100 de milioane de motive de ingrijorare

Va povesteam acum ceva timp despre problemele structurale demografice cu care se confrunta China.

Iata acum un articol din The Economist care vine sa discute acelasi subiect: o structura de nasteri puternic dezechilibrata in randul tarilor asiatice. Prea multi nou-nascuti baieti si prea putine fete. Cauzele culturale, politice si tehnologice ale acestei situatii, cat si consecintele sale.

Iata un fragment din articol:
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.

Si iata un alt fragment, care ne arata ce inseamna sa promovezi idei liberale. Liberale, nu precum "idei economice liberale", ci atitudine liberala despre lume, societate si viata. Mult dincolo si peste acuzele indignate ale socialistilor care cred ca liberalismul se limiteaza doar la apararea averilor nemernicilor de bogati imbuibati care au facut averi pe spinarea clasei muncitoare.

And all countries need to raise the value of girls. They should encourage female education; abolish laws and customs that prevent daughters inheriting property; make examples of hospitals and clinics with impossible sex ratios; get women engaged in public life—using everything from television newsreaders to women traffic police. Mao Zedong said “women hold up half the sky.” The world needs to do more to prevent a gendercide that will have the sky crashing down.

Ca de obicei, The Economist ne ofera o analiza pertinenta asupra lumii in care traim. Gasiti tot articolul aici.