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What are your worst fears if mass layoffs continue due to the economic recession?

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A bit obvious, but losing my own job. Also, the crime rate spiraling. I've always liked the fact that Japan has been a very safe place to live. Also, just the site of the homeless suffering outside breaks my heart - hate to see more of this.

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Overall, riots and ultimately a revolution. Personally, losing my job and pension benefits.

The only way to stop this downward spiral is for people to spend money and for companies not to lay off any more workers. Everybody get out there and spend money. I am.

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A precipitation into all-out global nuclear war.

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Unrest, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, coup d etats, civil wars, wars, genocides. You know... the old idea that history repeat, because we humans committ the same mistakes. Of course, we are talking about things that take time to take place, maybe 5, 10 or 20 years in to the future. Thats why we need to be compasive and try to share with others in time of need.

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The Yaks will start knocking on our doors selling life insurance! Or possibly looking for NHK payments. Both scare the bjeezus out of me.

S

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Of course, losing my challenging, comfortable and well-paid job. But worse than that, is losing the ability to help others in need, as I have to take care of my rice bowl too...It will be a sad life for all if mass layoffs continue...

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Mass layoffs,mean there should be more change coming to japan. Probably more japan people may migrate to do business in brazil,south east asia,australia,US and anywhere else.

The laid off people may start new business revolutions in developing world,given that japan can't give them jobs-yens for their skills.

There may be a lot of japan talented people making jobs, elsewhere in world with their experience and talent. Same thing also may happen in USA/EU.

The governments have not taken care,of their people.

Talented people of developed world,may leave uncaring governments or fiscal indiscipline governments, to pursue new dreams elsewhere via big abundance of oppurtunities in so many untapped ,sanctions free developing nations.

Developing nations need to be developed via new laid off talents in developing nations. It may be a blessing in disguise for world.

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Some of my JT colleagues loosing their jobs and coming to live with me (and my dogs).

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World War 3

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Maybe that prices in Japan actually drop due to falling demand? Something I haven't seen in 10 years of being here.

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Ineternational Political Instability.

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Some so called Giant Manufacturers &/or Mega Banks may disappear that is my only concern.

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Wakarimasen- World war 3, if you are wondering whether the world is the planet of death,it is.

World war 2 sent 72 million over people to death, is confirmation of this planet of death.

Economic death of companies like lehman and others is not death of global trade. People have to die inside, to live more.

We need to die inside more to live. You will be better,once you have overcome all your fears. The only fear to fear is fear of death itself. The only fear is fear itself. There should not be fears,things will take of itself.

Who is keeping the planet afloat and spinning. It is miracle of the earth. Believe in unlimited capacity of miracles,that preserve life.

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the possibility that the civilization might come to an end. back to the jungle. widening social gap? right, we're might be left with gap only, without society at all...

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That the LDP will somehow still win a majority in the lower-house elections. If that happens, things can only get worse. Also, that seesaw will lose his "well-paid" job. Because then, almost certainly, tax revenues will drop, and the government will really be in trouble.

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Does the Rapture count?

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Prices HAVE dropped, WIBBLE. Look at property. Stuff is cheaper, too. Look at 100-yen shops and UNIQLO. Seriously, have you been here for 10 years?

The upside: 20,000 Eikaiwa teachers heading back to where they came from. Good-bye and good riddance!

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I like RAJMUKAR's sober, detached assessment, too.

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Simple answer:

Burglary and Violent protests.

This is normal in every present society.

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if I lived anywhere other than Japan I'd say rioting. maybe Eikawa teachers will riot, sadly Ishihara would be pleased but I hope they find Boris Chang Luigi's house

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I like RAJMUKAR's sober, detached assessment, too.

yeah, sober..detatched...give it a whirl in your own posts next time. try it, you might like it

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Look at 100-yen shops and UNIQLO. Seriously, have you been here for 10 years?

100 yen shops have been here for more than 10 years (well, I'll give you some credit, there are 99 yen shops too now, you're right, things have become cheaper) Uniqlo have been open for more than 10 years and are more expensive now than they were 5 years ago. what is your point?

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BORIS_CHANG_LUIGI - er, that isn't things getting cheaper, that is importing cheaper things. I don't equate purchasing plastic junk as things getting cheaper. that just means cheaper alternatives.

I'm talking about real economy indicators, like the cost of filling your shopping basket at the grocers or supermarket. Meat isn't cheaper, milk isn't cheaper, bread isn't. Rice, I don't think is although I don't really track it. The point is that domestic produce and prices do not get cheaper no matter the recession.

Sure maybe property drops a bit, although in most locations it was never rising but the ture costs don't change. Why - for example - does the cost of beer at a bar never go down (outside of happy hours and promotions)?

Japan's concept of economy is bizzarre - salaries are dropping, staffing rates are dropping, customers are dropping and yet prices are flat to up. Did prices on any regular household goods drop at all in the past 10 years or more? I'm curious.

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sorry wibble if you really have been here 10yrs yr not paying attn

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That the Japanese will turn their anger about all this on the foreign community. The government doesn't protect us as it is. Might get worse with more layoffs and whatnot.

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My fear is that we are already in a depression that no one is willing to openly admit. And that it will continue to spiral downwards with mass layoffs, skyrocketing poverty and social unrest.

We should all be afraid of the very real prospect of long term unemployment, potential homelessness and the impact a long financial down turn could have. There are few nets in Japan so most who fall will do so without anyone or anything to catch them.

The foreign community should be very concerned as well. On a rare occassion I agree with Tmarie that we are exposed and unprotected should anger turn our way. But I am not yet convinced that we will become immediate targets.

On a global basis. Well... the last depression reversed only after a global conflagration. It is not hard to imagine wide spread warfare resulting from economic problems.

Hard times are here, I believe more hard times are ahead. My hope is that we will learn that global viral capitalism is no longer the way forward. We need to develop sustainable and rational policies that result in jobs, environmental protections, political sanity and hope for a better future.

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How can you worry about it knowing that Aso and Nakagawa are on the job? I am sure these brilliant leaders will get the world out of this slump.

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It has indeed been pretty depressing for the past few years but few Japanese realised it then and are now "shocked" at how quickly the rug has been pulled from them. The old generations and whatnot have saved and whatnot. The younger folks? Always figured that the money would never stop coming in so no need to save and plan ahead. These are the folks I fear.

I think I'll be safe as I'm white but I fear for the Korea, Chinese, Peruvian and Brazilians that are easy to attack and blame. Years ago the Japanese public didn't want the crappy jobs these folks are doing. I think as things get tighter there will be more Japanese realizing that they HAVE to do these jobs to get by. Thing is, the gaijin is already doing the job which is going to lead to more racism and I fear, attacks. The Japanese have been sitting pretty with their heads in the sand for too long. Reality is about the hit and it isn't going to be pretty.

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And just to add in, prices here are MUCH, MUCH cheaper than they were 10 years ago. However, "cheaper" doesn't mean "cheap".

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It is a depression.

Recessions are short lived and are considered to form part of a cyclical pattern, and tend to be geographically confined to a particular, or several. nation states. Depressions last a long time, generally have a far wider impact. and completely change the political and social landscape for everybody. Well. that's my own rule of thumb assessment.

What can be said for certain at this point, is that right around the globe governments and corporations through the media are working hard to convince the populations that this will blow over tomorrow, or at least by the end of next year. Clearly though, it won't. The immediate need is to stifle protest and panic, to protect the banks, and allow the wealthy to profit healthily from the premium lows stocks have fallen to all around the globe.

Actually, no one knows for sure what will happen next, except that is for those who have always taken an honest look at history. Past history shows that there is nothing that the ruling classes or the federal banks can do to fix capitalism at this point. It is for real an historical moment that we are witnessing. This is not an episode in the ongoing ever developing success story of global capitalism, it is in fact the moment when things change forever. Fundamentally, this financial crises is far more serious than the one that occurred just prior to the 2nd World War, i.e. the Great Depression. This one cannot be fixed, things have vastly changed. Resources all around the world have greatly diminished, the environmental damage wrought by the pure human greed of vast corporations has massively worsened the situation. All markets have been over developed and the 'great powers' have exported virtually their entire productive capabilities to places where labour has been cheap, focusing on financial wizardry instead of producing anything of any REAL value (such as food). The capitalists have in effect eaten their young and are now eating themselves.

Which takes us to the question above. What are your worst fears if mass layoffs? I would suggest above all, hunger! Food is already expensive, consider how much more difficult it will be to feed yourself and your family when your government lets loose the policies under legislation right now, or about to be, that make the working class pay for this financial crises. The working class make up the mass of the population in most countries at this point. And even in Japan, you can see as you can elsewhere how those only yesterday 'secure' in their middle class jobs and homes now live in tents, cars, or on park benches. Not really even the working class anymore. Its a drop straight to the bottom.

Yes, hunger will likely be the biggest fear of all.

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GW, tmarie - what prices are cheaper? Please run through a typical grocery basket and lay out for me what prices have reduced in the past 10 years? I just don't see it.

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Taniwha has it about right I think....

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That the Japanese will turn their anger about all this on the foreign community. The government doesn't protect us as it is. Might get worse with more layoffs and what not.

If there are enough Japanese dumb enough to play into the 'mob mentality' then they could revolt against anyone they think looks American because in 'that mindset' it was the stupid blind greed of Wall Street that started this whole mess off.

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knowbetter-i second you on this.so miss T-marie ,you been white does not make you safe cos black,yellow,haafu or not we are all in this.dont play the race game here

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Taniwha: A well presented introduction. But you must consider the world has never been more technically advanced. Just because there is a financial crisis it does not mean anything is lost except paper money All the skills, knowledge and resources are still there - they don't go away.

In hard times money returns to its rightful owners, The millions of people who have been careful with their money and assets, will be suffering little loss or even a gain. Those who were silly enough to listen to the cheer squad of self interested financial planners, super fund managers, stock brokers etc., or borrowed too much against their home will pay a hefty price.

The world has to adjust itself to the new situation. Those who invested heavily in so-called risk free Government Bonds in many countries are going to find their equity disappearing if the world is sensible. Japan has public (Govt Bonds) of 185% of GDP. It's interest rates are zero because the Government cannot afford to pay interest on the ever increasing volume of bonds. The world is going to have to write down the value of its assets to their true market value and clear the decks of the millstones of massive unserviceable debt and start afresh. It is pointless just printing more bonds and trying more stimulus packages. They don't work because no one has confidence in them and they in fact have the adverse impact of causing panic every time the policticians come up with another lame effort.

The death of Capitalism is a myth. It has never been stronger and will deliver higher standards of living for the maximum number of people. The Japanese Yen is so overvalued it is crucifying your country, as is the US$8 trillion of valueless Government debt. Someone is going to have to take the hard decisions. You need a financial Samurai.

Japan helped me in 1990 to find a solution for a similar problem in Australia. I used that information to show the Australian Government to stop believing in the false information and strategies they believed were true, and take a different course. And they did, and it all came good. Australia: No Government debt at all in 2009, and the most prosperous country on earth.We need to help Japan and the US back to greatness. Its a wonderful world, just full of people who pretend to understand money but haven't got a clue. You will understand what I am saying. Cheers

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