For those who believe that abortion emancipates women, maybe it’s time to reconsider; The Economist reports that millions of girls are aborted due sex discrimination in Asia.
The destruction is worst in China but has spread far beyond. Other East Asian countries, including Taiwan and Singapore, former communist states in the western Balkans and the Caucasus, and even sections of America’s population (Chinese- and Japanese-Americans, for example): all these have distorted sex ratios. Gendercide exists on almost every continent. It affects rich and poor; educated and illiterate; Hindu, Muslim, Confucian and Christian alike.
Wealth does not stop it. Taiwan and Singapore have open, rich economies. Within China and India the areas with the worst sex ratios are the richest, best-educated ones. And China’s one-child policy can only be part of the problem, given that so many other countries are affected.
In fact the destruction of baby girls is a product of three forces: the ancient preference for sons; a modern desire for smaller families; and ultrasound scanning and other technologies that identify the sex of a fetus. In societies where four or six children were common, a boy would almost certainly come along eventually; son preference did not need to exist at the expense of daughters. But now couples want two children—or, as in China, are allowed only one—they will sacrifice unborn daughters to their pursuit of a son. That is why sex ratios are most distorted in the modern, open parts of China and India. It is also why ratios are more skewed after the first child: parents may accept a daughter first time round but will do anything to ensure their next—and probably last—child is a boy. The boy-girl ratio is above 200 for a third child in some places.
This is a population time bomb like few experienced in the history of mankind, and the repercussions will affect national security in the West. Go read the rest of the article.
By the way, today is International Women’s Day. Let’s hope those commemorating this remember the women who have been subjected to female genital mutilation. Waris Dirie, who was subjected to this abhorrent practice, finds International Women’s Day insulting, for good reason.
This problem is self-correcting. It seems rather obvious that the next Chinese generation, the women will be the ones with the power — they will have their choice of males, and males will seek power to win their attentions.
The biggest reasonable concern is that China gets militarily aggressive — “jingoistic” — as a result of that excess of males and the males struggling to find a way to gain power and get laid (the latter being the eternal male goal). This, historically, is the path to power and, after, women.
Hopefully, China’s industry will develop fast enough that it will become clear that this is an alternative to military conquest for males, and that business interests are less destructive as a whole.
I fear Obama’s damnfoolishness may encourage Chinese adventurism just when it should be most throttled back.
Excellent post.
It would be nice if our multi-culti, “all cultures are equal” elites would educate themselves with a few facts. But when you’ve already determined the answer to everything, facts just get in the way.