January 10, 2005, More Perspective
This brief visit to the People's Daily tells us of the arrival of the 1.3 billionth Chinese citizen. China regards this as a success insofar as they managed to put off this day (thanks to brutally repressive family planning measures) for over four years (the target date for this number was the end of the 20th century). Well, one massive, now mobilized labor force, all working for low wages, and kicking our ass, while acquiring claims against our assets.
What can you say. A scary number. Obviously, it could be a lot more, if the family planning measures were lifted (of course, the 1.8 per family fertility rate rivals that of, say, Western European industrial democracies... albeit, for different reasons). Still, over a billion more people than we have, and now, they are literally competing for our jobs, and eventually, for the world's scarce resources (eventually, meaning, right about now...)
Just some perspective as we foolishly squander our national wealth, security and moral authority in a misguided (and hopelessly FUBAR'ed) quest to avenge the loss of a mere 3 thousand people (and take our violent revenge out on people who had nothing to do with it, of course).