PZ547
|
. According to overseas media, the Chinese authorities are engaged in a new moral code, including ridding social media of effeminate boy-bands and the focus on cosmetic surgery, western fads and music, etc
As part of this push, the Chinese authorities urge their menfolk in particular to shape-up by going to gyms, etc. instead of the sedentary, computer and gaming lifestyle
In addition, the Chinese authorities are urging people to (a) marry and (b) produce two and more children. As incentive, the authorities provide extra paid time off work
The same overseas media claims the above measures stem from China's ageing populations which can only be supported by an enlarged younger population
Chinese singles counter this by claiming they can't afford to marry or have children. Those who already have one child claim they cannot afford to have more. Is this because children would impede their desire to achieve a western, materialistic lifestyle?
I watched a video from China in which a bride, in full western-style wedding regalia, abused her future spouse for not giving her a Mercedes as she'd asked. The groom, humiliated by this display before the entire wedding-party, countered by telling her that he simply could not afford to provide her the upmarket home she'd demanded, plus monetary gifts, plus the Mercedes -- something had to give, so instead of the Mercedes, he'd bought her an expensive new vehicle, but hadn't been able to stretch to the Mercedes
The groom's parents, uncles, etc. stood embarrassed as the bride lashed into him, told him he was a cheap-stake, unworthy, etc. Then she threw her wedding bouquet in his face and strutted away
the video went on to say that in addition to the bride's demands, the groom would also have been required to house and support her parents (and possibly his own, can't remember). All this stemmed from the one-child policy, said the video, which had in turn resulted in a scarcity of women -- which eventuated years later in unrealistic demands from the women of marriageable age. Most comments beneath the video were along the lines of, 'You had a lucky escape, mate'
In another video out of China, a very well-educated Chinese young woman filmed her attendance at a 'marriage mart', which we're told is a regular event in some places in China. She said her parents had continually nagged her to attend the marriage-market and finally, to please them, she'd attended and filmed some of it
she filmed herself sitting on a bench at the marriage market. Before her were copies of her 'credentials' including her education and career path. We in Australia would consider her a catch. One set of men's parents after another approached her and studied her credentials before inviting her to meet their son. She said she felt utterly humiliated but accepted the pragmatism of those who approached her -- they wanted their son to make a good match with a woman who'd be able to contribute financially in their son's life
she was an attractive young woman and she said she felt no need to marry as she could more than adequately provide for herself. Parental pressure pushed her to attend the function which was very well-attended by parents. Can't remember seeing any single men present although there might have been
but what does this say about the claim that Chinese despise democracy? Sure, in the West we promote romantic love as the driver towards marriage and children. But in the West also, many marriages fail due to financial hardships. And more than a few Western marriages are the result of the wish, by one or the other party, to benefit themselves financially, although this isn't often discussed in the western media
whereas in China there's an emphasis on education as a means to lift out of poverty. It's therefore natural that someone who's making good money and an improved lifestyle would want similar contribution from a prospective spouse
aren't the basic aims the same though -- a wish to improve lifestyle and prospects? Isn't that the reason millions of Chinese left their rural homes for the cities and the hopes of employment? Haven't many Chinese gone on strike when factories closed down? Aren't the proprietors of those factories required to provide monetary compensation for those forced into unemployment? Isn't there legislation in China which compels factory owners to financially compensate those who they've forced into unemployment -- same as in the west (democracy)? Isn't China repurposing many factories after their owners (Japanese for example) quit China?
Do we hear the truth about many aspects in China from western media? Is it as bad in China as we've been told, taking into account the massive Chinese population and regions?
|