Can it get any worse? Well sure it can, Japan also imports most of their food. On a calorie basis, the island nation accounts for less than 40% of their own food production.
Japan decided after the war that the old cliché “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” was sound advice and jumped square in the middle of unchecked capitalism. They adopted the buy now and pay later plan that seemed to be working so well for Americans. “Seemed to be” was the key phrase in the last sentence.
While the Japanese are said to have exceptional math skills, there is no sign of applying those skills to their long term economic plan. Yes, exactly like the U.S.
As if all the issues listed above are not problematic enough, Japan has a population problem. With 127 million folks crowded onto their formerly described islands…it isn’t enough; population that is.
Ya see, Japan decided to be as dumb as the U.S. and to put the bill on the tab for the kids to pay. Where they thought that they would put these kids, I have no idea, but it was in fact the plan. However, when the birthrate in Japan fell to 1.25 kids per couple, it busted up the game. The replacement team was dwindling.
In a nation where the lack of landmass, natural resources, and food were major problems, a shrinking population could seem to the moderately sane to be a good thing. But the sane seldom visit the nations of exponential growth capitalism, so let’s look at some of the possible fixes that are recommended to head off Japan’s demise.
You will probably be shocked to hear that growth has been suggested. Yes, encouraging women to have more babies is one solution; cash is being plied in this area as we speak (I’m not making this up).
Another grand idea is to loosen up on the immigration laws and allow a whole lot more foreign folks to join the party. That approach is certainly working well for the U.S of A.
Yet another sterling idea is to raise the age for retirement so that those old people can keep on working and paying those taxes. Of course none of these ideas will work, but then, neither will ours.
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