From 1959 to 1961, the Chinese people were decimated, not by a virus, but by a devastating famine. The death toll, concealed by the Communist government at the time, is still a matter of debate. The consensus however is that at least 30 million people died, though some take it as high as 50 MILLION. The death toll is staggering, greater than all the people killed in World War I. The root cause of the Great Chinese Famine remains a taboo subject in China even 60 years later.
Well, that explains why our mother used to say, “Eat your dinner, there are children starving in China.”
Sad but true.
My mother used to say, ‘children are starving in India,’ but same intent.