Dōmo Arigatō, Indeed, Mr. Roboto
The “Lost Decade” as it is called in Japan describes the languishing economy of the country over–what is in reality–twenty years or so of artificially low, and even negative, interest rates.
The economic ramifications are clear: A Japanese central banking policy that incentivizes consumption, wild speculation, and finger-crossing leaves capital markets starved, innovation stagnant, and capital goods staid.
So be it. Economic laws are such because like those in physics, they are unavoidable.
But what of the social effects?
As it turns out, they are pronounced. And, extremely negative, especially if you maintain that human beings are by nature, social creatures.
To prove this, Pascal Hügli presents the deterioration of Japanese society wrought by the economic mismanagement of the country. Yes, Japan is still a decidedly first-world, rich nation. However, not unlike the Scandinavian examples, that wealth has been already generated by previous generations only to be exploited and squandered by the current and future ages.
Enumerating the negative outcomes:
- Immediate consumption trends have rendered the Japanese an impersonal people. Doll sales are more robust than ever in Japan–for adults! There exists a robust industry in “renting” friends and even parental stand-ins.
- Japan leads every nation on earth in per capita vending machines.
- For several years now dating back to 2010, more adult diapers are sold in Japan than baby diapers.
- Half of the Japanese population is working itself, in some cases literally, to death, while the other half (especially youth) are not entering the labor market at all.
- The Japanese spend vast stretches of their daily lives engaging in little to no other human contact. They prefer the utter efficiency of machines.
Dōmo Arigatō, Mr. Roboto. Styx should be touring Japan right now–the problem however would be; no one would come to the live shows.
Others would be wise not to follow.
