Bare Branches and national security

When a society prefers sons to daughters to the extent found in parts of contemporary Asia, it will not only have fewer daughters but also create a subclass of young men likely to have difficulty finding wives and beginning their own families. Because son preference has been a significant phenomenon in Asia for centuries, the Chinese actually have a term for such young men: guang gun-er or "bare branches" � branches of the family tree that will never bear fruit. The girls who should have grown up to be their wives were disposed of instead.. . .

Should the leaders of these nations be worried? The answer is yes. Throughout history, bare branches in East and South Asia have played a role in aggravating societal instability, violent crime and gang formation.

The authors warn of the effects on Indian and Chinese society of the use of prenatal testing and abortion of female children who are less valued by those societies than boys. Arab societies are similar in this respect. China and India are presently producing about 25% more boys than girls. If you wonder where future terrorists will come from, you might want to watch this demographic.