Chinese Values: the Tyranny of the Aunts

Oftentimes I wonder if Chinese society is valueless. Is there any morality at play or does anything go? I don't mean to criticise China, or at least criticising China is not my primary intent. It's just that Chinese society makes me wonder where America is heading.

I think it's wrong to claim Chinese society is valueless. Family loyalty is what the Chinese value above all else, and much of China's woes stem from this clannishness: corruption and gender imbalance certainly. Corruption because providing for one's parents trumps any obligation to the state. Geneder inbalance because only male offsprings can continue the family line.  

Sometimes it seems like this clannishness is weakening, but I'm uncertain; perhaps my impressions are seasonal. Chinese New Year's is February and I'm getting particularly strong clannish vibes.

In any case, I don't think China provides much of a glimpse into America's secular future. For some subgroups in America family loyalty is doubtless important. But none of those subgroups dominate America like the Han dominate China.  And the individual does seem to at more liberty in America than in China. Fukuyama talks about the Tyranny of Cousins. Of course this might be more aptly named the Tyranny of Aunts.

A cousin of my own has spent the last year and a half at Tokyo University studying in a Premed program of some kind. He has no interest in becoming a doctor. He does have an interest in biology. He had two choices: study agriculture or study premed. His aunts didn't like the idea of him "becoming a farmer"; so, he entered the premed program. If there had been a little more tyranny of the cousins, I would have told him to study agriculture. If China keeps on developing, the agriculture sector is going to consolidate. There will be lots of decent opportunities.

Instead he's spent the last year and a half being miserable, not that I care, and has gotten it into his head to study in Germany after he completes his course. And this, it seems, is his little act of rebellion. He's at last tired of the tyranny of the aunts. The trouble is he's not self-supporting. The aunts control the purse-strings. His mother has no assets xcept for him. Mother and Son are in debt to practically every family member with a cent to her name. In fine, he can't rebel for long.

Ping finds herself in a similar situation. She is studying for her masters. She's not sure what subject she really wants to study. Right now she's set on studying education,  but there's a lot of specialties. To pay for her education she relies on her mother. And her mother is fine with Ping studying for her Doctorate as long as this doesn't prevent her from having a family.

Of course Aunts still meddle, and cousins. Once a quarter a cousin calls Ping to remind her of duty to her parents. This isn't out of altruism. Ping's mother happens to sit on the largest pile of ready-cash. Whenever anyone in the clan has an idiotic scheme, the first person they try to fleece is her. They worry about the reserve being drained on Ping's education.