Japan government is currently trying to enroll more people in the pension scheme, even those who physically won’t be able to contribute (what with the ¥50000 monthly income and all).
The Big Question is: would there be any money left for pensions in 20~30 years (or even 10) if governments in all developed countries are struggling to pay them out now?
It feels more like prolonging rather than a solution, isn’t it?
Pension schemes are actually working the same way as ponzi , they can only pay out if enough new ‘subscribers’ are enrolled. That’s why authorities are so desperate to ‘find’ them anywhere they can and legislative power helps ‘round up’ the rest who for various reasons isn’t contributing.
The pension system was introduced based on baby-booming expectations and rising economy in 50-60s. The myth of ever-expanding population that would shoulder the burden of paying in was out of the window long time ago, at least the in early 80s.
The system is doomed and people ‘in charge’ have known it for a long enough while.
Declining economy has made it harder for private entities to share pension costs for their employees, that led to partial restructuring, contract condition changes, introduction of more part-time position, increase in pension fees and reduction of the benefits.
Just compare benefits of the same status company employee that has retired in 1980s, 90s and now. With exact same input (although, with smaller savings due to decades of deflation) the difference is staggering.
Meanwhile public sector employees don’t seem to experience any of the uncomfortable changes in economic climate. They can stilk combine 2 pensions: public (payed largely by tax payers) and private (from amakudari position after their retirement from public sector and transition to private).
Constantly advancing the retirement age is another trick based on the scientifically unfound projected life span and has no ground in terms of supporting people’s employment until the ever-advancing age of pension eligibility, except few menial low-paid jobs that should’ve been done using all the available technologies at least a decade ago.
The truth is: no matter how much people contribute right now - pension benefits they will possibly receive in the future are constantly shrinking even as we speak. Public employees of course are safe and sound, at least for now.
The biggest Question of all is: why public still tolerates this oversized public sector that has the biggest pay/benefits than any private industry, second only to financial. People who introduced such “sound”economic policies that brought about current economic instability are rewarded for their ‘outstanding’ work with higher salaries, pension benefits and job stability.
And now they are busy cooking up enother schemes to prolong their comfy existence for as long as it’s possible.
The Question is: why is this even legal?
Tokyo train saga
Trains are running on timeless rails
Slow in the mornings like tedious snails
Packed in the evenings with leftover crowd
Pushing and shoving and mostly loud
Poking umbrellas, newspapers and comics
Torturous seats that defy ergonomics
Various odors mixed up in the air
Making this trip everyday’s nightmare.
Mars500 - It is finally (and it was) Mars! (by ESA
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#Japan #nuclear situation
Dear Expats in #Japan, I think you should watch this (b/f dismissing gravity of the situation): Kenichi Omae http://tl.gd/9c9c5m #nuclear #situation by March 19, 2011
Unsweetened Japan (13 things you need to know before venturing here)
1) The scariest word in Japan since the end of 90’ - is restructuring’. 2d recession in 2 decades - still no lessons learned. (Withdrawal into an obscurity - not a solution.)
2) The biggest myth of all times is that people in Japan are good with high-tech. Don’t confuse produce with use.
3) Trust, reliability & loyalty are seriously over-rated in Japan. No matter how blindly you believe in things - it doesn’t make them true (terms loosely used to ‘slave-ride’ employees).
4) In Japan people don’t like to look a reality in the eye, ‘shy away’ from confronting people/things/issues unless sufficiently lubricated with alcohol.
5) Japan is completely ‘allergic’ to deep/substantial change. Holding on to sinking Titanic is a preferable life choice.
6) Japan society (at all levels) is rigid & distrustful of anything coming not from ‘within’.
7) Japan life/mentality can be summed up in 1 word - ‘semai’ (=narrow), whether it’s dictated by necessity or not & it seems to be narrowing further.
8) In Japan people are too obsessed with superficial things & images to see the big picture or even intend to see it.
9) Unable to master even 1 foreign language after decades of attempting, in Japan people don’t trust someone can be truly bilingual or multilingual.
They can’t fathom that somebody can have an equal proficiency in more than 1 language.
10) Discrimination of women in Japan work places & in everyday life is rampant. Don’t trust otherwise, check laws & practices 1st. The real situation is quite appalling for the ‘developed’ country.
11) Underlining discriminatory practices in Japanese companies are often masked with the term ‘over-qualified’.
12) In Japan people like to stress their work place ‘loyalty’. Beware of the ‘myth’ because it’s just that - a myth.
13) In Japan people vigorously insist on being ‘shy’. It doesn’t apply to their behavior/manners towards outsiders. Be ready for awkward questions/comments, odd (but socially acceptable) public displays, constant staring & loose language.
That’s the thing I want to make clear about depression: It’s got nothing at all to do with life. In the course of life, there is sadness and pain and sorror, all of which, in their right time and season, are normal— unpleasant, but normal. Depression is an altogether different zone because it involves a complete absence: absence of affect, absence of feeling, absence of response, absence of interest. The pain you feel in the course of a major clinical depression is an attempt on nature’s part (nature, after all, abhors a vacuum) to fill up the empty space. But for all intents and purposes, the deeply depressed are just the walking, waking dead.
