Thursday May 15, 2008
CNN, China, and the One-Child Policy
CNN and others have brought a very sensitive issue in recent days, in light of the horrible disaster in China. The One Child Policy. Here's the “sensitive” title: “Parents' losses compounded by China's one-child policy”.
Regardless of the outstanding sense of timing in bringing it up. Regardless of whether or not I agree with the policy. It's inconsequential.
What is absolutely consequential is that it's unethical to even discuss it when people, any people, are counting their dead.
But if you read carefully, can you tell what's hiding behind the relatively innocent criticism? Yes, of course, the One Child Policy is unacceptable in Western terms. But ask any parent, and they will tell you: it matters not how many children you have. When you lose a child, your world collapses, your life becomes a prolonged misery.
Does CNN actually suggest that if the poor Chinese who lost their children in the disaster would feel better if they had another child? How dare they? How dare anyone?
What's even worse, is that given the circumstances, many families lost more than one child. Many families lost everything. For many who survived life will undoubtedly change forever.
My advice to CNN: use a little bit of judgment, some ethics, and a lot of sensitivity. Please.
Posted at 09:28PM May 15, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal | Comments[11]
This is a personal weblog, I do not speak for my employer.
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I absolutely agree with you. As if losing a kid is easier when you have more than one.
Western countries also need to get off its self-contradicting stance. Do they want China to have more or less population? If the answer is less, then stop complaining about their effective, if not humane, population control mechanism.
I have not heard anyone from the west that wishes to have more Chinese in the world...
Posted by Sin-Yaw Wang on May 15, 2008 at 11:53 PM CST #
Amiram, I saw the same report, and had exactly the same reaction... they took advantage of a horrible human tragedy to, it seems to me, push a political agenda.
Posted by Robs on May 16, 2008 at 09:18 AM CST #
It is not acceptable for me that connecting the disaster with one-child policy, and connecting the Olympic with Tibet. CNN made many such kind of stupid comments recently and destroyed its reputation as news agency in China.
Posted by Ada on May 16, 2008 at 07:49 PM CST #
CNN doesn't serve the Chinese "news" market (how much money did they make from China?). So they sure aren't going to care about how Chinese feel...
If so many people in China are pissed off, maybe there's an opportunity to start a "news" business there. Kind of like China's own version of Fox News, CBN, and the 700 club.
Posted by pirates on May 17, 2008 at 01:46 AM CST #
I totally agree that is absolutely insensitive to bring this topic up at this time. But I have to say, as a mother of two and hopefully more, one thought of having more than one child is certainly that in case something happens to one of my children (which I don't dare to imagine) I have a reason to live on, chances are, I will have grandchildren and family that will come visit, when I'm old. And that choice is taken away by the government.
Of all "flaws" of China, this as a mother is the most saddening one.
Posted by Conny on May 17, 2008 at 04:24 PM CST #
Connie, just to clarify, there is no *absolute* one child policy... there are plenty of exceptions to it, some of which probably applied to the families affected by the earthquake, which I won't get into here.
Also, from my experience, families are much closer and much more extended here than in the west. It is a very common sight in my apartment complex to see grandmothers and grandfathers playing with the children together in the courtyard.
I really implore people not to be suckered into convenient sound-bytes such as "one-child policy" and, instead actually do some research into what is actually happening.
And, of course, not to loose focus on the horrible human tragedy which occurred.
Pirates, this was the international version of CNN. China already has many news outlets (including CCTV9, broadcasting dribble in English around the world).
That said, an international company such as CNN that isn't trying to get into the Chinese market probably isn't doing its shareholders any favors.
Posted by Robs on May 18, 2008 at 01:11 AM CST #
Robs,
I've been living here for over three years and I love it very much. Both of my kids are born here, my daughter goes to a Chinese Kindergarten. Belief me, I'm not being suckered into sound-bytes and I have talked to many mothers in our Chinese compound.
And it doesn't matter that there are exceptions to the rule. It means it is still the rule.
Posted by Conny on May 18, 2008 at 04:28 PM CST #
People live in country side are allowed to have more than one child, but so what? Lose one child still makes people's life very sad.
How about the children who lost their family?
CNN's destroying his reputation by so many ridiculous statements.
Posted by Helen on May 19, 2008 at 02:41 PM CST #
I'm sure it doesn't matter how many chidren you have, when you lose one....
I feel that everyone seems to miss that the US government, has funded this program hugely for years, likely decades; & has actually commended the program.
However I wonder whether it is the US medias way of poking carefully the government about the issue.....
Posted by Kim on June 10, 2008 at 10:56 PM CST #
I agree with this one child policy,and if you worried about losing a child, why you don't make another one. One child policy is a good law because you can give all the things to your one child. When you have many child you cannot give all the things they need specially if you are poor. Even you are a communist, means equal, you cannot give to your children all they need
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