Saturday, December 12, 2009

Saturday roundup

People's Republic.

Meanwhile, China's one-child policy has created a "me" generation:
More than 30 years after China's one-child policy was introduced, creating two generations of notoriously chubby, spoiled only children affectionately nicknamed "little emperors," a population crisis is looming in the country.
and
Wang, the human resources administrator, said she wants an only child because she was one herself: "We were at the center of our families and used to everyone taking care of us. We are not used to taking care of and don't really want to take care of others."
Also notable:
For the dual-career, middle-class parents who are bringing the birthrate down, he said, it's about being successful enough to be selfish. Today's 20- and 30-somethings grew up seeing their parents struggle during the early days of China's experiment with capitalism and don't want that kind of life for themselves, he said.

Even one child makes huge demands on parents' time, he said. "A mother has to give up at least two years of her social life." Then there are the space issues -- "You have to remodel your apartment" -- and the strategizing -- "You have to have a résumé ready by the time the child is 9 months old for the best preschools."

Most of his friends are willing to deal with this once, Chen said, but not twice.

"Ours is the first generation with higher living standards," he said. "We do not want to make too many sacrifices."
You have to wonder whether that generation will risk jail time for its country's future.

Can Southern Sudan reverse its descent into hell in a handbasket? Can Congo emerge from the same?

Oh, DC. How many ways can you come up with to screw your most vulnerable?

Sexism pervades discussions of the Tiger Woods fallout.

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