China's Lost Boys?

[IllinoisDave]

Interesting article on the possible ramifications of the one-child policy and resulting gender imbalance. Very interesting.

 

http://tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=06d6...1a7b0e5&p=1

[david_dawei]

I've long thought this OCP (one child policy) is going to unshakle the very few traditional aspects that the CCP didn't eradicate... and have repercussions beyond yet gender gap issues.

 

I was talking with someone the other day and was saying that the west has an easy game to make any disparaging comments about china since they don't have a 5,000+ history and a 1 billion population; We cannot fathom the necessary policies to oversee a nation that big... it's always easy to cast a stone from a comfortable chair...

 

Here are two quotes from the article which stand out to me:

1. The Chinese government--which, policy-making blunders aside, hardly wants a population of hopeless, volatile men under its rule.

2. "If they're ugly and can't find work, there's nothing I can do. No one wants them."

 

First one is a great western stone, cast without sin: Heave; Hoe!

The second is the practical aspects of living in the culture; If the man hasn't applied himself enough, he is not worth it! HE gets the Heave, Hoe!

 

Yes, china has their challenges and has created a few themselves along their 5,000 year history... In just 500 years, I wonder what problems of crime, teen pregnancy, government abuse, and racial hatred we have created in the US?

 

Interestingly, china doesn't appear to be casting any stones at us for no good reason..

- maybe they are just too absorbed with their own problems...

- maybe they are just ignorant of the rest of the worlds problems;

- maybe they don't really care about others problems since they figure, that is their issue to deal with...

 

Whichever way... the western world is always infatuated with the shortcoming of others.. makes us feel better I guess.

[IllinoisDave]

I understand what you're saying David. I thought the article brought up some interesting points,whether we agree with them or not. I didn't post it to further any bashing of China. Actually I didn't think it came across as as much of a China-bashing piece as you did.

 

After all, most of the quotes and facts cited in the article, including one you used, are from Chinese citizens,researchers,officials and academia.

 

And the article's author cited some of our own short-comings to show correlations between our past and China's possbile future.

 

I just thought it was interesting and fairly even-handed.

[Dennis143]

Seems there are some who need to get a thicker skin.

 

 

 

Reminds me when someone uses the race card when they want to divert attention from a serious discussion...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do I feel like I am walking on hot coals when I question my friend, David?

Edited June 25, 2008 by Dennis143 (see edit history)

[Corbin]

I wonder how these young Chinese men see us American men coming into their country and taking away the Chinese women that we so much love. Will it come a time that it might not be safe to walk the streets of China being a mixed couple?

 

I don't see this as an article that is bashing China. It is stating some cold hard facts that are happening and could turn bad if not dealt with by their government with no outside help trying to butt in where they are not needed.

[rogerluli]

Ah I can't get too worked up about it...It seems like typical young men's teething issues to me...

 

Yes the gender imbalance issue is for real, but just because guys like to play with guns and have high levels of testosterone... Is this something new???

[rogerluli]

Here's another kind of trouble that angry young men can get into in China from the angrychineseblogger himself...

 

http://angrychineseblogger.blog-city.com/f...ace_or_myth.htm

[griz326]

I saw it as an interesting read, but poison pen article about China, Dave. I considered it propaganda and not even handed at all.

 

>>>After all, most of the quotes and facts cited in the article, including one you used, are from Chinese citizens,researchers,officials and academia.

 

It's the job of a journalist to take someone's words and club them over the head with them.

 

That said, it is a huge problem growing out of the consequences of the one child policy. It could indeed plant the seeds for war if a solution is not found.

 

I suggest that the USA ship China 37 million liberated women.

[IllinoisDave]

I saw it as an interesting read, but poison pen article about China, Dave. I considered it propaganda and not even handed at all.

 

>>>After all, most of the quotes and facts cited in the article, including one you used, are from Chinese citizens,researchers,officials and academia.

 

It's the job of a journalist to take someone's words and club them over the head with them.

 

That said, it is a huge problem growing out of the consequences of the one child policy. It could indeed plant the seeds for war if a solution is not found.

 

I suggest that the USA ship China 37 million liberated women.

What would be the purpose of the "propaganda" in this case Griz? Does EVERY article that mentions ANYTHING remotely controversial or negative about China have to be propaganda?

 

"It's the job of a journalist to take someone's words and club them over the head with them."

 

Really? In the journalism classes I took we were taught that it's the job of a journalist (a real one anyway) to take someone's words and use them to back up the facts and/or enhance the point/angle of the story without distorting the truth. That seems to be exactly what the author did IMHO.

 

Now if you can find any evidence that this particular reporter has a history of writing blatantly anti-China pieces or a habit of publishing anti-China "propaganda", by all means bring it into the light so we can approach any future stories of hers we may run across with the appropriate amount of skepticism.

 

Otherwise, throwing around the word propaganda at any article about China that we don't like could have the effect of making us look a little paranoid. Just MHO.

[tsap seui]

Heck, it just looks to me like the male peacocks are just gonna have to grow some longer colored feathers to display in front of the female peacocks, as it's a "buyers market" for the female peacocks...so to speak

 

tsap seui

[Dennis143]

Heck, it just looks to me like the male peacocks are just gonna have to grow some longer colored feathers to display in front of the female peacocks peahens, as it's a "buyers market" for the female peacocks peahens...so to speak

 

tsap seui

I feel better now.

[tsap seui]

Heck, it just looks to me like the male peacocks are just gonna have to grow some longer colored feathers to display in front of the female peacocks peahens, as it's a "buyers market" for the female peacocks peahens...so to speak

 

tsap seui

I feel better now.

 

I need all the help I can get Dennis

 

tsap seui

[Guest Mike and Lily]

I saw it as an interesting read, but poison pen article about China, Dave. I considered it propaganda and not even handed at all.

 

>>>After all, most of the quotes and facts cited in the article, including one you used, are from Chinese citizens,researchers,officials and academia.

 

It's the job of a journalist to take someone's words and club them over the head with them.

 

That said, it is a huge problem growing out of the consequences of the one child policy. It could indeed plant the seeds for war if a solution is not found.

 

I suggest that the USA ship China 37 million liberated women.

What would be the purpose of the "propaganda" in this case Griz? Does EVERY article that mentions ANYTHING remotely controversial or negative about China have to be propaganda?

 

"It's the job of a journalist to take someone's words and club them over the head with them."

 

Really? In the journalism classes I took we were taught that it's the job of a journalist (a real one anyway) to take someone's words and use them to back up the facts and/or enhance the point/angle of the story without distorting the truth. That seems to be exactly what the author did IMHO.

 

Now if you can find any evidence that this particular reporter has a history of writing blatantly anti-China pieces or a habit of publishing anti-China "propaganda", by all means bring it into the light so we can approach any future stories of hers we may run across with the appropriate amount of skepticism.

 

Otherwise, throwing around the word propaganda at any article about China that we don't like could have the effect of making us look a little paranoid. Just MHO.

 

So the rationale is that journalists don't discriminate, they print negative news about everyone, the CHinese included? I guess that's true, everytime I listen to the news, it's always bad, whether it's about CHina or not.

[david_dawei]

I understand what you're saying David. I thought the article brought up some interesting points,whether we agree with them or not. I didn't post it to further any bashing of China. Actually I didn't think it came across as as much of a China-bashing piece as you did.

I never said it was bashing; that's a matter of interpretation... I'd probably rather see someone write a piece after they've lived there about 10 years.

 

First they focus on the two hugh metropolitans BJ and SH; Then they switch to infamous gender gap city of Lianyungang... they made the point they wanted to make... and used the cities necessary to make that point.

[rogerluli]

I understand what you're saying David. I thought the article brought up some interesting points,whether we agree with them or not. I didn't post it to further any bashing of China. Actually I didn't think it came across as as much of a China-bashing piece as you did.

I never said it was bashing; that's a matter of interpretation... I'd probably rather see someone write a piece after they've lived there about 10 years.

 

First they focus on the two hugh metropolitans BJ and SH; Then they switch to infamous gender gap city of Lianyungang... they made the point they wanted to make... and used the cities necessary to make that point.

 

I didn't think they made their point at all... It all was somehow supposed to relate to problems brought about by the gender imbalace and then they trotted out these perfectly normal type things that young men everywhere are prone to...