Earthquake

[kendo]

Just seen on the televison, massive earthquake in China after shocks registering in Bangkok,is the earth mooving in HH and i dont meen in a saucy why.

[Randy Cornhole]

A very sad development indeed. They say about 10,000 dead but you know its going to be nearer 100,000...
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[Jockey]

My friend who has a house here in Thailand told me he was on the 30th floor of an apartment building when the building shook bad. He had to get down 30 flights hoping the building wouldn't collapse. I bet thats the fastest he's ran down stairs in a long time!

[margaretcarnes]

Yes Randy, it's very sad indeed. My Mum made a comment that made me think as well - that after all the restrictions on births in China, how many people there have now lost the only child they will ever have?
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'If'n ya cain't say nuth'n nice, don't say nuth'n at all' Thumper.

[STEVE G]

Margaret, I was watching a news report earlier today that said a massive number of people in china have volunteered to adopt orphans from the earthquake. I think this reflects on what the family planning rules in china have achieved.

[margaretcarnes]

Well it's good to hear that the orphans will hopefully be cared for and helped to get over the trauma in time
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'If'n ya cain't say nuth'n nice, don't say nuth'n at all' Thumper.

[frankbangkok]

The one child policy in China which you refer to is even more distasteful than most non-Chinese know. I go there often, my wife being Chinese, and the details of the rule are more complex than just one child per couple. This rule comes into play most often when a couple has a daughter. Wanting a son, the couple cannot have another child. Note that I said "the couple". the usual scereneo then is fort the couple to divorce so the man can remarry with a young woman who has had no children and they try for a son. In effect, the one child policy in China only applies to women. One child per woman. A man may have one child per marriage and keep remarring and retrying until he gets a boy. China is full of divorced women with one daughter. there are millions of them who no one wants but who are otherwise intelligent and desirable women.
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"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
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[margaretcarnes]

Interesting point Frank. I can see the 'logic' but in effect the longer term result could be an increase in population? i.e. by creating an imbalance between male/female. I wonder if they collect census info
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'If'n ya cain't say nuth'n nice, don't say nuth'n at all' Thumper.

[frankbangkok]

yes, Margaret, the Chinese authorities are well aware of all of the results of the one child policy. Their neo-Confucius, IE communist, mentality leads them to document everything. Their policy does lead to fewer children per woman, which is limited strictly to one. Exceptions are sometimes made for rural families. But the details of the policy lead to two results: First, there are many, many more boys born than girls, leaving the population in an unnatural balance of too many boys. the result of this is that the poorer men can never hope to marry, as the woman are scarce and at a premium that only a rich man can afford. An educated, beautiful young Chinese woman from the city now expects a great bride price and a wealthy husband. Second, divorce is much easier since the adoption of the one child policy resulting in most women who bear a daughter being divorced. China is literally full of divorced women with young daughters. If any man would want to find a good wife, who already has a daughter, China has many introduction agencies to help these cast off wives.
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"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

[margaretcarnes]

Thanks - thats interesting. I had wrongly asumed that the imbalance would be the other way, ie resulting in too many girls.
I guess with a higher proportion of boys the Government will in fact believe that it's policy is working. But the knock on effects, with agencies arranging intros and marriages for the divorced women, seems to open a whole new can of worms. Particularly if those women are going abroad to marry. In sufficient numbers there would even, I guess, be an impact on future care of elderly family members, who would normally be cared for by the daughters.
It's good to have input from someone who has seen the social changes first hand.
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'If'n ya cain't say nuth'n nice, don't say nuth'n at all' Thumper.

[lomuamart]

To say nothing of India. Abortion city unforunately. No-one wants a girl because they cost too much money, especially the dowry.
They don't have this problem in Thailand as the sin sod goes the other way round - ie from man to woman.
Now back to topic.
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[frankbangkok]

Back to the earthquake topic, this earthquake will result in many more divorces. Many couples lost their only child, and with late marriages being the norm in China, many woman are too old to have another child. Thus, the husband will divorce her and marry a younger woman and start a new family. On top of the tragedy of the earthquake and losing a child, many woman now face the future alone. sadly, the earthquake robbed them of their child and their husband.
_________________
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.