Demographic Debates!

[psych0squirrel]

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers have expressed alarm about cultures that favor male babies, saying sex-ratio imbalances could destabilize society because more men will remain unmarried, raising the risks of anti-social and violent behavior

Comments

[psych0squirrel]

It seems to have more to do with stupidity then cunning. I can't imagine they did any of the stuff on purpose it seems largely to be a profit motive that got largely out of their control. Also the chinese gov't already censored a 20-something for striking silly poses on the internet, and making claims such as "she is so beautiful that boys get nosebleeds" when they pass her; sister Lotus was disappointed, she was all set to get her own tv show, but so much for unathorized celebrity. She was reputed to be somewhat average in looks but apparently was a lot balsier then the average chinese maiden.

The aids censorship seems to reflect a desire to retain hold on power, it's just a very short term motive considering how perfect the setting is for a major AIDS epidemic. They are playing a dangerous game as they have so many people on the road and sexually frusterated and poorly educated to boot. I don't know if they comprehend the scope of the potential problem. They are still in relatively safe ranges but it could really blow up on them badly if they ignore it too much. For their credit they were trying? to aquire aids drugs, it's just they are in danger of making them useless for everyone as it doesn't treat the right strains of aids having been developed for strains more prevelent in the north american and european markets, which are more profitable. It also is dangerous for them to use them without ensuring that the regimes are followed. Apparently some hospitals were throwing people out as soon as their money ran out and the differential between chinese haves and have nots is worse then in the states.

[gideonswake]

True - stupid over cunning has been a running theme, however (yes the conspiracy rears its curious eyes) what if it wasn't? Human beings have been known to do worse things to each other all in the name of "righteousness". AIDS is an equalizer to countries that lack chemical or biological warfare capabilities. Most films and television programs not how this happens many times through out the year and it does paint an interesting picture of these warlords. Yet, I am inclined to believe there is a greater planning going - beyond silly conspiracy but frightful truth. I won't discount stupidity but I won't toss away the darkness of a human heart.

As horrible as it is, the "have's" and the "have nots" are something that regardless of the situation - will always be the drama play in that country. You and I both know this and unfortunatly we are going to wait and watch the egg cook. When it does happen, what kinda of response do you think the world will take?

-Close off China?
-Flood it with drugs?

Some very dangerous minded people have said that all we need to cure AIDS is a very nast epidemic to cause the real cure to come about. Either man will find away or it will perish. Drastic measure and all that.

Yeah, I think in extremes - mostly because I find it easier to be disappointed if I was wrong than to be shocked if I was right.

-Gideon's Wake

[psych0squirrel]

You really don't have to look for any sort of conspiricy, sadly there doesn't seem to be one although there does seem to be tension between the government and AIDS activists. As 90% of the blood is purchased from people directly and there is a bad economy with little to no HIV testing before donation in the countryside, the results were inevitable. The central government has more control on the cities, in the countryside the regional authorities were not interested in paying for AIDs testing; guess in which country you don't want to get a blood transfusion. In survey's of professional blood sellers the AIDS rate was quite high, there are some villiages in the Hanen province where the majority of adults are infected.

Most problems seems to come from donations in the mid-1990's, so here is a timeline if you are interested. The scandal broke in the early part of the 2000's. It's good to know about, I don't know how commonly known this is now as it wasn't something the Bush Administration had anything to do with so must not be all that interesting.

23 August 2001
The Agence France Presse (AFP) reported that “China admitted for the first time that tens of thousands of its citizens have been infected with the AIDS virus.” Deputy Health Minister Yin Dakui stated, “A large number of blood sellers have been infected with HIV due to illegal blood plasma.” The “illegal” blood collection stations usually collected and pooled blood from poor farmers, separated the plasma, and then returns the contaminated blood back to the donators. Yin said, that "so far the problem of HIV infection caused by blood donations had only affected several provinces in central China.”

[psych0squirrel]

Heh. The culture wars have made me much more snappish then I used to be about politics. I don't have much of a tolerance for it anymore. :D

The stuff in China is pretty scary though. It's pretty surprising that very few people have heard about it.

[mordant7]

I think it really slips under the radar because the West has been dealing with AIDS for at least 30 years now (and got over the hysteria, in large part, in the 1980s). Its still got rather a stigma as being a disease of prostitutes, drug addicts and gay men -- in a country that still prosecutes for "crimes against humanity" and executes drug traffickers. So, basically, admitting that there was a problem with AIDS is admitting that there are problems with prostitution, drug smuggling and use, and that chineese gay men exist -- in a political culture that internalizes the notion that what is embarassing for them is embarassing to the country.

[psych0squirrel]

Yeah that seems to be what is spreading it now that it is already in the population. It's strange but a lot of blood donors have it now, as far as I can tell their economic circumstances have convinced a lot of normal people to take up the same unsafe practices as junkies.

[mordant7]

Or blood donors, in lands where "standard precautions" are another myth because its just too bloody expensive (to run an autoclave or even to throw away needles -- so they try to keep clean, but alas). And then there are the people who are trying to make some money through drugrunning; I think the drug use is kind of an occupational hazard. Not a good situation all around, especially when the government is not putting enough money into health care (for things like disposable needles ...)

Then again, guidelines for "standard precautions" were written largely in the early 1980s, largely in response to AIDS (even though Hepatitus B has been around far longer, and is actually MORE likely to infect from a needlestick accident). And the way the guidelines in the States are practiced generates a lot of medical waste, and is actually quite expensive to run the system that way.

But again: the cost of an infection is much higher than the cost of fifteen pairs of disposable gloves.

[mordant7]

China is sensitive to the issue because the chinese AIDS epidemic is a pretty clear indication that there is a failure in the system.

[psych0squirrel]

True, they are becoming quite capitalistic but the communists are still in charge; quite the delima. :D

[mordant7]

They are quite good at setting up a system to perpetuate their own control and make a buck doing it -- not really any different from most strongman dictatorships.

[psych0squirrel]

True, but they are doing it using the weirdest rationalle. It's a pretty bizzare combination.