End of the World Update Part 2 - China

More than 50,000 are missing or dead in the China earthquake.

So, what's going on in Asia? The combined total of deaths in the earthquake and the Myanmar cyclone is large enough to offset the global population growth for an entire day. That's a lot of people.

And China? China is, in many respects, our economic and political equal. They are considered by many to be a superpower and, having already established their global economic influence, are rapidly growing and flexing their military to project the political power. If the 20th century was the American century, all signs indicate we are living in the naissance of the "China Century."

And yet, when an earthquake strikes their less-developed regions, more than 50,000 perish. Why is that? Why is it that their schools are among the more poorly-constructed buildings? Place a similar earthquake anywhere within the United States, Japan, or any other developed nation, and I guarantee less casualties.

Human rights, and the requisite concern for human life, is not the priority it should be in China. In a recent article in a fire protection magazine (I know, I gotta get a life), the fire protection engineer for the "Water Cube" Olympic pool in Beijing, currently under construction, boasted that the new building would indeed meet all national fire codes, employing creative engineering strategies that minimally satisfied the technical parameters of the code. In other words, rather than sacrifice open spaces and "unique" bubble-like construction material (that emits less-than-pleasant fumes when burned), the engineers chose to squeeze by on code compliance. They met the letter of the law, but definitely not the spirit. Not a facility I will be occupying. Ever.

A global superpower with a questionable human rights record is, frankly, rather terrifying. Imagine if Stalin controlled Russia at the height of the Cold War. A national sense of self-preservation is the key controlling factor in any strategic conflict. A country with less concern for the lives of enemy noncombatants, and, ultimately, its own citizens, will be willing to risk more and to accept greater casualties. A country with such an attitude toward human rights can always win through attrition, assuming the adversary is less than or equal in size. At 1 billion strong, China has a significant advantage.