Biden Says He's Not 'Second-Guessing' China's One-Child Rule

Published August 23, 2011

Vice President Biden is facing criticism after telling a crowd in China that he doesn't have a problem with the country's one-child policy.

The vice president addressed the policy while answering a question about the U.S. budget deficit at a university in Chengdu on Sunday. He was trying to explain how China has a looming entitlement crisis on its hands because its strict enforcement of the one-child-per-family rule has essentially eroded the "safety net" for seniors. Fewer children means fewer people earning money and supporting retirees.

But in explaining that concept, Biden appeared to condone China's policy.

"You have no safety net. Your policy has been one which I fully understand -- I'm not second-guessing -- of one child per family," Biden said, according to the official transcript of the event. "The result being that you're in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people. Not sustainable."

Conservative groups, and at least one GOP presidential candidate, slammed the vice president for the remark.

"Really, Mr. Vice President? You're not second-guessing a policy that has resulted in untold numbers of forced abortions, forced sterilizations, outrageous fines or even jail time for families that dare to defy the law, and a gender imbalance crisis?" the Susan B. Anthony List said on its blog.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, called China's policy "gruesome and barbaric" and questioned how Biden could have given it a pass.

"Vice President Biden's acquiescence to such a policy should shock the conscience of every American. Instead of condoning the policy, Vice President Biden should have condemned it in the strongest possible terms," he said in a statement.

Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, said in a written statement that Biden's comment "crosses the lines of ignorant and wrong."

China introduced the policy three decades ago to help curb population growth. It does not apply to those in rural areas, but families living in cities can be subjected to stiff fines for breaking the rule. The policy has also resulted in families choosing to have male children more frequently than female children.



Film at 11.... 🤦

The real issue is did he convince them to loan the USA more money without demanding Taiwan as additional collateral.

Biden actually went a pretty long time without saying something really stupid. He was due.

It's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's turn next.

🤔
I wonder if he has as much money as Romney..?

he rides the subway. romney owns the subway.

I wasn't sure if Biden was even still alive until reading this...and the other claim when he called the tea-party "terrorists." It's good to see Joe's still alive and chewing on the shoe leather.

Ever notice that Forrest Gump...Karl Childers and Joe Biden are NEVER in the same room at the same time?:-k

🤔 🤔

🤔 🤔 🤔

Momma always told me...all it needs is a lil' gas in it...3 letter word...J-O-B-S.


](*,)

Life is like a box-o-chocolates...you gotta keep poking your finger around until you find the cream [filled].

Uhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm....we was like peas and carrots...there's no way we're losing our AAA rating!

I'm betting that doesn't happen again..... sounds like they canned the S&P guy... 😟

Ummm....it happens...I like those french fried taters...Stand Up, Chuck. Let 'Em See Ya!

I wouldn't bet on these guys...with any amount of money.

Funny thing is the stock market tanked after the downgrade and people dumped money into treasuries which actually lowered our interest rate.

Counter-intuitive!


S&P did what they had to do.......protect the creditors/lenders.

Funny how so many Americans are against welfare moms having more kids, but are also against China's policy regarding procreation.

Let's not forget: it's not the policy itself that is evil. It's how the citizens in China choose to abide by it.
Nobody is forcing them to kill all the female babies. That is their sick and demented choice.

The government in China is simply trying to address the population issue in a proactive manner.
Certainly not the solution I would have supported, but we only hate it because of the aforementioned hideous examples of warped conformity. If they all behaved nice and simply stopped at the predefined one-child maximum, we'd be applauding them.

One question:
What about twins, triplets, etc?

Or Siamese twins?
I'd hate to have to choose which half of my newly born co-joined twins were allowed to live...

food for wolves.... 😞

Remember, Tuesday is Soylent Green day!

Seems to me that Bidden was telling them they have one of the the same looming crisis the U.S. has. Glad to know we are not in this alone, huh?

Really ?

what planet are you from ?

China is one bad year away from Mass Starvation.
The China we see on TV (Beijing) is not the real china.

WTF does that have to do with my comment or this thread?