Caramel Frappe said:
You got me wrong mate, I don't see this as a question of culture (i'm certainly not american myself) but a question of circumstances. China CANT afford a population explosion, simple as that.
If this was true for USA or UK or any other country (that we had too little food for too many people) then I'd fully advocate similar laws for our countries.
And I'd support such restrictions because in the long term it would lead to less suffering and is necessary for the long term survival of our species. Culture doesn't factor into this at all.
And the reason i found it difficult to take you at face value is not because I don't agree with your opinion (if that was the case it would apply to practically every escapist member) but because sometimes the things you say border on oversimplistic naivete, this being one of those times. It gives me a moment of "surely this guy cant be serious?" but then i remember from our past interactions that for w/e reason you genuinely at times seem to believe all it takes to fix peoples problems is feeling sorry and wishing good wishes. I too want everyone in the world to be happy and live a great life. But that's not gonna happen and the only way for that to ever be a distant remote possibility is by being realists and dealing with problems head on.
Which in this case is understand why china has such a law to begin with, and what led up to those laws.
Anyways please don't get me wrong, i didn't post to bash you but to challenge your assertions (though yeh, i see you did get quite a few responses...Sorry, didnt make it past half of page 2 xP) cos i see you as a nice guy, but one who is going to do more harm then good with that attitude, misguided good feelings don't help anyone and can even make things worst.
Let's say you and a bunch of others started doing a huge international campaign over getting china to abandon that law because you don't have it in your country therefore no one else should need it either, what will happen? Well lets say in this hypothetical situation china does fold due to wanting to look good and you get what you want, you and all those involved will be all pumped up about how much good you're doing and how your good people for helping when truth of the matter is, you've made things a lot worst and have condemned the chinese to have a repeat of its nastiest periods of famine and child slavery. This is the danger of where good intentions might lead to if they ain't backed up by knowledge on the matter.
Something to think about if you become president of the USA or w/e
That good intentions don't always translate well or result in what you thought was going to happen.
Edit: actually you remind me of someone... Have you ever read Candide by Voltaire by any chance? I think it would be a good read for you (and not saying that in a mean way, candide is an awesome book)