Among the many horrors of war are the social imbalances that follow. These imbalances threaten the stability of society. Social engineering plays a part as well in this global tragedy of errors.
December 19, 2011, 9:21 AM
The Plight of China’s Favored Sons
By ALEXANDRA HARNEY
ZHUHAI, China — In the rural Chinese town where Li Yiming grew up, the gossip mill starts to turn if a man is still single at 25. As he nears this milestone, the 23-year-old Li, an assembly-line worker in the coastal city of Zhuhai, is despondent. He knows he’ll never earn enough at any factory to win the approval of his girlfriend’s parents.
Associated Press
Finding a spouse isn’t easy anywhere. But Li (whose name has been changed) is part of a cohort of millions of Chinese men, the favored sons, whose chances of ever getting married are particularly slim. After a rapid decline in fertility rates and decades of sex-selective abortions, there are now many more potential grooms than brides in China. This “marriage squeeze,” as demographers call the imbalance, is not a historical first — Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea have all had trouble marrying off their men — but in China it may be unprecedented in scale.
According to Dudley Poston, a professor of sociology at Texas A&M University, and his colleagues, 40 million Chinese men alive today will likely be left without a wife. That’s more people than the population of California.
Uneducated men from the countryside like Li have the worst prospects because many marriages in rural China are local. Traditional family ties often mean that the first choice for a spouse is someone from the same town. But sex ratios at birth (S.R.B.) — the ratio of boys born to girls — are generally much higher in the countryside than in the cities. And so the market dynamics of marriage for men in rural areas are much worse than in the cities.
Demographers consider a natural S.R.B. to be between 104 and 107 boys born for every 100 girls. Nationally, China’s sex ratio at birth is 120 boys per 100 girls; in rural areas, where couples often have more than one child, the S.R.B. for second children rises to 145 (and in nine provinces, it’s a staggering 160, according to Poston). By comparison, the U.S. sex ratio at birth is 105 boys per 100 girls. The main reason for this gap is the use of ultrasound scanners to determine the gender of fetuses, followed by the abortion of many female ones.
The other reason Li will have a hard time finding a wife is the “no money, no honey” dynamic. Chinese brides and their parents prefer men with the highest possible income, in particular those who own property. A recent study by the China Youth Daily found that 35 percent of women of marrying age would not consider tying the knot with a man who didn’t own property or who couldn’t afford to buy some. Li earns about $3,400 a year and his girlfriend’s parents expect him to buy an apartment that costs about $47,000.
What will happen if so many Chinese men never get married? Wei Shang-jin, of Columbia University, and Zhang Xiaobo, of the International Food Policy Research Institute, predict that China’s marriage squeeze could stimulate economic growth by prodding men to work harder in order to woo a bride. But most projections are not so sanguine.
Some observers predict that disgruntled bachelors like Li will go on strike to ask for more money or may resort to crime. Texas A&M’s Poston argues that cases of H.I.V. could rise as men congregate in “bachelor ghettos” in big cities. Others still warn that China may be more likely to go to war to keep its single men out of trouble at home.
At a minimum, the marriage squeeze will widen various disparities in Chinese society today: between the rich and the poor, the cities and the countryside, those with property and those without. None of these is a good scenario for a Chinese government whose primary objective is stability.
Alexandra Harney is the author of “The China Price” and an associate fellow at the Asia Society.
Showing posts with label Solutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solutions. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Major Points of Agreement at G20 Conference Miss the Main Point (Steady-State Economy)
Written two years ago. No world leader has yet mentioned working toward a steady-state economy.
By Olivia LaRosa
November 16, 2008
November 16, 2008
The Washington Post article, World Leaders Agree to Seek Major Reform, claims that the action plan they developed would “begin to reshape international financial institutions and reform worldwide regulatory and accounting rules.” I wondered what was wrong with actually reshaping these institutions and rules, since they have so clearly brought a financial tsunami to most of the planet’s inhabitants. “The leaders…agreed that the dramatic failure of market oversight in some advanced countries was among the root causes of the financial crisis.” So, what should be done, according to the G20?
Let’s examine these major points of agreement.
• China, Brazil, India and other such countries would gain power and responsibility as part of the restructuring of the international financial system.
• European leaders won a commitment to new regulations and controls on banks, rating agencies, and exotic financial securities.
• A “College of Supervisors,” a new regulatory body, will examine the books of major financial institutions that operate across national borders. In this way, regulators can obtain a more complete picture of these banks’ operations.
• Greater scrutiny of hedge funds
• A clearinghouse system to standardize and limit risk on opaque and risky financial derivatives.
• Allowing the IMF to conduct regular, vigorous reviews of national financial systems.
• Curbs on executive pay schemes that reward excessive risk-taking.
• European leaders won a commitment to new regulations and controls on banks, rating agencies, and exotic financial securities.
• A “College of Supervisors,” a new regulatory body, will examine the books of major financial institutions that operate across national borders. In this way, regulators can obtain a more complete picture of these banks’ operations.
• Greater scrutiny of hedge funds
• A clearinghouse system to standardize and limit risk on opaque and risky financial derivatives.
• Allowing the IMF to conduct regular, vigorous reviews of national financial systems.
• Curbs on executive pay schemes that reward excessive risk-taking.
And finally, the IMF is calling for more growth stimulation. “Dominque Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the IMF, called on nations to approve a fiscal stimulus equal to 2 percent of gross domestic product.”
We do not need growth. We need a steady-state economy. Capitalism requires growth to survive, by definition. The quest for constant growth is the CAUSE of the current global economic disaster. Organisms and organizations that must grow or die consume their hosts eventually. I see no real solutions presented here and I predict that these initiatives will fail to stop the global financial catastrophe.
And finally, shame on the US government for not even being brave enough to take responsibility for this disaster.
“The communique minced no words in outlining the causes of the crisis, blaming "weak underwriting standards, unsound risk-management practices, increasingly complex and opaque financial products and consequent excessive leverage." While many nations have blamed the United States for failing to monitor excesses in the securities markets, the communique diplomatically did not.“A British official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said U.S officials privately acknowledged their role in the crisis. ‘The U.S. threw up their hands and said that our subprime mortgage industry left a lot to be desired,’ the official said. ‘But there was determination not to have any finger-pointing.’”
We threw up our hands about the subprime mortgage industry? We, the “greatest nation”, the “shining city on the hill”, cannot even stand up and take responsibility for our catastrophic negligence, recklessness, and intent to funnel every dime to the top 1%? Obvious scapegoating of only one part of the systematic meltdown is making other nations happy? Well, I am not happy. I call on every single policy official and every single CEO and COO to acknowledge their complicity in this horror.
Every single person on the planet will be damaged somehow by their laissez-faire attitude. They owe us an acknowledgment of their responsibility, and they owe us their support for an economic system that is not guaranteed to immiserate the world every few decades.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Save California Parks and Their Communities!
California's parks need not close. They need not fail our citizens and our communities, and we need not lose this important heritage.
California's park system is in danger because of the dreadful budget problems in our state. Closure of parks endangers not only the livelihood of those who work in the parks, but also the communities that rely on revenue generated by the associated tourism.
In desperate times like these, old ideas with a new spin can keep our parks out of private hands and open for everyone's benefit and enjoyment. Let the communities take care of the parks.
Communities surrounding parks could establish cooperatives, where the people who work at the park would be funded by park entrance fees. Workers could live at the park in exchange for taking lower pay, and accumulate points based on years of service toward a life-estate ownership interest in a small parcel of land suitable to build a modest sustainable dwelling in, say, five years.
Workers would be chosen by a governing board, at the outset. Once established, the workers themselves would choose new workers based on commitment and knowledge of the park. In this way, those who work there would have a stake in the park as well as the community. To assure that park professionals would have a role, their applications would receive priority treatment.
Title to the park itself would remain with the state, but the revenues would stay with each park. It may be necessary to institute or increase entrance fees to make this model work, but it would be far better than either facing the closure of our parks or turning parks over to the private sector.
Deborah Lagutaris, J.D.
Harris Freeman, M.B.A.
California's park system is in danger because of the dreadful budget problems in our state. Closure of parks endangers not only the livelihood of those who work in the parks, but also the communities that rely on revenue generated by the associated tourism.
In desperate times like these, old ideas with a new spin can keep our parks out of private hands and open for everyone's benefit and enjoyment. Let the communities take care of the parks.
Communities surrounding parks could establish cooperatives, where the people who work at the park would be funded by park entrance fees. Workers could live at the park in exchange for taking lower pay, and accumulate points based on years of service toward a life-estate ownership interest in a small parcel of land suitable to build a modest sustainable dwelling in, say, five years.
Workers would be chosen by a governing board, at the outset. Once established, the workers themselves would choose new workers based on commitment and knowledge of the park. In this way, those who work there would have a stake in the park as well as the community. To assure that park professionals would have a role, their applications would receive priority treatment.
Title to the park itself would remain with the state, but the revenues would stay with each park. It may be necessary to institute or increase entrance fees to make this model work, but it would be far better than either facing the closure of our parks or turning parks over to the private sector.
Deborah Lagutaris, J.D.
Harris Freeman, M.B.A.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Breath of Fresh Air! The Green Collar Economy
by Deborah Lake
How refreshing to hear an impassioned speaker who tells you the truth about a problem, and then gives you some ideas what to do to make things right, and on top of that, makes you feel as though you are supported in your work. That's Van Jones.
I met Van Jones again tonight. He and Mayor Newsome called us together tonight to tell us about Van's new book, Green for All. Van spoke at an event at my law school a few years back, and I thought to myself, I like that guy. He made us all feel smarter, and more powerful, and gave us a chin up.
Van spoke at the new Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. 2 1/2 acres of the building roof are ALIVE! The roof is a habitat for flora and fauna. I shall return soon to admire and investigate.
Green for All is the name of his newest public interest organization. Van has a gift for seeing through all the muck surrounding a problem, isolating the major causes, and implementing practical solutions. He has founded or help to found several nonprofit organizations that solve problems at the neighborhood and local level. These models have been successfully implemented across the nation.
Green for All has one solution for two problems: there are jobs available right now in a critical infrastructure area; energy conservation, and the US needs jobs. So, let's roll up our sleeves and work together!
I purchased the book The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems tonight and got to talk to Van tonight! Please vist Green for All and watch his video and BUY THE BOOK. You will thank me.
Affiliated organizations:
http://www.greenforall.org/partners/color-of-change
http://www.greenforall.org/partners/ella-baker-center
I urge you to support Green for All. Organizations such as this will help us clear the way to a healthy community, state, and nation full of fresh air, clean water, and pure sunshine.
How refreshing to hear an impassioned speaker who tells you the truth about a problem, and then gives you some ideas what to do to make things right, and on top of that, makes you feel as though you are supported in your work. That's Van Jones.
I met Van Jones again tonight. He and Mayor Newsome called us together tonight to tell us about Van's new book, Green for All. Van spoke at an event at my law school a few years back, and I thought to myself, I like that guy. He made us all feel smarter, and more powerful, and gave us a chin up.
Van spoke at the new Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. 2 1/2 acres of the building roof are ALIVE! The roof is a habitat for flora and fauna. I shall return soon to admire and investigate.
Green for All is the name of his newest public interest organization. Van has a gift for seeing through all the muck surrounding a problem, isolating the major causes, and implementing practical solutions. He has founded or help to found several nonprofit organizations that solve problems at the neighborhood and local level. These models have been successfully implemented across the nation.
Green for All has one solution for two problems: there are jobs available right now in a critical infrastructure area; energy conservation, and the US needs jobs. So, let's roll up our sleeves and work together!
I purchased the book The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems tonight and got to talk to Van tonight! Please vist Green for All and watch his video and BUY THE BOOK. You will thank me.
Affiliated organizations:
http://www.greenforall.org/partners/color-of-change
http://www.greenforall.org/partners/ella-baker-center
I urge you to support Green for All. Organizations such as this will help us clear the way to a healthy community, state, and nation full of fresh air, clean water, and pure sunshine.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Between Two Worlds: Review
Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam
(2005: Gotham Books)
Zainab Salbi and Laurie Becklund
by Deborah Lake
“...a personal intimate look at the soul-crushing impact of Hussein's Iraq...Now, with her chilling memoir, the lies end.” The Washington Post
“More can be learned about Iraq from this book than from all the newscasts.” Alice Walker
“...exquisite and painful...” Ellen Chesler
Zainab Salbi lived a peaceful and privileged childhood in Baghdad. Then, her father was chosen to be Saddam's personal pilot. She explains the dramatic and drastic changes wrought upon her parents, and indeed all of Iraq, by Hussein's megalomania.
I don't want to toss in a spoiler, but let me say this. Saddam's sons were notorious rapists. They learned it at their father's knee.
Saddam also “rebuilt” the hanging gardens of Babylon. That is to say, he destroyed them, and rebuilt them with bricks bearing his name.
The Iraqis are certainly worse off under US invasion and occupation than they were under Hussein. That does not excuse the fact that Hussein was a psychopathic monster who inflicted two generations worth of horror upon his people. It was JUST FINE with the USA, as long as he was OUR psychopathic monster.
Zainab was approximately eleven years old when her Bibi was tapped to serve as Hussein's pilot. Hussein drew people into relationships against their will then used any means possible to keep them at heel. This destructive power eventually ended her parents' marriage, which seemed quite happy to her as a child.
Families were ripped asunder. Anyone suspected of having “Persian” blood was deported. It mattered not the truth of their ancestry.
“My parents had zero interest in politics....because both schools and airlines were nationalized...my parents had to join the Baath Party like most Iraqis just to hold a job. There were several levels of membership...everyone came to know the difference between getting along and being a true believer. The entry level, endorser, was the least you could get away with...Later, of course, it became clear to us all that to rise in the ranks of the Baath Party, you had to write reports on other people, in other words, become a spy.”
Zainab's co-author, Laurie Beckland, captures Zainab's guileless narration of life under Hussein, and the horrors she endured both in Iraq, and when it became clear that she was in danger, after her arrival in the USA.
After her recovery, she founded the charity Women for Women International, which is one of the smartest and sanest charities I have encountered. Not only does the organization provide direct help for women and their children in war zones, they educate men in women's rights. A pilot project in the Congo has yielded amazing results. Families now go from door to door, talking about their new happiness, now that the men know that they do not have to brutalize their wives.
I co-sponsor an Afghani woman. She has not written to me yet, but we can write a letter a month. The only constraints on correspondence occur because of the limited time of volunteer translators.
(2005: Gotham Books)
Zainab Salbi and Laurie Becklund
by Deborah Lake
“...a personal intimate look at the soul-crushing impact of Hussein's Iraq...Now, with her chilling memoir, the lies end.” The Washington Post
“More can be learned about Iraq from this book than from all the newscasts.” Alice Walker
“...exquisite and painful...” Ellen Chesler
Zainab Salbi lived a peaceful and privileged childhood in Baghdad. Then, her father was chosen to be Saddam's personal pilot. She explains the dramatic and drastic changes wrought upon her parents, and indeed all of Iraq, by Hussein's megalomania.
I don't want to toss in a spoiler, but let me say this. Saddam's sons were notorious rapists. They learned it at their father's knee.
Saddam also “rebuilt” the hanging gardens of Babylon. That is to say, he destroyed them, and rebuilt them with bricks bearing his name.
The Iraqis are certainly worse off under US invasion and occupation than they were under Hussein. That does not excuse the fact that Hussein was a psychopathic monster who inflicted two generations worth of horror upon his people. It was JUST FINE with the USA, as long as he was OUR psychopathic monster.
Zainab was approximately eleven years old when her Bibi was tapped to serve as Hussein's pilot. Hussein drew people into relationships against their will then used any means possible to keep them at heel. This destructive power eventually ended her parents' marriage, which seemed quite happy to her as a child.
Families were ripped asunder. Anyone suspected of having “Persian” blood was deported. It mattered not the truth of their ancestry.
“My parents had zero interest in politics....because both schools and airlines were nationalized...my parents had to join the Baath Party like most Iraqis just to hold a job. There were several levels of membership...everyone came to know the difference between getting along and being a true believer. The entry level, endorser, was the least you could get away with...Later, of course, it became clear to us all that to rise in the ranks of the Baath Party, you had to write reports on other people, in other words, become a spy.”
Zainab's co-author, Laurie Beckland, captures Zainab's guileless narration of life under Hussein, and the horrors she endured both in Iraq, and when it became clear that she was in danger, after her arrival in the USA.
After her recovery, she founded the charity Women for Women International, which is one of the smartest and sanest charities I have encountered. Not only does the organization provide direct help for women and their children in war zones, they educate men in women's rights. A pilot project in the Congo has yielded amazing results. Families now go from door to door, talking about their new happiness, now that the men know that they do not have to brutalize their wives.
I co-sponsor an Afghani woman. She has not written to me yet, but we can write a letter a month. The only constraints on correspondence occur because of the limited time of volunteer translators.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Upside to the Meltdown
Please take some time to browse these websites and make suggestions of your own. I see these ideas as providing some hope for survival of our grandchildren, and their children. I look forward to discussing these ideas in the room!
The Simultaneous Policy
www.simpol.org
Steady State Economics
http://www.steadystate.org/
The Apollo Alliance
http://www.apolloalliance.org/
Participatory Economics
http://www.zmag.org/parecon/indexnew.htm
The Simultaneous Policy
www.simpol.org
Steady State Economics
http://www.steadystate.org/
The Apollo Alliance
http://www.apolloalliance.org/
Participatory Economics
http://www.zmag.org/parecon/indexnew.htm
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Constitution of Venezuela
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Venezuela
Here is the Preamble:
The people of Venezuela, exercising their powers of creation and invoking the protection of God, the historic example of our Liberator Simon Bolivar and the heroism and sacrifice of our aboriginal ancestors and the forerunners and founders of a free and sovereign nation; to the supreme end of reshaping the Republic to establish a democratic, participatory and self-reliant, multiethnic and multicultural society in a just, federal and decentralized State that embodies the values of freedom, independence, peace, solidarity, the common good, the nation's territorial integrity, comity and the rule of law for this and future generations; guarantees the right to life, work, learning, education, social justice and equality, without discrimination or subordination of any kind; promotes peaceful cooperation among nations and furthers and strengthens Latin American integration in accordance with the principle of nonintervention and national self-determination of the people, the universal and indivisible guarantee of human rights, the democratization of imitational society, nuclear disarmament, ecological balance and environmental resources as the common and inalienable heritage of humanity; exercising their innate power through their representatives comprising the National Constituent Assembly, by their freely cast vote and in a democratic Referendum, hereby ordain the following:
read more...
Here is the Preamble:
The people of Venezuela, exercising their powers of creation and invoking the protection of God, the historic example of our Liberator Simon Bolivar and the heroism and sacrifice of our aboriginal ancestors and the forerunners and founders of a free and sovereign nation; to the supreme end of reshaping the Republic to establish a democratic, participatory and self-reliant, multiethnic and multicultural society in a just, federal and decentralized State that embodies the values of freedom, independence, peace, solidarity, the common good, the nation's territorial integrity, comity and the rule of law for this and future generations; guarantees the right to life, work, learning, education, social justice and equality, without discrimination or subordination of any kind; promotes peaceful cooperation among nations and furthers and strengthens Latin American integration in accordance with the principle of nonintervention and national self-determination of the people, the universal and indivisible guarantee of human rights, the democratization of imitational society, nuclear disarmament, ecological balance and environmental resources as the common and inalienable heritage of humanity; exercising their innate power through their representatives comprising the National Constituent Assembly, by their freely cast vote and in a democratic Referendum, hereby ordain the following:
read more...
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Lee Iacocca, Mad as Hell!
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
Had Enough?
Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.
My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.
Read More!
Had Enough?
Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.
My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.
Read More!
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