Japanese Economic Policy puts U.S. to Shame?

[mumedina]

It has to do with japanese culture. Japan is one the most egalitarian countries in the world. Sure they have problems (mostly a stagnant/deflationary economy), but in comparison to our economy, they are overall more stable...well given how globalized the world's economies are, they are also feeling the current downturn. Let us not also forget we are borrowing billions from japan just to keep our economy afloat.

 

[Hacp]

I don't get why everyone emphasizes aging population. The only downside to an aging population in modern times is health care costs. It is 2009! We have machines that do many of the manual backbreaking jobs for us.

 

[Dari]

Because Japanese companies have 1000 year outlooks?

Fixed.

 

[Dari]

Seriously, that as always amazed me. If we're driving toward the cliff of fiscal disaster, they're miles ahead of us on the bullet train, heading off the same cliff. How much longer can they float that sort of debt?!?! It's just stunning.

Not really. They owe that money to themselves, unlike us...

 

[StageLeft]

Look, the US is not being managed well but the agenda of the guy writing this article is fvcking rude.

Facts like average japanese having higher salary? Great, how much do cars and houses cost? What's their national debt?

Comparisons between here and Japan like legendkiller made are important, especially since the US is flirting with the same thing, but in this game Japan is ahead and it's not one you want to be ahead of (namely, economy running on zombie banks and life support from the government interminably).

Part (not sure how substantive) of the reason Japan's unemployment is low is because they have jobs like elevator button presser. These are basically make-work because Japanese are ok with a person doing a completely shameful (to me) job that there is on need for, so a guy will stand in the elevator and be paid to press buttons on others' behalf.

Ultimately you need to look at the grand scheme. What are the living standards and future looking like for a person in Japan vs US?

I will acknowledge they seem to have done well for an island lacking in much inherent resources.

I don't get why everyone emphasizes aging population. The only downside to an aging population in modern times is health care costs. It is 2009! We have machines that do many of the manual backbreaking jobs for us.

You realize healthcare costs are freaking huge, right? Also as people age they are no longer adding to the economy via productivity but only through consumption.

 

[halik]

Because the effects of the nuclear bombs, while initially killing tens of thousands, ultimately created two generations later a race of superior beings with mental and physical attributes heretofore unknown on this planet.

duh.

You can't hug your children with nuclear arms.

 

[Hacp]

You realize healthcare costs are freaking huge, right? Also as people age they are no longer adding to the economy via productivity but only through consumption.

That is a foolhardy assumption. Even at an old age you can still work or invest your money or start a business or continue to run a business. And yes, health care costs are huge, but if the government rids its hands of all health care responsibilities, you don't need to worry about health care. It is left to the individual. There is nothing wrong with having an aging population these days if the country plays it smart.

 

[StageLeft]

That is a foolhardy assumption. Even at an old age you can still work or invest your money or start a business or continue to run a business. And yes, health care costs are huge, but if the government rids its hands of all health care responsibilities, you don't need to worry about health care. It is left to the individual. There is nothing wrong with having an aging population these days if the country plays it smart.

You are joking, aren't you? The first 10 minutes of the first class of any economic study dealing with demographics will emphasize that an aging population not replaced by a young will burden an economy. A retiree is disproportionately using healthcare services while not digging any ditches, performing any surgeries, or filing anybody's taxes for them.

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Japan is one the most egalitarian countries in the world.

I see you've never been to Japan.

 

[Dari]

I see you've never been to Japan.

I've lived there and it is one of the most egalitarian countries in the world. Either you don't know what egalitarian is or you've never been to Japan.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I don't get why everyone emphasizes aging population. The only downside to an aging population in modern times is health care costs. It is 2009! We have machines that do many of the manual backbreaking jobs for us.

Really??

Japan is going to be the test subject of a trend amongst industrialized countries in how they deal with an aging population. You shouldn't discount medical costs, they are an enormous problem for any country. We handle our health care poorly at the moment, but it is not a light subject for any country. And there are going to be plenty of ramifications for having an older population, some which are predictable and some that are not. An enormous burden is going to be placed on the backs of Japan's young (and in time ours as well) in order to support the elderly, and coupled with low birthrates and high national debt the effects can be crippling.

All may not be doom and gloom but it is crucial for the US to watch and learn Japan's successes and mistakes in handling the issue because we will soon be facing the same thing (although in our case there is a continent and a half of answers to the problem right below us).

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

I've lived there and it is one of the most egalitarian countries in the world. Either you don't know what egalitarian is or you've never been to Japan.

I lived there for a year when my company acquired a Japanese company. I was there to review code and help integrate their software into ours after we bought them. I travel there a few times a year and work closely the Japanese engineers over there.

Japan is still a very class based society.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

I lived there for a year when my company acquired a Japanese company. I was there to review code and help integrate their software into ours after we bought them. I travel there a few times a year and work closely the Japanese engineers over there.

Japan is still a very class based society.

How about a few examples of this "very class based society." In my experience there, it's much more egalitarian than not.

あなたわにほんごをはなしますか

 

[Zebo]

This is all you need to know.
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/nbc-ceos-cashed-in
While our CEO's makes hundreds of millions a year to drive companies into the ground and lay off 20-30% of workforce. A Japanese CEO of best run companies pockets about 1 million a year.

USA is a win big lose big society with an ever shrinking middle and zero teamwork. Japan is not.

I guess I'm lucky to be called middle but I have no illusions it's one lawsuit , on IRS audit gone wrong, or long term illness from being on the streets.

 

[StageLeft]

This is all you need to know.
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/nbc-ceos-cashed-in
While our CEO's makes hundreds of millions a year to drive companies into the ground and lay off 20-30% of workforce. A Japanese CEO of best run companies pockets about 1 million a year.

USA is a win big lose big society with an ever shrinking middle and zero teamwork. Japan is not.

I guess I'm lucky to be called middle but I have no illusions it's one lawsuit , on IRS audit gone wrong, or long term illness from being on the streets.

I agree with all you wrote.

 

[JS80]

This is all you need to know.
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/nbc-ceos-cashed-in
While our CEO's makes hundreds of millions a year to drive companies into the ground and lay off 20-30% of workforce. A Japanese CEO of best run companies pockets about 1 million a year.

USA is a win big lose big society with an ever shrinking middle and zero teamwork. Japan is not.

I guess I'm lucky to be called middle but I have no illusions it's one lawsuit , on IRS audit gone wrong, or long term illness from being on the streets.

I doubt those well run companies run well because of the CEO. I would guess they're basically self-run and that's why the CEO gets paid that.

 

[Dari]

I lived there for a year when my company acquired a Japanese company. I was there to review code and help integrate their software into ours after we bought them. I travel there a few times a year and work closely the Japanese engineers over there.

Japan is still a very class based society.

lol. If you mean hiearchal, then you're right. But hiearchy != class... By the way, if you look at their pay system you will see how egalitarian it is.

 

[shira]

I thought this was an interesting article. How does a nation with almost no natural resources other than fish and a tiny landmass outdo the United States?

http://www.economyincrisis.org/articles/show/2112

One factor: The Japaneses are culturally homogeneous.

 

[Zebo]

I doubt those well run companies run well because of the CEO. I would guess they're basically self-run and that's why the CEO gets paid that.

WTF are you talking about? US corps don't run well. They stack the board with their buddies in order to pay themselves half a billion a year of shareholders money then bankrupt the place and/or send employee to unemployment lines.

Cavet emptor and all that but fraud was taking place and we have a serious problem with worth in this country.

MONEY does not disappear, in fact M3 money supply keeps growing every year - top 1% have it all. Are you OK with that dynamic?

Most arnt - like video says we all have a inherent sense of fairness about us and this is unfair.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

One factor: The Japaneses are culturally homogeneous.

Uhhmmm... What are you trying to say? That the U.S. has too many Black and Hispanic people (and perhaps too many Whites and other non-Asians)?

 

[blackangst1]

Uhhmmm... What are you trying to say? That the U.S. has too many Black and Hispanic people (and perhaps too many Whites and other non-Asians)?

I honestly dont think he was implying homogeneous cultures are good or bad. They just are, and the USA isnt. There are inherant problems with diverse cultures as well as homogeneous.