is based on political judgements, not the ability of the planet to support increased population. The carrying capacity of Earth is far beyond today's population. Most famine is caused by political repression. Most "drought" is a direct result of misallocation of resources.

 

Malthusian propaganda aside, let's not turn this into a political thread, OK?

 

P.S. Planet Earth doesn't possess a "self", it's an inanimate object. It's doesn't "heal", it is a constantly changing eco-system of almost unimagineable dimension. Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it.

 

Our planet is HUGE, as anyone who has travelled overseas should know.

Edited December 5, 2007 by DMikeS4321 (see edit history)

[SinoTexas]

Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

 

China's population policy is based on political judgements, not the ability of the planet to support increased population. The carrying capacity of Earth is far beyond today's population. Most famine is caused by political repression. Most "drought" is a direct result of misallocation of resources.

 

Malthusian propaganda aside, let's not turn this into a political thread, OK?

 

P.S. Planet Earth doesn't possess a "self", it's an inanimate object. It's doesn't "heal", it is a constantly changing eco-system of almost unimagineable dimension. Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it.

 

Our planet is HUGE, as anyone who has travelled overseas should know.

As aye,

Jim

[GZBILL]

Over population is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. The earth needs fewer people in order to heal itself.

 

China's population policy is based on political judgements, not the ability of the planet to support increased population. The carrying capacity of Earth is far beyond today's population. Most famine is caused by political repression. Most "drought" is a direct result of misallocation of resources.

 

Malthusian propaganda aside, let's not turn this into a political thread, OK?

 

P.S. Planet Earth doesn't possess a "self", it's an inanimate object. It's doesn't "heal", it is a constantly changing eco-system of almost unimagineable dimension. Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it.

 

Our planet is HUGE, as anyone who has travelled overseas should know.

 

So simplistic. The word absurd fits well.

[sleepless in Houston&CQ]

Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it.

 

 

Geezz Mike Texas is mighty big place

[griz326]

Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it.

 

 

I would love to know where you read this or what study lead to that information.

 

The carrying capacity of the earth is beyond my comprehension. However, my little town of 1000 people in Montana is over-populated...and that's a fact!