The two most disturbing (rather than intriguing) points to me were the one child policy, and the 4-2-1 concept. I have never thought about the latter issue before reading this chapter. However, I was greatly disturbed that the most vulnerable people in the country were the ones taken advantage of and shown no mercy.
Pregnant mothers were forced to be invaded and have their children aborted. Personally, my first impression of China is/was a very serene and almost cold(?) culture. Well, no wonder, people have to go through so much trauma, degradation, and twisted traditions that are interpreted to be morals in this country. If this happened in America, both liberals AND conservatives would outbreak in an up-roar over this lack of rights: it would not be withstood. So, HOW is this possible within China? Is it the clinging to old ways? I seem not to think so, because I believe that a country can go down in smoke just as easily if they only embrace new ideas. I think the key is that there is no balance. There is no “middle ground,” but only devastating extremes.
As far as the elderly are concerned, why are they only getting the minimum of what they deserve? There are these young couples who are just starting out and trying to get on their feet (which, from both The Last Train Home and from reading this book, I know is even harder than it is to begin fresh in America), who are being forced into supporting the people that should be supporting them in hopes of reaching their new hopes and aspirations. This idea eludes me, and I feel that it needs to be changed in the very near future. Perhaps one of the reasons that this strikes a cord with me so deeply is because my sister is from this country, but either way, things need to start moving forward. . . in the right direction.
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