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Old 04-02-22, 05:05 PM
  #76  
rybin
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The only reason I'm able to save up any money at all right now, even if it's very little, is because I still don't own a car. I probably could buy one if I totally cleared out my bank account and took on significantly more debt, but the ongoing costs of insurance and taxes in my reason would then leave me broke all the time most likely. With gas prices going the way they are being car free is the best decision, but of course that doesn't work for everyone. It's really limiting on job opportunities, for example, I have to take jobs I can feasibly get to on my bike or by public transportation. That locks me out of a surprising number of jobs in my region.
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Old 04-07-22, 08:54 PM
  #77  
50PlusCycling
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Originally Posted by Steve B.
Think about all those Amazon Prime and UPS trucks needing fuel, with everybody and his uncle shopping mail order. My wife and I went shopping yesterday for new dishes, Bed, Bath and Beyond had Zip, neither did Home Serve or Home Goods, so no shes online, like everbody else, so the costs of all goods goes skyrocketing along with gasoline.
I live in Japan, and stories like this leave me scratching my head. Japan imports pretty much everything, but store shelves are full here. Also, inflation in Japan right now is 1.9%. Japan’s approach to the pandemic was different than nearly everyone except Sweden. There were no mandatory lockdowns or restrictions in Japan, during a few periods Japan’s government asked schools and businesses to close or limit hours. But compliance was voluntary, and many schools and stores remained open as usual.

Because businesses could stay open, and workers could keep working, the economy kept moving. As people were still able to make money, and Japanese generally save a significant part of their income, there was much less need for the government to implement “stimulus” programs. Japan’s government spent less than 1% than America’s during the pandemic, and didn’t print vast amounts of money to fund stimulus spending.

It was odd to be in Japan and to be able to live more or less normally during the pandemic when many people in America and Europe were required to stay home, and only go out for essential matters. While people in New York couldn’t eat in restaurants, I was flying to Hokkaido to go skiing (5 times), to Okinawa to tan on the beach (twice), so see the Nutcracker play to a sold out house at the National Theater, and to enjoy eating out whenever I felt like it.

Having come to Japan America, I was very much worried about losses of freedom, after all, America is supposed to be the “Land of the Free.” But I think I have found more freedom in Japan.
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Old 04-08-22, 01:06 PM
  #78  
SkinGriz
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Originally Posted by 50PlusCycling
I live in Japan, and stories like this leave me scratching my head. Japan imports pretty much everything, but store shelves are full here. Also, inflation in Japan right now is 1.9%. Japan’s approach to the pandemic was different than nearly everyone except Sweden. There were no mandatory lockdowns or restrictions in Japan, during a few periods Japan’s government asked schools and businesses to close or limit hours. But compliance was voluntary, and many schools and stores remained open as usual.

Because businesses could stay open, and workers could keep working, the economy kept moving. As people were still able to make money, and Japanese generally save a significant part of their income, there was much less need for the government to implement “stimulus” programs. Japan’s government spent less than 1% than America’s during the pandemic, and didn’t print vast amounts of money to fund stimulus spending.

It was odd to be in Japan and to be able to live more or less normally during the pandemic when many people in America and Europe were required to stay home, and only go out for essential matters. While people in New York couldn’t eat in restaurants, I was flying to Hokkaido to go skiing (5 times), to Okinawa to tan on the beach (twice), so see the Nutcracker play to a sold out house at the National Theater, and to enjoy eating out whenever I felt like it.

Having come to Japan America, I was very much worried about losses of freedom, after all, America is supposed to be the “Land of the Free.” But I think I have found more freedom in Japan.
Japan has an elderly population. They didn’t all die from the cerveza? Heavy sarcasm.

Did you see the property values of FL and TX plummet due to all the freed up housing inventory? Again heavy sarcasm.

Weren’t the ice caps supposed to be gone by now?

It’s possible the louder people are about freedom, the less freedom they enjoy day to day. War is peace, freedom is slavery, etc.

That said, how are nations facing demographic cliffs going to cope? Especially if they don’t encourage immigration out of a desire to maintain culture?
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Old 04-09-22, 05:33 PM
  #79  
50PlusCycling
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Originally Posted by SkinGriz
Japan has an elderly population. They didn’t all die from the cerveza? Heavy sarcasm.

Did you see the property values of FL and TX plummet due to all the freed up housing inventory? Again heavy sarcasm.

Weren’t the ice caps supposed to be gone by now?

It’s possible the louder people are about freedom, the less freedom they enjoy day to day. War is peace, freedom is slavery, etc.

That said, how are nations facing demographic cliffs going to cope? Especially if they don’t encourage immigration out of a desire to maintain culture?
The demographic problems in Japan would not be solved by increased immigration. Why not? Because the policies which have caused the fall in Japan’s birthrate would have the same effect on immigrants. Immigrants to Japan don’t pay lower taxes than Japanese, they can’t feed their children any more cheaply than Japanese, they certainly aren’t paid more than the Japanese, and they must be tied hand-and-foot with the red tape which binds all residents of Japan to the system. Unlike America and Europe, you cannot live under the radar or work and be paid under the table in Japan. If anything, immigrants would have even fewer children than the Japanese, as they are unfamiliar with and probably unable to live with the frugality of the culture. Japan’s demographic problems are entirely caused by government policies which were intended to “protect” the Japanese people and the Japanese economy. The Golden Rule in political policy is that the results are generally opposite what were originally intended.
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Old 04-09-22, 10:24 PM
  #80  
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Ha, and they are missing the hand slapping and bro hugging.
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Old 04-10-22, 06:16 PM
  #81  
SkinGriz
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Originally Posted by 50PlusCycling
The Golden Rule in political policy is that the results are generally opposite what were originally intended.
Amen.
From GWOT to ACA to the war on drugs, it’s harder to find success than failure.

I saw something about Japan rural property prices being dirt cheap due to demographic decline. A couple bought a property and was trying to restore it to it’s former glory.

A friend from S. Korea told me similar, everyone has urban aspirations.

I wonder if Rona will change that in societies that had hard lockdowns. Ala the NYC exodus.

I agree immigration doesn’t fix falling population, it’s a temporary bandaid.
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