You can’t be serious….
甘利明経済再生担当相は１１日の閣議後会見で、今年の春闘での賃上げについて、「政府は、復興特別法人税の減税を前倒しして、原資を渡している。利益があがっているのに何もしないのであれば、経済の好循環に非協力ということで、経済産業省から何らかの対応がある」と述べた。(産経新聞 3月11日(火)11時43分配信)
Reaction 1: Is this a threat?
Reaction 2: Can government issue a threat of this kind to private business in Japan? Wow, if I were a foreign CEO or investor, I would pack up and get out immediately. I can’t imagine what good that kind of threat would do to Japan’s economy.
Reaction 3: When did Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party become a bunch of socialists?
Reaction 4: I thought that Abe Shinzo and his government were all conservative. Have I been misled on this for all this time? Or, does the word “conservative” have a perversely different meaning in Japan?
Reaction 3: Am I “協力的” to Japan’s economic turnover? Well, lets see… I cooked at home today, instead of going out for dinner at a restaurant. Sorry, Mr. Amari, it seems that I did not contribute to 経済の好循環 as much as I could have. Well, come to think of it, I even bought half-priced chicken on sale and tried to save some money for myself, instead of contributing to 経済の好循環. Oh, shit, do I get punished for that? Oh, no, what kind of punishment should I expect?
Reaction 4: I thought that Abe had a group of rather talented economic advisors working for his government. Where are they now? Were they all asleep when this statement was made? Did they quit working because they were tired of being ignored ? Or were they simply tired of being not understood?
Reaction 5: And, where are all the supposedly-able METI bureaucrats? Were they also all asleep when this statement was made? They can’t let their good reputation go down the drain. Or can they?
Reaction 6: This must be a sign of the government of Abe getting so frustrated with stalemates on various policy fronts. Abe has so far failed constitutional revision, which he said that he would promote vigorously. He also seems to be failing in constitutional reinterpretation on collective self-defense. Of all the promises he had made, the most notable accomplishment was a visit to Yasukuni, but that got himself lots of trouble with the United States. So, it seems that Abe is desperate in believing that he cannot afford to fail in Abenomics and economic recovery. Oh, yes, this kind of rather extraordinary statement must be the product of fatigue and stress on the part of Abe. Take care Mr. Abe!
Reaction 7: And, why isn’t Japan’s news media commenting on how perverse and abnormal this statement is? Oh, I get it. They must also be afraid of getting punished by METI for saying something counterproductive to 経済の好循環.