Japan ruling camp tweaks budget plan after Ishiba's about-face

political ethics

oxymoron of the day....

No increase in medical cost is good for Japanese public.

The curse of having one of the longest life expectancies in the world is higher medical costs, and, when combined with a shrinking birthrate, the economy sputters. Any politician would struggle in today's environment. What Ishiba needs is a bold plan for the future that involves investment in high tech and efficient use of immigration.

The vouchers only?

No.

The dinners too, after the voucher giving ceremony.

Were the politicos just drinking dinner with their steaks?

We can be sure that they weren’t…

It is nice to live on a country where bad decisions from people in power still end up having political costs and changing the power balance, even if only a little.

obladiToday  08:13 am JST

The curse of having one of the longest life expectancies in the world is higher medical costs, and, when combined with a shrinking birthrate, the economy sputters.

I suspect the private sector healthcare industry is inflating the costs a bit too. Most of the clinics, hospitals and pharmacies are private businesses, and I don't think it matters too much to some doctors if a patient actually needs treatment or not as long as they get paid. Aren't there a lot of old folks who pretty much just go to the doctor's because they're bored and want a chat? Who's footing the bill? How about all the people who think they need prescription medication every time they feel a little sniffly? I bet a lot of the doctors' income would dry up if they stopped wasting other people's money.

Opposition parties have been stepping up pressure on Ishiba to fully explain himself over his distribution of gift vouchers worth 100,000 yen each to 15 new lower house members in early March when they met over dinner.

With the budget under debate along with the future of the nation the way opposition chooses to focus on these vouchers, made out of the PMs pocket btw, just shows me that they are nit picking amateurs afraid to bring the big issues to the forefront of public debate. It’s why the LDP has held power for so long.

“…longer life expectancies…when combined with a shrinking birthrate, the economy sputters.”

The economy has been “sputtering” because Japan’s employers are the world’s stingiest. Over 60% of GDP comes from consumer spending, but Japanese workers pull in roughly half the salaries of their G-7 peers, so not a lot of GDP growth. The world’s best economies are ones with low birthrates, by the way.

But corporate interests tell a different narrative, though, that out healthcare and high quality social services drag us down. The big, big lie.

The last time I went abroad for a consultation, I ended up leaving the hospital without receiving any type of treatment.

In Japan, that is almost unheard of.

maybe rather than increasing costs, try first to patch up the loopholes that allow people to come to Japan and take up expensive treatments at the expense of Japanese and Local tax paying population. Kick these parasites out.