Western Governments Are Blamed for Asia's Shortage of Women

[ludahai]

article

But what distinguishes Hvistendahl's book from other similar reports is that, as the Guardian notes in a profile today, she "lays the blame squarely on western governments and businesses that have exported technology and pro-abortion practices without considering the consequences," unlike other accounts, that solely basing sex selection on cultural practices.

So, the West is to blame for China's one-child policy; the West then consequently being to blame for the fact that many Chinese choose to have boys.

The West is to blame for the fact that Indian culture is so misogynestic that they choose to have boys over girls.

Give me a break. What stupidity. Why not own up to the weaknesses and flaws of your own cultures rather than blame the West for it... And someone actually PUBLISHED this tripe???

 

[Slartibartfast]

Infanticide is a staple of human history. Even if abortion had never been invented, it wouldn't have stopped a lot of cultures from doing this sort of thing anyway,

 

[Arcana XV]

How utterly idiotic. Western scientific exports are responsible for saving countless lives in the third world. The fact that ultrasound and abortion technology is being used to selectively eliminate girls is not the West's fault. In fact, I would argue that the availbility of such technology is actually a blessing. Anyone remember the documentaries on newborn baby girl corpses left to rot on the streets of China and India? Without this technology, I can't even begin to imagine the horrors we would see on a daily basis.

 

[Tashah]

In another vein, perhaps if poor families in SE Asia stopped selling their daughters to Pakistani slave-traders (for re-sale to Saudi and Gulf State buyers) there would be more females in the region.

 

[1Perry]

I first read this title and my initial reaction was to completely dismiss it. After reading the article, I'll still largely dismiss it but not completely.

In 1979 China signed a $50m four-year deal with a UN body designed to help it control its spiralling population through family planning. It was the largest foreign aid package Beijing had accepted in almost 20 years. But the funds became entwined in China's one-child policy that was just taking hold, and instead of sponsoring an education drive for small families, the money was used to pay for posters in Chinese villages proclaiming "You can abort it! But you cannot give birth to it."

If you are funding something you do have to accept some of the blame. On the other hand, if not for the money to pay for abortions and advertising them, over the years there would have been many female newborns simply killed because of their cultural beliefs. The west is not to blame but in encouraging this, they still shoulder some blame.

 

[Gina]

The factors that brought about the XY generation may better "be blamed on the cultural and religious practices that despise and discriminate against women in the first place."

Western governments have nothing to do with the fact females are held in low regard by theses countries in the first place. How their governments chose (China in particular) without consideration for how their populace would self-select, is on them.

 

[CarlF]

I first read this title and my initial reaction was to completely dismiss it. After reading the article, I'll still largely dismiss it but not completely.

In 1979 China signed a $50m four-year deal with a UN body designed to help it control its spiralling population through family planning. It was the largest foreign aid package Beijing had accepted in almost 20 years. But the funds became entwined in China's one-child policy that was just taking hold, and instead of sponsoring an education drive for small families, the money was used to pay for posters in Chinese villages proclaiming "You can abort it! But you cannot give birth to it."

If you are funding something you do have to accept some of the blame. On the other hand, if not for the money to pay for abortions and advertising them, over the years there would have been many female newborns simply killed because of their cultural beliefs. The west is not to blame but in encouraging this, they still shoulder some blame.

Well, doesn't it depend on who's fault it was that the funds weren't used for what they were supposed to be used for?

 

[1Perry]

Well, doesn't it depend on who's fault it was that the funds weren't used for what they were supposed to be used for?

Were they specified that they had to be used only for abortions not based upon sex selection?