Sometimes the important stories are hiding down in the proverbial weeds, being crowded out by the latest nine-day wonder. For example a story in Channel News Asia (Singapore) about the "shidu" families in China. Hat tip to Lucianne.com for the link.
It raises the plight of families who, because of government policy, had only one child and whose child subsequently died when it was too late for the family to have a replacement. In the huge population of the PRC, there are a million such families.
The story strongly implies support in old age by one's children is China's primary means of financial and emotional care for the elderly. These families are eligible for some kind of stipend from the state as a result of their childlessness.
So far, the story is merely a curiosity, how another culture arranges for the support of its elderly. What can be read between the lines is that the enormous PLA or People's Liberation Army is something of a paper tiger, made up of only children, only sons.
What good is an army if you cannot send it to fight, where thousands will die and thus thousands of families will be left childless? Going to war inevitably means getting one's own soldiers killed. Any society will fight back if attacked, but going "on the attack," or initiating hostilities to pursue some national aim is another matter.
An army of only children in a society so organized is unlikely to do much offense, instead be mostly for defense. Honestly, I don't think the PRC wants us to know that.
