Japan PM hopefuls agree on Kishida's economic push; differ on how

Shinjiro Koizumi … would expand support to low-income households and pensioners via cash handouts.

Woohoo, cash handouts, paid for by…?

Kishida's government has provided financial assistance

Paid for by?

Digital Minister Taro Kono said support in the form of subsidies should be "targeted."

Obviously, but paid for by???

"What we are seeing is the economy finally transitioning to a growth-oriented one from deflation.

Japan is slipping from 2nd, to 3rd, to 4th largest economy in the world and it’ll be 5th after India in a year or two.

Growth-orientation?

At the same event, Kono said, "We need to stop the practice of giving subsidies to everything,"

Japan was doing relatively well in the 1980’s while western peers were hitting the limits of big government bloat and regulated economy, so it’s like Japan missed the boat there and continues with subsidies programs that other countries did away with in the glorious neoliberal reforms of the 1980’s.

Japan needs to stop subsidies to almost everything, and where it doesn’t stop, needs to set timelines for stopping.

Sanae Takaichi, who serves as the economic security minister in Kishida's Cabinet, also took a cautious stance. "When is the next tax increase going to be? This mindset needs to change. Economic growth comes first and foremost," she said.

Now all these clowns need is the guts to get government off the back of the economy so that it can grow… but all I hear from even reform man Koizumi is that… he wants to allow ride sharing. Well whippee that’s sure going to get the entire economy growing isn’t it?

the yen's fall to record lows have led to more fiscal spending to mitigate the pain felt by households.

Government created the problem of the weaker yen and then works to solve it by printing even more money… come on, this is funny stuff if it weren’t reality.

Japan’s government Is, The , Problem.

Japan faces three major problems, natural disasters, energy independence, and the aging population. If these aren't addressed, then all of the LDPs proposed policies are moot. The policies these clowns are spouting are nothing more than what they've done in the past. The wrapping is different, but the present is sill just a rock.

The candidates are all main stream career politicians, some cabinet members.

All have had how many years, decades even to implement these agendas, to influence change

Yet every election, the same proposals, promises pledges reform this, restructure that, subsidises for and against, fight depopulation, solve child care.

Then sit back and cross fingers that nobody will notice little or no change.

Japan faces three major problems, natural disasters, energy independence, and the aging population.

I’d say the government can’t do much about any but the third of those issues.

Natural disasters are tough but never stopped Japan from becoming great, when it did so at different times in the past.

Energy independence, I doubt Japan can achieve that no matter what the government does (unless it crashes the economy)

whatever whoever.all are from same stall so why to bother or worry...

Supporting the working class who are paying taxes, not low income. Many "low income" dont pay taxes but have either massive assets or working cash jobs. Government should not be handing out more cash to them.

Japan had a top income tax rate of 70% in the 1980s. Then the LDP gradually whittled that down to the current 40% or so in favor of a stupid consumption tax. The LDP has flushed the economy down the toilet for years and prioritized rewarding the wealthiest corporations and individuals.

Cash handouts?

Tax reform! Make the fat cats pay!

Toyota, for example, regularly pays nothing.

former health minister Katsunobu Kato, who has promised to "double people's incomes,"

I promise to restore his natural hair color.