1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff you should know 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:16,319 Speaker 1: from house Stuff Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Josh Clark with me as always as 5 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 1: Charles W. Chuckers Bryant. You know, one day I'm just 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: not going to show up. I'll do both of our bits. 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: I'll be like, hey, I'm Josh, Hey, I'm Chuck. Hey, 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: I'm Josh. Hey, I'm Chuck. I think it's pretty accurate. 9 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: Good luck with that shows good luck although I finally 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: get to be shirtless the whole time. Are you ready 11 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: for a little bit of irony this this afternoon? Yeah, 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: let's hear it um. Back in nine okay short, little 13 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: six years before Ghostbusters, Apple cheeked No. Thirty five? Uh short, 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: little happy apple cheeked Chinese man named Mal's a Dung, 15 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: also known as Chairman Mao, established the People's Republic of 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: China Z yes and uh. One of the things that 17 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: they were um big on was reproduction. I guess it's 18 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: the only way to put in okay um. The the 19 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: communist government under Chairman Mao UM they opposed birth control. 20 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: They banned the import of contraceptives, and in in forty 21 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: nine he said, of all the things in the world, 22 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: people are the most precious. Ready for the ironic twist? Yes, 23 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: thirty years later, China catapulted itself to the forefront of 24 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: state controlled reproduction, which what came to be known as 25 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: its one child policy. Discuss you know what, I got 26 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: a little stat for your speaking. In the life expectancy 27 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: in China was then like seven thirty five years old. 28 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: Holy cow, and it's seventy three years old now. Yeah, 29 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: with the with the communist government came things like sanitation, 30 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: relative peace. War had had beleaguered China for generations, had 31 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: been killing people left and right, and as a result, 32 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: the population just skyrocketed. Indeed, and the old image of 33 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: China that we have is probably like four or five kids, 34 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: a couple of parents, a couple of grandparents, and auntie 35 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: and uncle like packed together living in a house. Not 36 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: true anymore, No, not anymore because of the one child policy. 37 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: So let's talk about this. This is something people might 38 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: have heard of before. But first of all, why did 39 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 1: it come about. It came about from the population skyrocketing, right. Well, 40 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: I've got some more info actually, are you ready for this? 41 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: You want to know how it really came about? Yeah, 42 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: you didn't look at any of this, I song Jianne. No, okay, 43 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: all right, we're all gonna learn here. Then let's hear 44 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: Mr Smart. Apparently there was a system's control specialist in China. 45 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: He decides to visit Europe and back then, um, he 46 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,119 Speaker 1: was kind of isolated from the outside world, like many 47 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 1: of the people in China, the intellection known for isolation. Yeah, 48 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: so he goes to Europe and he picks up a 49 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: little book called The Limits to Growth. Have you ever 50 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: heard of this? The Limits of Growth was a really 51 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: controversial book um to study put out by a think 52 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: tank called the Club of Rome, and basically they said, 53 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: in a nutshell the world will end by because of 54 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: population overrun and uh. They brought it out to big 55 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: fanfare along with The Blueprint for Survival, which was published 56 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: in seventy two in England, who basically said that people 57 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: in Britain were reproducing too quick and they couldn't maintain Uh. 58 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: He goes back to China with these books and he said, 59 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: you know, it really made sense to me, and so 60 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: he was connected. He formed a little group. Uh, and 61 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: decided to take it to the government and said, hey, 62 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna you know, he started applying these studies and 63 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: these statistics to China and said, we're in big trouble. 64 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: And so he took all this stuff and basically it 65 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: was from there that it leap frogged, uh, that it 66 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: catapulted rather into a reality. However, the ironic thing is 67 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: is that whole limits to growth Apparently it was a 68 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: bunch of bunk and it was based on bad statistics. 69 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: And the co founder, I'm sorry, the founder of the 70 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: Book of Rome, who actually helped write the book, came 71 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: out a couple of years later and they had a 72 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: retraction that said they wanted to jolt people from the 73 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: comfortable idea that present growth trends could continue indefinitely. So 74 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: they basically said, we were trying to scare people, and 75 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: we cooked up a bunch of studies which led to 76 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: China's one child policy. That's pretty cool. That's not the 77 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: only thing, though, I think um China has uh never 78 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: apologized for its policy and one of the reasons why 79 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: they instituted it was because the population was growing rapidly UM, 80 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: which is fine, right. That the reason that chairman MoU 81 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: Is like reproduced, reproduced was because his vision for China was, uh, 82 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: this huge booming economy based on tons and tons of labor. Right, 83 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: it kind of makes sense in a way, it does 84 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: make sense. The problem is, right now China has a 85 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: quarter of the world's population but only seven percent of 86 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: the world's arable land. That's that's that is a rub 87 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: right there. Um. So one of the one of the reasons, 88 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: in addition to this fake book that the institute the 89 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: one child policy was to slow this population growth, right, 90 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: and it worked tremendously, right it did, you know at 91 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: ninth Well it worked to the team of about four 92 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: hundred million kids not born, Is that right? It depends 93 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: on who you talk to. Four millions the high end 94 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: that I've seen. The lowest i've seen is two d 95 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: and fifty million. Even still, that's substantial since in the 96 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: last thirty years, you know, they said in nineteen eighty 97 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: was the the what's it officially called the National Population 98 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: and Family Planning Commission of China, the state agency that 99 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: runs the reproduction control They said in nineteen eighty that 100 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: we must have a cap in the by the year 101 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: two thousand of one point two billion people, and uh, 102 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: it's projected that they had one point to seven. They 103 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: weren't too far off, but that's Chinese figures, and continue 104 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: to grow. Now there's one point three three actually in 105 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: more than that, because that was two thousand eight. Yeah, 106 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: apparently every year China adds the population of Belgium to 107 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: its own population ten million people. They literally bring over 108 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: everyone from Belgium. Come on, and then Belgium has to 109 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: start from scratch again. They get to ten million, and 110 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: every January, come on, Belgium, I'm gonna go to Belgium. 111 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: Next January. You can go, free trip trip to China. 112 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: Well now, so I can stick my claim there in Belgium. Okay, 113 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 1: just moving too, somehow move you to China eventually, chuck. So, okay, 114 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: we have this huge population explosion. It's still going just 115 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: because if you have one point three billion people, even 116 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: allowing them to have one kid is going to add 117 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: an add an add up. What's the projection. I believe 118 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: by twenty there expected to peak at one point six billion. 119 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: That is a lot um. But actually that's nothing compared 120 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: to what it would have been had they not instituted 121 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: this policy, which at first was voluntary um, and they 122 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: saw a greater decline in um for fertility UM when 123 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: this policy was voluntary. Right in nineteen seventy they had 124 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: a fertility rate of I think six and by nine 125 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: means six births per one woman, just so people understand 126 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: what that means. That's the mean um. And then by 127 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine it was down to three. So they 128 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: have their fertility rate, you know, it is now what 129 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: uh in the urban areas one point seven I'm sorry, 130 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: in the urban areas one point three and the rural 131 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: areas two point out for about a one point seven average, right, 132 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: but even still, if you look at the numbers, that's 133 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: less of a decline than there was when it was voluntary. 134 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: China started out with was a campaign called what chuck 135 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: late long, few, late long and few. So you marry 136 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: late in life, you wait a long time in between births, 137 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: and you have few children. Uh, And couples who uh 138 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: volunteer for this get a little certificate. What's that called 139 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: the Certificate of Honor for single child parents? Ye must 140 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: be nice, I guess having a came it depends, I 141 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: don't know. Um. We should also say that the one 142 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: child policy that was instituted in nineteen seventy nine. I 143 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: don't know if we actually came out and said that yet. Yeah, 144 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: that was when it officially became a mandate. So the 145 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: one child policy, um, at least at first and generally 146 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: in practice has been has restricted almost exclusively the Han 147 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: ethnic majority. Those are the people who are really subject 148 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: to one child policies, and the people who are under 149 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: the most risk astrictions are urban couples from the Han 150 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: majority ethnic minorities are allowed to have more kids. They've 151 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: generally been excluded from the one child policy. Well, you 152 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: have to get permission. I think if you're in the 153 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: Royal area, you have to get legal permission to have 154 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: a second child, if your firstborn as a girl, and 155 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: if you're an ethnic minority, you can have three kids. Well, 156 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: you bring up a really good point. Um. That's one 157 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: of the huge byproducts this, uh, this one child policy, 158 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: is that there China, the culture of China, not just 159 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: the government, the culture has been accused of preferring boys 160 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: over girls, to the tune of encouraging abortions for females 161 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: stuff like that. You know that's true, but that's it is. Yeah, Um, 162 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: at the very least, there's been tons and tons of 163 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: reports and allegations that, uh, there's actually if state pressure, 164 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: if not state mandated abortions UM or at the very 165 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: at least local mandated, local pressured abortions UM. But one 166 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: of the one of the ways China still um hasn't 167 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: a low abortion rate of the female population report having 168 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: an abortion. Where in the US forty three, that's higher 169 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: than I thought. That's apparently really low, is it? Yeah, um, 170 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: at the very least low compared to anecdotal evidence. There's 171 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: probably a lot of girls out there who aren't willing 172 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: to say that they had an abortion in half UM. 173 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: But still, let's say that those numbers are completely accurate. 174 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:38,719 Speaker 1: China has abortion rate the US has forty three. One 175 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: of the reasons that they've been able to maintain a 176 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: low abortion rate comparatively UM is through open and universal 177 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,479 Speaker 1: access to contraception. Yes, i U d S and sterilization 178 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: is what they prefer over of contraception is long term, right, 179 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: They don't do the condom or the birth control pill 180 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: that much, not much or vosectomes of work in China. 181 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: They put it all on the woman because again that 182 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: they have been accused of preferring boys. It's a very 183 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: patriarchal society. You can't do that though in the long run, 184 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: because I got another stat in the end, they think 185 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: in the future, I would say, of the men in 186 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: China won't have access to a wife, there aren't enough women. 187 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: There won't be enough women right, which in and of 188 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: itself is a problem, but it also gives rise to 189 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,359 Speaker 1: other problems. Um. Apparently there's been a huge rising prostitution, 190 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: which has led to a huge rise in the prevalence 191 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: of HIV. UM. There's been all sorts of um social maladies. 192 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: I guess among men who can't find a wife. I 193 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: mean imagine like they're just not being a woman out 194 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: there that you can find to marry and settle down with, 195 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: Like it's just not an option for you. Is going 196 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: to produce all manners psychological and social problem. So yeah, 197 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: there's there's all sorts of weird things that are kind 198 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: of popping up up from this one child policy another 199 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: one that I hesitate to work. Use the word weird 200 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: more like horrific is female and fantaside, we said that 201 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: China's been accused of preferring boys over girls. Um, there 202 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: are so I should say there are surveys out there, 203 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: there are facts and figures that China puts out that 204 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: contradict any criticism. UM. But there's two sides of this coin. 205 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: But in the West there's lots and lots of accusations 206 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: of female and fantaside. Apparently it was UM traditional until 207 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: the Cultural Revolution UH, and it started to kind of 208 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 1: pick back up again. UM. There's no statistics or figures 209 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: on how many girls might be killed at birth. UM, 210 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: but number one apparently UH abortion after ultrasound sex screening. 211 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: Sexing was so prevalent that in China banned UH sex 212 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: screening neatle or prenatal sex screening, so you couldn't tell 213 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: whether you you're having a boy or a girl. You know, 214 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: there's a private sector that's picked up UM lack that 215 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 1: will give you an ultratone to let you know what 216 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: you're having. And apparently the the female and fantaside, if 217 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: you view abortions in fanticide, has increased well, even in 218 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: fant aside under like the the medical or sociological definition 219 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: of killing a child when it's born or leaving it 220 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: to die UM is still around UM and the the 221 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: those are reflected in the boydie girl ratio right right, 222 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: which are which is pretty significant. It doesn't sound like 223 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: a lot, but what what are they? Uh? In two 224 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,439 Speaker 1: thousand five and estimated one hundred and eighteen boys were 225 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: born for every one hundred girls, and that peaked at 226 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,079 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty boys for every one hundred girls. 227 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: And uh, just to compare that to the rest of 228 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: the world UM or industrialized countries, I should say, UM 229 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: roughly a hundred and four to a hundred and seven 230 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: boys for every one hundred girls. So definitely a big 231 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: deaf UM. One of the reasons why boys would be 232 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: preferred is, um, they can earn more than a woman. 233 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:12,959 Speaker 1: Let's say a woman marries a man, she gets married off, 234 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: she gets absorbed into the man's family. Um, what happens 235 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: to the parents. Here's part of the problem. Seventy of 236 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: UM China's aging population doesn't have a pension. They don't 237 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: have four oh one case over there, they don't save 238 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: the government starting to encourage it. This is what I 239 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: see is the biggest problem. Maybe this is a huge, 240 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: huge problem. Who's going to take care of people when 241 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: they're getting older? So here's here's what's resulted a phenomenon 242 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: called four to one. Right, you have a couple that's 243 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: the two and they're they're responsible for the care of 244 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: one child and for parents, for grandparents. So that's like 245 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: the new family structure. Um as far as financial support goes. 246 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: And as you keep having just one child, one child child, 247 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: that for to one structure keeps going on and then 248 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: it's one six. Well you know what I mean, that 249 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: one child will have to be responsible for the care 250 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: of ultimately six right, if everyone is still alive, his 251 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: two parents and the four grandparents, well, then you just 252 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: start killing the grandparents. This is too much of a 253 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: burdens that, Um, No, because that that well, yeah, I 254 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: guess if it's a boy and he has no one 255 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: to marry and he's unlucky enough, No, that wouldn't work 256 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: out if it were if it were just a boy 257 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: and he never married, he'd just be responsible for his 258 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: own parents. But what about the grandparents again? I think 259 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: that was one of the points they made though, was 260 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: as your parents old and the grandparents are hanging in there, 261 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, your parents are in their seventies, 262 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: your grandparents are in their nineties, and you're the sole child. 263 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: If you are lucky enough to marry and there are 264 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: no grand if your grandparents are dead, you still are 265 00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: saddled with two sets of grandparents and a child, and 266 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: that's what you're responsible for providing for. Right. Yeah, that's 267 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: a big problem. Part of that is UM has been 268 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: alleviated by a revision in the policy who where UM. 269 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: Urban couples who are only children themselves can have more 270 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: than one child. True, so that leaves two siblings, but 271 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: you have to it's still very much unless you're an 272 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: ethnic minority. I don't think you have to apply for 273 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: a child if you're an ethnic minority. Another revision that 274 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: they had, Chuck was, um, they stripped local birth quotas 275 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: they is this the birth permits? Yeah, okay, yeah, they 276 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: they stripped the requirement to obtain these birth permits and 277 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: a lot of the provinces recently, right yeah, which basically 278 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: they did it by um taking away the requirement to 279 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: get a birth permit for a first birth. So what 280 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: happened before was any locality had a quota of how 281 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: many birth could occur, say in a year or a 282 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: month or something like that, and if that quota was 283 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: filled already, then some couple applying for a permit to 284 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: have a birth would be denied until the next cycle. 285 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: This is nuts. It is nuts. I'm all for family planning, 286 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: but this is uh, this is turbo family planning. What's 287 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: nuts is that aside from these social problems, it actually 288 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: has led China to become a burgeoning economy. I mean 289 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: it's actually worked in an economic sense, but in a 290 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: socioeconomic sense it's it's it's exacting these huge tolls. I 291 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: do have a couple of stats to back that up. UM, 292 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: before they instituted this policy, the population and poverty was 293 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: two d and fifty million. That's been reduced to forty million. 294 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:49,120 Speaker 1: And uh, education um of the average fifteen year old 295 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: went from four point five years to eight point five years. 296 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: So these are the stats that China's gonna point to 297 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,880 Speaker 1: clearly to say that hey, it's working right and you can't. 298 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: I think it's so easy to vilify China for this. UM. 299 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: The like Christian pro life groups are hugely against this 300 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 1: one child policy UM because it does suborne um abortion 301 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 1: right very clearly. UM. So there's a lot of people 302 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: opposed to it. But if you're an economist, and maybe 303 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: an economist with um, no heart damage to your prefrontal cortex, 304 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: then yeah, it makes a lot of sense, and it worked. 305 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: They've also started the girl care program you heard of 306 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 1: that one, and that's basically, uh in a nutshell kind 307 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: of trying to encourage the fact that girls have value 308 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,439 Speaker 1: and worth and are not second class citizens. You like 309 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: that billboard doing, Yeah, the billboard. They have a billboard 310 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: in China that's said in the Hibai province. It says 311 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: there's no difference between having a girl or a boy. 312 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: Girls can also continue the family line, yes, genetically speaking. 313 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: So they're trying to do what they can there. UM. 314 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: I guess probably the biggest rub of China's one child 315 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: policy is that, UM, reproduction is a basic human right. 316 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: The government's not supposed to tell you how many kids 317 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: are do anything to interfere with your reproduction right. Um. 318 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,199 Speaker 1: And it's also contrary to the will of the people. 319 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: In a two thousand three Chinese study, UH, there were 320 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: some people who said they preferred one child. That's about 321 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: of the population surveyed, but fifty seven percent said they 322 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: preferred to So it's directly flies in the face of 323 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: them exactly. What's interesting though, is that UH, there is 324 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: a huge decrease in preference of three children, or more 325 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: like five point five percent of the population. Surveys said 326 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 1: that they would want three kids. So it seems to 327 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: have peaked around too. And one of the reasons why 328 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: China announced recently that it would be another decade before 329 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: it appeal that's one child policy, is because they're afraid 330 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: of another baby boom, and what they're trying to do 331 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: is create a small family culture in the country. Gotcha. 332 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: But surveys like these suggest that that's they've been successful 333 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: in doing that, right. I think it's up for review 334 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:17,719 Speaker 1: next year and no to two thousand is it's up 335 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: for review next year, But I don't know if that 336 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: means anything's gonna I think they said this summer in 337 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: July that it is going to be another decade before 338 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: they repealed it. And there were a lot of people 339 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: after remember the earthquake in such Uan province, Yeah, killed 340 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: what like ten thousand kids, Yeah, and a lot of 341 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: people's only child. That's your only child. It's a long kid. 342 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: And what happens if you were fifty and when your 343 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 1: child died, because you know, you wait a long time 344 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: to get married and you your s O L thank 345 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: you government. Uh, you know, I know plenty of Americans 346 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: who think that it's the responsible thing to do to 347 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: only have one child. I've heard people say that as 348 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: a human it's like irresponsible to have two and three 349 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 1: kids these days. Well, yeah, the toll we exact on 350 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,439 Speaker 1: the environment in or adding to the strain on the 351 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: carrying capacity of agriculture. Supposedly, the agricultural techniques we have 352 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: now can support a global population of ten billion. So 353 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: we have a little ways to go. But who knows 354 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: what will happened before then, how how much technology will advance? Um, 355 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: we may turn to soilent green who knows? Um, do 356 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: you know there's two women out there walking the planner 357 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: right now, at least two who were sterilized before they 358 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: ever had kids because they wanted to say the environment. 359 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:37,239 Speaker 1: Uh they're both English. As far as I know, I 360 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: remember reading about that. Yeah, thank you pointing that out 361 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,400 Speaker 1: to me. Has nothing to do with China's one child policy. 362 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: But yeah, so Chuck doesn't look like they're appealing it. 363 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: They did make some they did for those people who 364 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: were still in reproductive age following the earthquake who lost kids. 365 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: They were um, making exceptions, right, but ultimately it's it 366 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: looks like steady the course with the child the one 367 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: child policy. So if, okay, if you want to read 368 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: anything more on China's one child policy, We've got an 369 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: article on the site appropriately entitled what is China's one 370 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: child Policy? I'm pretty sure if you just type in 371 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: one child it will come up in the handy search 372 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 1: bar at how stuffworks dot com. Uh, and let's do 373 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: listener mail Josh's listener mail time, And I'm just gonna 374 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 1: call this Uh from Austin. Are our young fan who 375 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: had a dream about us. And I've tried not to 376 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: read dream emails because that encourages people to send in 377 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: their dreams. And we've gotten a lot of hey that 378 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: had this weird dream, but this one was about us, 379 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:41,959 Speaker 1: so of course I'm gonna read it. My name is Austin, 380 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: I'm fourteen, and I'm your fan, and I live in Atlanta. 381 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: And it makes it show so much better because you're 382 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: located in Atlanta. True, you know, he feels at homeless. Uh. 383 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 1: He's been listening for a while. He loves us, and 384 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: he's just starting high school this year and his podcast 385 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: has been a lifesaver in ap biology. Anyways, finally had 386 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: my first dream about you. First first dreams. Uh, this 387 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: is a good one, though. He awakes from bed and 388 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: he notices that he's fallen asleep while listening to the podcast. 389 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,120 Speaker 1: It sounds like reality so far. Uh. He walks outside 390 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,159 Speaker 1: and there's a small red plane with a huge banner 391 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: that reads all hail Chuck and Josh. I'm looking dream. Yeah, 392 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 1: we sent that plan over your house, buddy. I'm a 393 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: little confused about it, and even more so when I 394 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: arrive at school and see that there is a bronze 395 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: statue in your honor because you guys save the economy 396 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: with our audiobook. Yeah, how about that? Um. However, it 397 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: takes a gloomy turn from here. After a day of 398 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,719 Speaker 1: many questions and much confusion, I finally put together the clues. 399 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 1: After saving the economy, you both take charge and become 400 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: dual dictators of America. He require everyone to be educated 401 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,880 Speaker 1: by your podcast, and only your podcast, as made by 402 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: the Stuff Amendment actually amended the constitutions. And we institute 403 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: a half child policy, sure, half job policy. Uh, and 404 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: we all must obey your command immediately. China declares war 405 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: on us because you try to expand your band uh 406 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: podcast to their country. We had a guy that wrote 407 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: in by the way, it said it was not banned. No, 408 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: the blogs, band, not the podcast. Okay, good to know. 409 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: The rest of the dream is a bit foggy and 410 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: I wish I could remember more. However, it seems to 411 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: be a theme that the dreams that people right in 412 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: end up being true and the unlikely chance that this 413 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: does happen. Please remember me as a fan that's from Austin. 414 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 1: In Atlanta and Austin. We will definitely remember you. We will. 415 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: We will remember you when we take power and crush you. 416 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: If you have a super cool dream about me and Chuck, 417 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: or if you want to comment on China's one child policy, 418 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: or um you have more than ten children more than ten, 419 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: send us an email about it to stuff podcast at 420 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. For more on this and 421 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: that's of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com. 422 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: Want more how stuff works, check out our blogs on 423 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: the how stuff works dot com home page. M brought 424 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, 425 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: are you