Stupid Guest Tricks

hobie16 wrote:You should have come to Fruity Drink Land.

Soon as I can! :)

Big Wallaby wrote:If it happens, I am moving to a freer country, like China.

Now THAT'S a contradiction!

TiggerHappy wrote:Now THAT'S a contradiction!

You sure about that? At this point, the Communism is really in name only, and almost just for show, really. Thing is, I think even much of their government now wants freedom. They invited a guy by the name of Paul Zane Pilzer to come and get things rolling to change their economic system so that the people are much more free in their monetary system. Fascinating story.

I would rather be in a place moving toward freedom than a place moving away from it.

China still has a long way to go. They have to drop their one child limit; I read somewhere that because parents are still killing their baby girls, there are not enough potential brides for the "little emperors" that the boys are known as. In fact, there has even arisen the practice insome areas where married women are kidnapped and forced to marry one of these young men, and this is so shameful the women commit suicide, further diminishing the pool of women available.
Though I understand in the country, couples are allowed to have two children. They need to come into the 21st century and drop the outmoded idea of girls being excess baggage. So what if girls leave home instead of staying to care for their parents in their old age? If they're allowed to have more children, they can afford to allow a daughter or two to remain unmarried and stay with them. Or perhaps a son-in-law can be persuaded to stay with his wife and help his in-laws. Our country has changed alot in customs in the past 300 years; if we can change so can they. But I'd really like them to give us our jobs back.

Don't worry too much about the Chinese. We're slowly killing them off with all the cigarettes we ship them. The Hong Kong skyline is one big cigarette ad.

felinefan wrote: They need to come into the 21st century and drop the outmoded idea of girls being excess baggage. So what if girls leave home instead of staying to care for their parents in their old age?

It's easy to say that in a country where we have other resources to fall back on in our old age. If you know your neighbors will shun and shame your sons and daughters-in-law into supporting you, but won't say Word One if your daughters and sons-in-law let you hang, and if your kids are your only way to avoid poverty and neglect in your old age, it's understandable why people choose to have sons. It's not right, but it's still human nature.

Before the one-child policy, although sons were culturally preferred, people had the usual percentages of boys and girls; most parents love their children whatever the sex. The government caused the shortage of girls and the government needs to change the laws to end it. Not that it'll be any help to the guys who're looking for wives right now, or the women being kidnapped because of it. :(

I do agree with Big Wallaby that China seems to be heading for freedom and the US away from it, but that doesn't change the fact that China has dug itself a deep hole to get out of, or that their understanding of economic freedom has a long way to go (see: China's Ghost Cities and the rationales driving them).