China will have more than 23 million men unable to find wives by 2020 because so many more boys are being born than girls, according to a study.
The widespread practice of aborting female foetuses is being blamed for creating a generation of bachelors who will pose increasing social problems, it says.
These men are known as "bare branches" because they will never bear fruit. History suggests that they will give rise to higher crime rates and political instability. Their number might encourage China to become more authoritarian or seek an outlet for their energies through war.
This is nothing new. Anyone who has watched China's apalling population policies knew that China would soon have a boisterous male population with no softening counter-force. Some speculate that the Chinese government knew this and welcomed the prospect. Such a fierce and untied male population would make military expansion easier to sell to its people: Topple a country, carry away a bride.
Can anyone point us to one good societal result of rampant birth control?
