Is China's one-child policy really a good idea?

[Dari]

Depending how long they keep it, their population could collapse. Considering you need 2.1 children per woman to keep the population stable, a one-child policy will put a huge burden on the young as more people go into retirement.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Are you dare suggesting that having your government control your basic reproductive rights may not be the very best idea?

 

[AnnonUSA]

Good for who? Us or them.

For US yes it's good, for them, Who cares?

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Are you dare suggesting that having your government control your basic reproductive rights may not be the very best idea?

I'm just wondering if they really thought it through. Their government is unelected so they could've easily had some eggheads do some projections and estimations and decide on the day when they can increase the ratio. But if they didn't think ahead, it could be a huge problem for future policymakers and the world.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: Dari
Depending how long they keep it, their population could collapse. Considering you need 2.1 children per woman to keep the population stable, a one-child policy will put a huge burden on the young as more people go into retirement.

The Chinese government will want to keep this policy until their rural population stops pouring into modern china for work.

You realize there's still some 600+ million Chinese people out in the countryside, pouring into modern cities, seeking work? Massive unemployment creates massive political instability.

I'm not saying that I endorse their philosophy. I just recognize that it works for their situation.

 

[Mail5398]

Interesting question. If it wasn't for the immigration of so many hispanics into this country, we might be in trouble. Our country is a pay as you go system. We need taxpayers putting into the system to keep the government going. People having less children and the number of abortions since roe v. wade have affected the population growth in this country. I have seen the number of abortions put up of at a low estimate of
35 million by the CDC since 1973. I am not making a statement about the whether abortion is right or wrong.

China had a problem with couples abandoning or aborting baby girls becuase of the one child policy.

 

[Farang]

From what I understand the 1-child policy is not absolutely enforceable so you get a lot of people in the countryside still having a lot of kids. Their population is still growing.

 

[StageLeft]

Yes, its' a good idea. You're failing to realize that China has obliterated its environment to the extent where soon there won't be old people as they'll all die from cancer. Once that happens, and the average life expectancy is around 55 (after which productivity would go down anyway), they can step it back to a 2:2 or 2:3 and then just have a country full of young people who crank out product until they die from cancer at an early age.

 

[BarneyFife]

It is if they ever want to be a superpower.

 

[compuwiz1]

If the one child law was applied here, you wouldn't have people getting big enough welfare benefits to buy Escalades.

My personal belief is we shouldn't have more than enough kids to replace ourselves. My wife and I only have 2.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Farang
From what I understand the 1-child policy is not absolutely enforceable so you get a lot of people in the countryside still having a lot of kids. Their population is still growing.

this is my understanding

 

[sandorski]

Uh, they can change it whenever they need to. I kinda doubt they'll keep it if the country begins emptying out of people.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: FoBoT

Originally posted by: Farang
From what I understand the 1-child policy is not absolutely enforceable so you get a lot of people in the countryside still having a lot of kids. Their population is still growing.

this is my understanding

Nah the CCP came to power through massive grassroots organization so I'd be surprised if they did not have the same reach.
I believe for the countryside you get two children if your first was not a son or had some kind of handicap. Also - ethnic minorities are exempt from restrictions that the rest of the Han have, or have their own series of "rules" which are typicall much more lax.

This isn't an idea that no one thought about...I think they are just playing a "lets see what happens"....and hope that they can somehow have the output to support them...and if they can't....well tough luck - they will screw over their older population.

China had a problem with couples abandoning or aborting baby girls becuase of the one child policy.

China has ALWAYS had a female infanticide problem. These ridiculously twisted ratios (Mother nature prefers to get very close to 1:1) of 120:100 and 150:100 have long been a feature of Chinese society.

 

[techs]

The Chinese thinking is that an adequate food supply is the first order of business.
As you know China, even with their one child per family act, has 20 percent of the worlds population and 7 percent of the worlds arable land.
It is quite possible that if not for the the one child law, there might be millions starving in China right now.
The big effect of the one child law is the skewed demographics which will be similiar to that of the US baby boom, where you have a far larger retired population versus working age population that would not have occurred naturally.
The one child law, while extremely distasteful to most Americans, and probably most Chinese, was a desperate attempt to save their country from massive starvation. And it seems to have worked. At least for now.

 

[BarneyFife]

Thats correct techs. If it wasn't for this law, China would look like Africa.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Thats correct techs. If it wasn't for this law, China would look like Africa.

Africa's problem has never been food. It's mainly tribal and God-awful leadership.

 

[Noobtastic]

No it's not good for anybody.

1 Child policy has created a gender imbalance. Country is more aggressive than it should be because of lopsided sexes...men can't find wives so they channel their whatever into other crap.

Plus it's resulted in mass infanticide, like millions of abortions a year..and hundreds of thousands of orphans..

India is the same.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic
No it's not good for anybody.

1 Child policy has created a gender imbalance. Country is more aggressive than it should be because of lopsided sexes...men can't find wives so they channel their whatever into other crap.

Plus it's resulted in mass infanticide, like millions of abortions a year..and hundreds of thousands of orphans..

India is the same.

Originally posted by: magomago
China has ALWAYS had a female infanticide problem. These ridiculously twisted ratios (Mother nature prefers to get very close to 1:1) of 120:100 and 150:100 have long been a feature of Chinese society.

Nice to see you actually read threads.

This policy never created one - Chinese history is one always marked by chronic shortages of women due to female infanticide. Rich men marrying multiple wives in a society with already chronic shortages of women only made things even worse for unmarried men.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: techs
The Chinese thinking is that an adequate food supply is the first order of business.
As you know China, even with their one child per family act, has 20 percent of the worlds population and 7 percent of the worlds arable land.
It is quite possible that if not for the the one child law, there might be millions starving in China right now.
The big effect of the one child law is the skewed demographics which will be similiar to that of the US baby boom, where you have a far larger retired population versus working age population that would not have occurred naturally.
The one child law, while extremely distasteful to most Americans, and probably most Chinese, was a desperate attempt to save their country from massive starvation. And it seems to have worked. At least for now.

Agreed.

Quantity of children shouldn't be a major concern. It's not like it's some contest, Whoever has the most children WINS!!!! Geez, it's not like the species is in danger of dying out because of too few breeding pairs left.

 

[ProfJohn]

One benefit for us is that China will grow old long before they can grow rich and really challenged us on the world stage.

Eventually this policy will cripple them as they try to take care of all the old people.

 

[Imdmn04]

So if you have a better suggestion than the one-child policy, then suggest it.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: Imdmn04
So if you have a better suggestion than the one-child policy, then suggest it.

2

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: Imdmn04
So if you have a better suggestion than the one-child policy, then suggest it.

2

The argument of whether the government should have this power aside, 2 is too many.

China needs to decrease it's population, and quickly. Food isn't the issue, raw material is. As China increasingly industrializes the needs for fuel, and especially metals will skyrocket. Can you imagine another country three or four times our size with a standard of living of say 3/4 of ours? We'd have to strip the planet bare to support it.

On a larger issue, the entire planet is overpopulated, and badly. Even if energy and food were no problem, people's standard of living will increase over time. There isn't enough iron, copper etc to supply all the people who will one day want transportation other than by mule and foot. Than means cars and all the infrastructure that goes with it. It just isn't possible with the billions we have.

 

[Socio]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: techs
The Chinese thinking is that an adequate food supply is the first order of business.
As you know China, even with their one child per family act, has 20 percent of the worlds population and 7 percent of the worlds arable land.
It is quite possible that if not for the the one child law, there might be millions starving in China right now.
The big effect of the one child law is the skewed demographics which will be similiar to that of the US baby boom, where you have a far larger retired population versus working age population that would not have occurred naturally.
The one child law, while extremely distasteful to most Americans, and probably most Chinese, was a desperate attempt to save their country from massive starvation. And it seems to have worked. At least for now.

Agreed.

Quantity of children shouldn't be a major concern. It's not like it's some contest, Whoever has the most children WINS!!!! Geez, it's not like the species is in danger of dying out because of too few breeding pairs left.

It should be of paramount concern!

When you are having too many children in countries like Mexico, Central and South America for example, due to these countries poor economy and corrupt infrastructure they can not be adequately supported. Their parents will not be able to afford food, clothing, shelter, there will not be enough schools/teachers for proper education, not enough medical facilities/ doctors for proper medical care, and not enough jobs when they grow up etc?

So what happens?

They flee their respective countries and invade other countries uninvited making them selves the invaded countries problem. This cycle will continue as they will drag down the invaded country until there are not enough schools/teachers for proper education, not medical facilities/ doctors for proper medical care, not enough jobs when their children grow up etc?

The whole world would be better off limiting human reproduction in all countries in all areas of the world whose economical infrastructure can not afford the growth. Not only to stave off extremely unfair burden that the people of the nations being invaded are having thrust upon them. It would ensure that there would be plenty of food, water, shelter, education, medical care, jobs, for all not to mention the astronomical ecological ramifications that would be avoided.

 

[BoomerD]

If we could only get the Mormon and Catholic churches to preach this to their "flocks" instead of "procreate like rabbits" before this country exceeds the carrying capacity of its farmable land. Here in northern Kahleeforneeya, developers bought up much of the prime farmland to build houses on, instead of building on less-desirable land outside the cities and towns. (which is understandable, just short-sighted)