US VP Biden blasts 'repugnant' China child policy

[Neil]

I always attack all gays, except for Sheilbh, Habsburg and Top Cat.

[HisMajestyBOB]

As an aside, if two single children are married they're entitled to have two kids under the existing policy. Not that that's going to seriously dent the demographic trend.

Aren't most young adults the only children of their own parents by now?

I don't think so. The 1-child policy doesn't seem to be especially strict and there are a number of exceptions, although I don't know them. One of my friends is from Jiangxi and is the oldest of 3 children, for example.

[Monoriu]

Very foolish for China to continue the policy - they are on the cusp of a demographic bust and economically they are not yet developed enough to cope.

They have relaxed the policy a lot.  Middle class Chinese can now pay a fine (i.e. buy a licence) to breed more than one kid.  It is the poor rural farmers who can't afford it.  Net result: the poor breed less, the rich breed more. 

As I understand it, one of the main reasons they can't officially end the policy is because this will result in the laying off of hundreds of thousands in the one-child only office. 

[Neil]

Birthright Lottery.  That's the way to go.

[Valmy]

A demographic collapse would be a good thing in a society that wasn't as sick as ours.

So because our society is sick a demographic collapse is a bad thing?

[Neil]

A demographic collapse would be a good thing in a society that wasn't as sick as ours.

So because our society is sick a demographic collapse is a bad thing?

Our society isn't equipped to handle a right-sizing.  It is designed to pursue growth above all things, which requires a growing population.