that’s whacked

China’s suicide crisis

Monday, Dec 6. 2004  –  Category: Musings

(saw this in Wired News’s Furthermore section, from Reuters)

Nine out of 10 Chinese calling into a suicide-prevention hotline in Beijing are getting a busy signal, the China Daily reported on Monday, adding that nationwide four people were killing themselves every minute. So far, more than 110,000 people had called in to the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center hotline since it was set up in Beijing last year, the paper said. It quoted an expert as saying poverty, unemployment, bereavement, breakdowns in relationships or legal and work-related problems were all causes of the country’s growing suicide rate.

Witness the affects of a country growing up faster than it (arguably) should. Poverty, unemployment, legal, and work-related problems are all direct consequences of a country who is rapidly joining the rush to “first-worldness” when the majority of it is still stuck in second or even third-worldness. Bereavement and relationship breakdowns can also be chalked up to indirect consequences of the same mentality as well.

I see China as being pulled in so many different directions, it’s confused about its own destiny. Parts of it are trying to be like traditional western powers (i.e.: Western Europe, or, god forbid, the US). Other parts of it are trying to maintain traditional Chinese culture/values. Still others are trying to pursue something akin to what Japan has: its own eclectic mix of traditional culture with a good dollop of western culture thrown in for good measure (geishas walking down busy Tokyo streets).

China, in a decade, is going to be more than just an amazing worldpower (it is already)…. it’s also going to be an amazing world influence. Once China starts figuring out how best to take the best parts of other worldpowers (Europe, Japan, the US), keep the best of what has made them the worldpower they are today, and keep a hold of their self identity (culture, values, etc.) - they will be an unstoppable power.

… in the meantime, they can start by improving their phoneline capacity.