China's one-child policy might benefit us

China might have benefitted from its cruel policy of allowing only one child and forcing abortion or infanticide for violators - benefitted from the limit on its population. But we have already seen evidence of a shortage of workers - higher pay, positions unfilled. And the Chinese much prefer a boy over a girl if they can only have one.

Thomas PM Barnett hits another home run. He observes that the shortage of brides - already happening, but growing in the future - will not result in Chinese men sitting in corners. They will adapt; they will go find women - and workers. When this happened in Korea the men went to Viet Nam. The Chinese will almost certainly allow immigration of the needed women. And that's where the good news is. This will connect China to other countries and require them to have relations - the countries!

At Barnett's blog:

Honestly, these things get presented all the time by social scientists as inexorable tragedies, as though humans aren't adaptable whatsoever. Hell, you give me the choice between no woman and a racially different woman and guess which choice I "suddenly and very rapidly" make? Or take a gander at Ireland with its "sudden and very rapid" influx of immigrant black Africans? Inconceivable I tell you!

Until necessity makes it happen

Barnett is a favorite source for insightful comment, but his politics leads him to strange places. A couple months ago he preferred the foreign relations midget Barack Hussein Obama for President.