Japan - 'Now with minimum unhappiness!'

[Taro Toporific]

[floatl][/floatl]
[color="White"].

.

.[/color]

Kan says will aim for society with minimum unhappiness
TOKYO, June 8 (AP) - (Kyodo)
New Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday he will aim to rebuild Japan and create a society where unhappiness of the people is minimum, such as by reducing poverty.... Kan said at a press conference after forming his new Cabinet, adding, "I want to rebuild Japan fundamentally and make it a more spirited country."...more...

[kagemusha]

Japan needs leaders who are not afraid telling the people they need to endure 10 years of less owarai on tv and more painful social and economic reforms.
What we get instead are small people equipped with a dead grandfather who used to be a fascist prim-minister, a loony wife and a group of out of touch with reality geezers for advisors.
Prepare yourself for another wasted year or two.

[Yokohammer]

Apparently people are already worried that Kan will raise the consumption tax. There was a group in my local Coop supermarket yesterday speaking against a consumption tax increase and collecting signatures. Japan is in the economic dumpster but most people want someone else to fix it without having to contribute to its recovery themselves. Typical.

I was listening to Kan's speech live yesterday, and I actually thought his goal of "minimizing unhappiness" was well stated. It's a bit more realistic than the typical feel-good bullshit. Some might see it as being overly cautious, and a ploy to avoid criticism when things don't go swimmingly later. Could be, but at least he didn't offer any more idiotic handouts, or promise to wave his magic wand and make US bases disappear.

Coming from a normal family (his father was a "typical salaryman") as opposed to the silver-spoon elite, Kan seems to have a better grasp on reality than many of his predecessors.

I am cautiously hopeful.

EDIT: Just on the news. Apparently Kan's cabinet is going to put the brakes on that handouts for kids plan. They might not be able to stop it entirely, but they can reduce the maximum amount, which is what it looks as though they're going to do. Thank goodness for that. What a staggeringly stupid, obvious favors-for-votes strategy that was. Promising gazillions of yen in handouts while having no idea where the money was going to come from. "We'll work it out later." Right.

[bolt_krank]

I thought "Prime minister" is the name for someone that kills time in parliament long enough to receive a decent pension, then f**ks off right before it's time to deliver on anything.

Fingers crossed this new guy's not the same.

[Bucky]

Japan is in the economic dumpster but most people want someone else to fix it without having to contribute to its recovery themselves. Typical.

Sounds like Greece.

[FG Lurker]

Apparently people are already worried that Kan will raise the consumption tax. There was a group in my local Coop supermarket yesterday speaking against a consumption tax increase and collecting signatures. Japan is in the economic dumpster but most people want someone else to fix it without having to contribute to its recovery themselves. Typical.

Considering what happened to the Japanese economy the last time the consumption tax was raised I don't think raising it now would be a good idea.

Apparently Kan's cabinet is going to put the brakes on that handouts for kids plan. [...] Promising gazillions of yen in handouts while having no idea where the money was going to come from.

I'm fine with them stopping the handouts. They should also cut pension payments in half. It's going to have to happen anyway, they may as well get it over with sooner rather than later.

[james]

They should also cut pension payments in half. It's going to have to happen anyway, they may as well get it over with sooner rather than later.

i prefer this approach: