The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
In the days since Vice President Joe Biden told his Chinese hosts he wasn't "second-guessing" their one-child policy, a number of commentators have jumped in, noting the monstrous human rights violations that policy has led to. Yesterday the White House clarified, declaring that "the Vice President believes such policies are repugnant."
Virtually alone, The New York Sun raised the larger issue:
Yet the part of Mr. Biden’s statement that caught our attention was the part where he went on to speak an important warning — that China’s policy has put it in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people and was thus, as Mr. Biden put it, “not sustainable.” Which confronts Chinese communists and American liberals alike with the question: Why aren’t large families and population growth the logical goals of public policy? Indeed, doesn’t China’s emergence as such a powerful and burgeoning country stem from and depend upon its enormous, its magnificent population?
- Comment (6)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
Dec '10
Re: The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
Picking Joe Biden as his running mate was the first presidential decision from Obama and indicative of every decision he would make after.
Dec '10
Re: The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
Yes! Exactly my thoughts upon hearing Biden's gaffe. American liberals are constantly painting themselves into the position of defending the indefensible.
Yes. It was typically cynical and destructive. Although, I wasn't the first to observe, Biden is pretty good presidential "term" insurance. Nobody wants him to succeed Obama.
Mar '11
Re: The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
Bill McGurn: Virtually alone, The New York Sun raised the larger issue:
Why is it that a dwindling number of wage earners supporting retirees in China is "not sustainable" while the same (but admittedly not as severe) phenomenon in the U.S. is no reason to reform Social Security on the same grounds?
Edited on Aug 24, 2011 at 11:21amJun '11
Re: The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
Bill McGurn:
Virtually alone, The New York Sun raised the larger issue:
Yes, this makes casual sense but in my little world, it is more complex than that.
How far can public policy extend into the lives of its citizens? To suggest that public policy ought to promote growth and the family sounds fine but who decides how far policy can go?
To decide that policy should be pro-population growth also implies that policy can rightly have the capacity to be anti-population growth should the need arise.
One of the tragedies of Roe v. Wade is that it institutionalized government's role in any phase of pregnancy. At all.
America is not Sparta nor is it the Soviet Union. The downside to suggesting that the strength of the family is something which emanates from politicians and bureaucrats is deep, steep and dark.
Edited on Aug 24, 2011 at 12:06pmMay '11
Re: The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
Ok, I am going to say that which is anathema here. First, the disclaimer: I find both China's one child policy and Slow Joe Biden himself to be repuganant. Nevertheless, I am going to stand up for Joe this time. As a lawyer, I know that you can make a more effective argument (if your goal is to convince someone of something) by appealing to their pragmatism than by calling them an evil SOB. It made sense for Joe to tell the Chinese that he was not attacking them, but pointing out that their policy was unsustainable (would that he would tell Obama the same).
On the broader point though, Bill, large families and population growth are not the logical goals of public policy. As always, Robert Heinlein put it best He said something like (I'm doing this from memory), "Any organism needs pruning to remain healthy. In the case of the organism that is the human race, that pruning can be done by wars and starvation and such, or it can be done by birth control. Call me sentimental, but I prefer the latter."
Edited on Aug 24, 2011 at 5:06pmMar '11
Re: The Sun Shines on Joe Biden
Advocating population control is a politically correct way for liberals to practice racism. To quote the immortal P.J. O'Rourke: "Population control is another way of saying 'just enough of me, way too many of you.'"