Eugenics in China
by Tani Jantsang, Sun Dong-Sheng Jinan
Article on Eugenics, positive and negative, in Communist China - and it retains the "Creative Darwinism" like T.D. Lysenko. .
Popularizing the Knowledge of Eugenics and Advocating Optimal Births Vigorously
By Sun Dong-Sheng
Jinan ARMY INSTITUTE, PEOPLE'S REPUBOLIC OF CHINA
While striving to
control the growth of population in China, our nation's family planners have
simultaneously taken serious note of the importance eugenics represents as
a field of inquiry. Eugenics is currently being promoted in China. Although
literally it means "superior births," the essence of eugenics can
be found in the expression, "the birth of that which is better,"
that is to say, the birth of children whose prenatal characteristics are excellent.
Naturally, if one wishes to see that every family is able to produce healthy,
intelligent children, then it is necessary to study eugenics, to popularize
the knowledge of this field and to master its principles. 1. Eugenics is the
science of the ways in which the genetic constitution of man can be improved.
Eugenics is divided into two branches. The first of these is that which is
preventive in nature. This "subdivision" of eugenics seeks to carry
out research with the view of determining ways by which the birth of unhealthy
offspring in generations to come can be avoided. Its point of departure is
"disease" prevention. The second subdivision of eugenics is that
which is progressive in nature. In essence, its research efforts are undertaken
in an attempt to determine the means by which the birth of future generations
composed of outstanding genetic make-up can be brought about. Both subdivisions
of eugenics are devoted to the improvement of man's hereditary nature. The
field of eugenics is therefore the science of improving the inherited character
of man.
A. Eugenics, its origins and development. Eugenics was first brought into
being by the English biologist and anthropologist, Francis Galton. Some 100
years have now passed since its inception. While observing the phenomena of
biological inheritance during the 1870's, Galton discovered that many of man's
diseases were transmitted to later generations. At the same time, he noted
that the positive physical and mental attributes of husband and wife would
be inherited by their offspring, male or female. In view of this observation,
Galton advanced the doctrine which postulated that selective marriages could
improve the human species by weeding out those marriages characterized by
the poor qualities of their participants and fostering the increase of those
having excellent characteristics. In 1883, he christened this doctrine eugenics.
The American, Curt Stem, brought eugenics into its modern form by subdividing
its general field of inquiry into the aforementioned branches in 1960.(1)
Historically, the development of eugenics has passed through a circuitous
route indeed. In the 1930's, eugenics provided proponents of both fascism
and racism with a splendid opportunity. Unabashedly, eugenics was co-opted
to promote racism. Hitler openly proclaimed that the Aryan race possessed
the finest genetic qualities. while encouraging marriages between members
of the Aryan race, the Nazi leader oversaw the condemnation of hundreds of
thousands of Jews and Gypsies to the concentration camps where mass exterminations
were carried out. These genocidal acts gave rise to worldwide opposition and
condemnation. Misunderstandings arose and eugenics was, perforce, viewed as
a science which at heart served only the goals of racial discrimination. Eugenics
thus became a forbidden field in the minds of many people and remained so
for a long time. In addition to the above-described social history of eugenics,
specialists in the field came to look at questions from a purely biological
standpoint; undue emphasis was placed on the biological nature of man, and
factors pertaining to his social nature were generally overlooked. This was
particularly true with regard to questions concerning the inheritance of intelligence.
Eugenics was to fall into a quagmire because I.Q. was taken as the only standard
of intelligence. In actuality, the intelligence of man is the result of the
interaction of prenatal-genetic and postnatal-social factors. By relying solely
on intelligence tests, it is exceedingly difficult to determine the extent
to which both genetic and social influences, as well as the role of the individual,
contribute to the aggregate result we call intelligence.(2) Due to the above
noted reasons, not an inconsiderable number of people came to lose confidence
in the scientific nature of eugenics and, as a result, much time was to pass
without further questions being raised about it in China. In recent years,
however, the requirements of modem science, technology and production and
the speed with which their development has taken place have resulted in increasing
societal demands for a population with attributes of a high quality. Moreover,
at the same time both the number and kinds of genetic diseases have been multiplying.
This situation has led to eugenics being placed more distinctly in front of
peoples from diverse nations. China is in this respect no exception, and the
PRC has once again begun to regard this field with serious concern. Our country
is increasing its research efforts in this field and popularizing its findings.
B. The theoretical basis for eugenics is genetics. So as to form a clear and
definite picture of this theoretical basis, it is necessary, first, to examine
briefly genetics as a separate field. To begin, we can divide genetics into
two general parts. a) Heredity. For example, the daughter of the Zhang family
resembles her mother. The son of the Li family looks like his father, while
the grandson of this family resembles his paternal grandfather and a nephew
looks like his uncle, etc. All of these are examples of genetic phenomena.
The philosopher Wang Ting-Xiang of the Sung dynasty once noted that if an
individual did not resemble his father, then he would look like his mother.
Subsequent generations would surely have both the physique as well as the
facial appearance of their ancestors. The father of evolutionary theory, Charles
Darwin, also noted that children inevitably display certain characteristics
derived from both parents and their ancestors further back. The process of
transmitting this kind of biological constitution and physiological function
among organisms from generation to generation is thus what is known as heredity.
b) Variation. Whether we speak of the daughter of the Zhang family or the
son of the Li family, there will always be characteristics which do not resemble
either those of the mother or those of the father. A colloquial expression
holds that "a woman who gives birth to 9 children, the 10 of them will
still all be different." Even if the birth of twins comes to pass, there
will also be differences between them.(3) This phenomenon is what is called
variation. Genetics is thus a science which studies the laws of heredity and
variation. Yet one might ask why eugenics would take genetics as its theoretical
foundation. The answer to this question lies in the fact that the multiplicity
of man has been brought about by the processes of heredity and variation.
From the gibbon, to tailless ape, to contemporary man, variation has been
a condition of evolution; without variation in living organisms, evolution
and the rise of modern man would not have come to pass. The human species
has traversed one hundred centuries and one thousand generations.(4) That
man is still man is the consequence of heredity. Had there been no heredity,
but only variation, mankind early onwards would have evolved into a very different
form. However it is necessary to come to terms with the fact that the genes
transmit both beneficial and harmful qualities to subsequent generations.
Variation can eliminate the undesirable aspects of man's natural constitution,
and it can likewise cause an increase in harmful qualities experienced generations
later. In light of this, we must learn the laws of both heredity and variation.
In so doing, we will be able to develop those factors which are beneficial
to mankind. By fostering the growth of those attributes which are inherently
good, and eliminating those features which are decidedly bad, populations
could thus increase gradually in number and quality, and the consequences
of eugenics could see fruition. From this overall standpoint, it is not difficult
to see that genetics serves as the theoretical foundation of eugenics. Some
claim, however, that the co- option of genetics as the research foundation
from which to conduct studies in eugenics implies a strictly hereditarian
view of man. This view is erroneous. Eugenics in fact emphasizes the cardinal
functions which both the objective environment and subjective forces play
in man's health and development. It must be borne in mind, furthermore, that
our genetic foundation underpins intelligence, physical strength, life span,
and other aspects of human health. The outstanding gifts of talented individuals
are a joint function of both constitutional and post-natal factors. Our genetic
foundation determines the possibility of becoming gifted, while the social
environment and subjective forces inherent in one's post-natal conditions
are the subsequent decisive factors which determine whether or not the potential
for such a gift can be realized. With the view of increasing the possibilities
for man to become more gifted, the results of eugenic research are directed
toward more fully providing for that end. With genetics as its basis, the
field of eugenics is established on an objective, materialistic foundation.
In view of this, eugenics can hardly be considered as strictly hereditarian
and should be viewed simply in a materialistic vein. At the present time,
genetics has established that the material foundation of both heredity and
variation is the gene. It is well known that the cell constitutes the most
basic unit of the human body. The basic structure of the cell includes the
membrane, the cytoplasm, and the nucleus. The nucleus of the cell is itself
composed of various structures and component parts. Among these are the chromosomes,
which control heredity and variation. The chromosomes are a group of clava
of various sizes. Only at the time when the cell divides can we observe chromosomes
under a powerful microscope. Their most important component is a kind of molecular
substance, deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. Heredity's smallest, most basic
unit is the gene. While the messengers of inheritance are genes, the chromosome
is the storehouse of the gene. The gene is the smallest molecular component
of DNA. Within its internal alkali lies the sequential order which contains
the genetic code. The messages of inheritance are passed through these genetic
codes on to later generations. This system is somewhat similar to the messages
sent by coded telegrams from one party to another. Actually, without the gene,
inheritance of traits would be impossible. In sum, the material foundation
for both heredity and variation lies in the gene. Because every chromosome
has countless numbers of genes, the impact of a chromosome abnormality on
descendants is significantly greater than that of a gene abnormality. There
are 23 pairs of chromosomes in the normal cell. Twenty-two pairs are regular
chromosomes common to both males and females However, one pair is that which
determines the sex of the individual. For males and females they are different.
We use symbols to express the nature of the sex chromosome. The male sex chromosome
is labeled Y, while that of the female is known as X. The number of chromosomes
in the human cell nucleus is permanently fixed. If it were otherwise, an abnormality
would appear. For example, if a human being were to have more than two #21
chromosomes, a deformity would occur. Congenital dementia would be one manifestation,
for instance. A woman having one less X chromosome would suffer from glandular
hypoplasia, manifesting itself as dwarfism, insufficient development, etc.
Hereditary diseases which result from changes in the number and construction
of chromosomes are called chromosome abnormalities. Such abnormalities can
come from either side, male or female, and can also originate from both sides
at the same time. With regard to marriage and reproduction, we must carefully
consider genetic factors; this is because genetic diseases transmitted to
offspring are intimately related to the heredity of their mother and father,
and to that of their forefathers as well. With respect to mental disorders,
for example, one per cent of a population develops schizophrenia. Should either
parent be so afflicted, the rate of schizophrenic illness for later generations
reaches some 12%. Should both parents be diagnosed as schizophrenic, the rate
of illness for subsequent generations climbs to a high of 39%.(5) According
to an investigation of one clan where a certain individual suffered from a
mental disorder, out of 6 generations of directly related and collaterally
related individuals comprising 73 members, 25 were afflicted with mental disease,
or 34.2%. The closer the tie of blood, the greater the possibility of affliction.
This makes it abundantly clear that the factors of heredity must be carefully
considered when questions of marriage and reproduction are under consideration.
One must know, for example, whether either of the marriage partners has genetic
ailments or a family history of hereditary disease. Those suffering from such
critical illnesses as, for example, leprosy or nervous disorders, should not
marry. Individuals afflicted with, for example, acute infectious diseases,
tuberculosis, and serious heart, liver, or kidney ailments, should refrain
from marriage pending treatment and cure. Still other individuals with ailments
may marry but should not procreate. Those allowed to have children should
pay special attention to the physician's instructions during pregnancy. They
should undergo a prenatal diagnosis to prevent an abnormal birth. It is especially
important to point out how inappropriate marriages are which take place between
relatives, i.e., marriages between siblings - brothers and sisters - as well
as marriages between collateral relatives within the third degree of consanguinity
(that is, marriages between first cousins and between uncles and nieces).(6)
According to statistics, the incidence of congenital and genetic disease among
the issue of marriages consummated between relatives was some 150 times that
among offspring of unrelated individuals. The death rate of the offspring
of closely related parents was more than three times that of offspring of
unrelated parents. What accounts for such statistics? Genetics has shown that
the chromosomes within the nucleus of the cell are the sites of the genes
of heredity. Half of these are passed down from the father, with the remaining
half from the mother. When both mother and father possess the same harmful
genes, and these genes are mixed together, an unhealthy infant will be the
result. Within the normal cell exists at least 50,000 genes; there are already
some 2,600 kinds of genetic diseases and some 300 types of chromosome diseases
known to man. Every person has individual genes which are harmful. However,
under conditions where marriage partners are not closely related, it is exceedingly
unlikely for both sides to have the same pernicious genes. Should one side
possess one or many destructive genes, it is not necessarily the case that
the corresponding gene of the other side shares the same defect. If they marry,
the defective gene of the one side will be subsumed by the normal gene of
the other side, and the infant will still be healthy. Marriages between close
relatives are quite different, however. As they share a common ancestry, the
opportunities for receiving similar defective genes are significantly greater.
For example, surprisingly 1/8 of the genes in first cousins are the same;
1/32 of the genes in second cousins are held in common. Should these individuals
marry each other, it would be much easier for a match of defective genes to
take place than would be the case normal; the birth of an unhealthy or abnormal
child would be the likely result. A popular saying during China's "Warring
States Period" held that the child of a man and woman having the same
last name would not thrive. In recent years, genetic specialists have calculated
that the complete prohibition of cousin marriages would result in a 20% drop
in the rate of births of infants who are congenitally deaf mutes. It would
also cause a decline of some 15% in the rate of infants born afflicted with
adolescent amaurotic idiocy. As can readily be seen, the prohibition against
marriages between close relatives is in keeping with the tenets of eugenics.
The above makes obvious that eugenics possesses considerable significance
for mankind. In striving to produce better offspring, a significant number
of countries are promulgating eugenic rules and regulations explicitly prohibiting
marriages between close relatives as well as marriages between and reproduction
by people suffering from genetic and other disorders.(7) China's new marriage
law also includes eugenic provisions. Marriages between people directly or
collaterally related within three generations are expressly prohibited. Persons
who are afflicted with leprosy and who have not received treatment and been
cured, as well as with other illnesses the nature of which is deemed by medical
professors to make marriage inadvisable for those so afflicted, will be prohibited
from wedlock. But these measures are still inadequate. As eugenic research
becomes widespread and acquires depth, the legal code of China will include
more regulations concerning the ways by which the idea of healthier offspring
can be given reality.
II. Eugenics: preventive and progressive methods by which healthier offspring
can be achieved. A. Measures which are preventive in character. Genetic consultation.
Physicians or specialists who advise persons suffering from hereditary illness,
as well as their family members, are providing what is called genetic consultation.
Individuals with normal health do not ordinarily seek genetic consultation.
However, where any of the following 8 conditions obtain, they should do so:
1. persons who have given birth to children with genetic diseases or congenital
malformation, e.g., infants diagnosed as having congenital dementia, cerebrum
hypoplasia, congenital heart disease, and ailments of the spinal column; 2.
a history of hereditary illness in one's family, or the birth of abnormal
children among persons directly or collaterally related; 3. marriages between
close relatives; 4. pregnancies after the age of 35; 5. exposure to chemical
or radioactive substances, or having had a viral infection, during the period
between the first four and seven weeks of pregnancy; 6. pregnant women with
hyperthyroidism, diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, or related medical syndromes;
7. pregnant women suffering from excess amniotic fluid; 8. indications of
amenorrhoea or repeated miscarriages. On the basis of a detailed history of
illnesses experienced by both male and female sides, and after considering
the genealogy of the subject, his or her physical examination and the results
of laboratory tests, the physician may determine whether the offspring could
suffer from hereditary illness and make a final judgment on the probability
of its occurrence. If the danger is relatively small, then, on the basis of
the overall situation, the physician can determine if the pregnancy should
be allowed to continue to term. On the other hand, should the danger be comparatively
great, it would be better to have an abortion. This will prevent the birth
of a defective child. B. Prenatal Diagnosis. Diagnoses carried out with respect
to the existence of genetic illness or congenital abnormality in the fetus
is called prenatal diagnosis. There are many specific procedures. For example,
laboratory tests of the mother's blood or urine may determine whether or not
the fetus has infant haemolysis or prenatal metabolic illness; by carrying
out an amnion puncture, that is, by extracting a small amount of amniotic
fluid from the mother's uterus, an examination can indicate whether the fetus
suffers from chromosome variation or some other genetic and congenital disease.
Prenatal diagnosis is not needed for all pregnant women. What is important
is that women undergo the aforementioned genetic inquiry and consultation..
Should the physician feel that this kind of examination is in the best interests
of everyone involved, then a prenatal diagnosis will be made. Prenatal diagnosis
and genetic consultation are, as a consequence, often done at the same time.
C. Precautionary measures against the effects of harmful environmental agents.
Many genetic illnesses as well as deformed children are not the result of
hereditary factors. Instead, they are the consequences of parental exposure
to harmful environmental agents. Among the most harmful of influences in the
environment are radiation, pathogenic bacteria, and chemical products. Individually
these agents are able to induce abnormalities; they can introduce into the
human body, offspring, and the genes themselves, carcinogens; they can cause
mutations. It has been discovered that among all the persons born with congenital
defects, some 20% have resulted from exposure to various kinds of environmental
substances capable of inducing change. Approximately 60% of all cases are
due to both genetic factors and exposure to a damaging environment. High blood
pressure and malignant tumors are examples of the latter. In light of the
above, we should take preventive measures so as to guard against the danger
of such substances. As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, we must endeavor
to take extra precautionary measures in this regard. For instance, one must
not come into contact with poisons or be exposed to radiation. One must guard
against such infectious diseases as urticaria and influenza. One must not
abuse medicines. Hormones, sulphanilamide (SN), tetracyclines and streptomycin
all can cause damage to the cranial nerve or other abnormalities in the fetus.
The physician's directions concerning the use of medicines must be strictly
followed. Furthermore, both smoking and drinking should be avoided. For the
pregnan woman who smokes and drinks, a miscarriage, an abnormal fetus, or
the development of congenital heart disease, is not unlikely. Lest we should
forget, both the mother and the fetus are affected similarly by the smoking
of the husband. Drinking can lead to poor growth and development of the offspring.
Excessive drinking by a pregnant woman can give rise to fetus alcoholism syndrome
manifesting itself in the formation of obstructions in the central nervous
system and the emergence of many kinds of abnormalities. In the past few decades,
the incidence of congenital illnesses and abnormal births has increased steadily
year by year.(8) One of the principal reasons for this trend is the growing
seriousness of environmental pollution. Many of the mutations in the genes
resulting from polluted substances are recessive or latent in nature. They
require generations to accumulate before becoming manifest. Because of this,
in light of the long-term benefits to be derived by all of the peoples and
all of mankind, the work of maintaining an ecological balance and safeguarding
the environment is absolutely imperative.(9) D. Measures to enhance the birth
of healthier offspring. Controlling individual development. The process by
which the fertilized egg develops from the embryonic state to an infant is
known as individual, or specific, development. Controlling individual development
means being able to improve the living environment during the course of embryonic
and infant development in order that those factors making for better health
can have a fuller, more complete impact on the development of the fetus and
infant. For example, during the period of embryonic growth, if one were to
employ such means as were available to cause a spurt in brain cell multiplication
and reproduction, or if within six months of a birth, when the cells of the
brain are still multiplying and reproducing, one were to furnish substances
containing great amounts of proteins and nucleic acid, the intellectual development
of infants might be further enhanced. E. Genetic Engineering. Genetic engineering
refers to the artificial techniques of assembling genes; it is also known
as a technique for reorganizing DNA. At the present time there are many methods
with which to prevent and treat genetic illnesses. However, none of these
procedures is able to root out a hereditary illness at its source; they are
only able to effect cures for the individual afflicted. These diseases thus
reappear in later generations. If one desires to eradicate a genetic defect,
the ideal method would be to repair or replace either the gene or the chromosome.
The use of such procedures effects a permanent cure, and this is what is known
as genetic engineering. While still at the exploratory stage, genetic engineering
has created a tempest of controversy. However it should be borne in mind that
the prospects for genetic engineering to effect a final cure for hereditary
illness as well as to make possible the birth of healthier infants are very
bright indeed.
III. Promoting the births of superior children, pushing family planning, and
quickening the pace of socialist modernization. At the present time, over
3000 types of genetic diseases are known in the world. Between one and three
per cent of human kind suffer from various kinds of hereditary illnesses,
while between four and five per cent of newborns are afflicted with genetic
diseases. Many of these genetic illnesses are congenital or hereditary in
nature, and are extremely dangerous to mankind. On the basis of incomplete
statistics, it has been estimated that there are at least 1,200,000 Chinese
in the PRC who suffer from congenital dementia. Their number could be more
than 3 million. The living and medical expenses incurred for each person in
the course of growing up are at least 5,000 yuan. When this figure is multiplied
by 1.2 million, the expenditures made on behalf of these individuals add up
to at least 5.5 billion yuan. Assuming a monthly grain ration of 25 catties
(10), they consume some 360 million catties of food grains a year. China is
a poor country. Having to make so large an expenditure to feed and provide
medical care for those who suffer from the above disease and who, as a result,
can contribute nothing to society, is an extra burden for our socialist construction
to bear. To cite examples of genetic diseases which are area specific, there
are mountainous regions and even individual flatland areas in China where
a great many of the occupants suffer from cretinism. Though they consume food
and produce children, these deaf mutes are unable to engage in any productive
labor at all. According to one estimate, some 2 million people suffer from
this illness in China. In some areas, the incidence reaches as high as 2-4%
of the population, while in specific production brigades the rate can exceed
10%. In these areas, it is exceedingly difficult to increase production and
to implement birth control. Taken together, these problems represent a significant
burden on our country. Currently, the incidence of schizophrenia is approximately
0.2%.(11) There are currently about 2 million schizophrenics in our country,
and their number is increasing. On the basis of statistics obtained in 1979,
there are no less than 4 to 5 million retarded children in China. However,
among the newborn, the proportion of abnormal children is still greater, accounting
for roughly 2% of all births. If one were to group together all of the children
who suffer from various kinds of birth defects, a figure of more than 10 million
would be obtained. This number does not include children who will develop
these kinds of problems later in life. Much parental anguish is caused by
these children; they are unable to do anything useful; they are a financial
and mental burden on their parents; and they pose an increasing burden on
our country. It can be seen that socialist modernization urgently needs a
reduction or elimination of genetic diseases and hereditary defects. Only
by promoting the births of better offspring can we improve the genetic quality
of our population, reduce or eliminate a variety of genetic diseases, and
thereby lessen the burdens imposed on both family and nation. Therefore, to
promote eugenics is to secure immeasurable advantages with no harmful consequences.
Such a course of action would carry much significance for the speed at which
socialist modernization can proceed. Eugenics can also play a considerable
role in controlling population growth. If a couple gives birth to a disabled
or retarded child, they will invariably want to have a second child. As a
result, the proportion of our population which is of poor quality increases
as does the overall birth rate. Naturally, this does nothing for the quality
of our people and lies at cross-purposes with our will to decrease the population
of the PRC. If we promote eugenics and make it possible for every couple to
have a child with superior physical and intellectual attributes, there will
be no need for the mother and father to worry about the health of their descendants.
This would also facilitate the control of population growth. In a word, to
promote eugenics is to advance family planning. It is also to hasten the realization
of the four modernization's. It is in accord with the fundamental interests
of all levels of our society: nation, collective, family and individual. It
is our earnest hope that eugenics should not be construed as a purely expedient
measure, but rather as a long-term mission, which concerns the long-term prosperity
of the Chinese race in the centuries ahead. Each one of us, especially the
members of the CCP (12) and the Communist Youth League, must bravely endeavor
to destroy and eliminate outdated concepts, actively study and propagate the
knowledge of eugenics, and bring about the birth of healthier, superior children.
By so doing, we will be able to furnish the high quality builders required
for the realization of the four modernizations. (End of translation of an
article by Sun Dong-Sheng, Jinan Army Institute, People's Republic of China)
Translators' Notes: (1) Translators' note: See Curt Stem, Principles of Human
Genetics, 2nd edition, San Francisco: W.H. Freeman, 1960. (2) Translators'
note: It is obvious from these remarks that the author considers I.Q. to measure
only the genotypic component of phenotypic intelligence. This view would find
no support among psychologists in the West. (Lysenkoists would agree with
it: deprive a high IQ baby of sensory input and it will be unable to learn
even simple language easily). (3) Translators' note: The author here obviously
refers to fraternal rather than identical twins. The latter, of course, are
genetically identical. (Wrong: thermograms of monozygotic twins show their
differences. I.e., some animals might be able to tell them apart, as might
some blind people!) (4) Translators' note: Literally, of course, this is in
error, as anthropological evidence indicates that the species, Homo sapiens,
emerged 250,000 - 100,000 years ago. It is possible that the author refers
here to the Neolithic period forward, which began circa 10,000 BC and during
which the Chinese nation itself emerged. (In Lysenko terminology, you are
born an H.sapien animal; it is society that makes you into a human.) (It is
also possible that the author is being rhetorical, i.e., "the human species
CAN be around so long, so many generations, yet man is still man.) (5) Translators'
note: These seem to be the standard statistics for the incidence of schizophrenia
for the human population as a whole (see Eugene Garfield, "What do we
know about the group of mental disorders called schizophrenia? Part 1: Etiology,"
Current Contents 15 (25) 1983:5-13). The author, however, reports a substantially
lower incidence for the Chinese population alone (see note 8 below). (6) Translators'
note: The 1980 Marriage Law in China prohibits marriages between collateral
relatives within three generations (see below and also Y. Tien, "China:
Demographic billionaire," Population Bulletin 38 (2), p. 25). Such marriages
would be, in the main, first cousin marriages, which are naturally more common
in a village-based economy, such as China's, than in urban-based economies,
such as those in the West. This, and the following paragraph, make the now
standard argument for forbidding first cousin marriages, which is essentially
to point to the statistics on inbreeding depression. But one should note here,
as the author does not, that while it is true that defective phenotypes in
the next generation will decrease if inbreeding is prohibited, it is also
true that the frequency of deleterious recessive genes will increase. "As
population structure changes from small isolated villages to large panmictic
nations there will be a considerable increase in deleterious recessives."
(p. 318, F. Livingston, "Cultural causes of genetic change," in
G. Barlow and J. Silverberg, Eds., Sociobiology: Beyond Nature/Nurture?, Boulder,
Colorado: Westview Press, 1980, pp. 307-329). inbreeding, in effect, makes
possible the identification and elimination of deleterious recessive mutants
and thereby acts to check the increase in the "genetic load" of
a population. It is not without irony here that Charles Darwin himself married
his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood. (7) Translators' note: These countries are
not named by the author. (8) Translators' note: There are reports of a similar
phenomenon in the United States. See Richard Lyons, "Physical and Mental
Disabilities in Newborns Doubled in 25 Years," New York Times, July 18,
1983, pp. 1, IO. (9) Translators' note: Some idea of how far environmental
pollution has gone in China may be gotten from Vaclar Smil, "Environmental
degradation in China," Asian Survey 20 1980:777-788. (10) Translators'
note: One catty @ .60 kilogram. (11) Translators' note: This is apparently
the incidence for the Chinese population alone (see note 5 above). (12) Translators'
note: CCP - The Chinese Communist Party.
Note: No one with the me-first-ism Western attitude, no one too focused on
individual-ism and selfishness, could possibly "make it" in such
a society. Western people feel that it's a human right to have a child, they
are even outraged at the forced abortions. Socialism can't work if it's only
for the "some" and not for all. Who is going to care for, say, all
those children born with brain damage and other damage due to crack cocain?
What is going to happen when those babies grow up, babies now kept alive on
the public dole while healthy people can't afford a doctor if they get the
flu or a sore throat? WHO is going to pay for them and what are they going
to become in the society? Monsters? Socialism, and what can be done under
Socialism, is the NEXT progressive step in the evolution of man. The consciousness
or the life-paradigms of humanity have to first be changed in order for Socialist
Construction to really take shape. People have to start to THINK collectively
and more cooperatively and less selfishly. Einstein agreed. The Chinese are
not "going to do" this, they HAVE BEEN doing it. All one need to
do, the next time a phony leftist comes along, is show them what real Communists
are like.
Copyright 1995-2003 Tani Jantsang, Sun Dong-Sheng Jinan Visit: Satanic Reds
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