AP: Japan's Ruling Bloc Suffers Poll Setback

[Eugene]

Japan's Ruling Bloc Suffers Poll Setback
Japan's Ruling Bloc Hit With Poll Setback Amid
Outrage Over 'Birth-Giving Machine' Gaffe

By HIROKO TABUCHI

TOKYO Feb 4, 2007 (AP)— Japan's ruling bloc lost a key local election on Sunday,
a possible bellwether of public support after a Cabinet minister caused an uproar
by calling women "birth-giving machines."

The setback compounds the problems for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration,
which has also lost a minister and a top adviser in separate scandals.

Most recently, Health Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa infuriated the public by calling
the country's women "birth-giving machines" who had "do their best per head" to
stem Japan's falling birthrate.

-snip-

A media poll also showed Sunday that for the first time, more Japanese disapprove
of Abe than approve calling the new leader's leadership into question ahead of
parliamentary elections in July.

-snip-

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2848317

[HappyWeasel]

1. of the beaten path...but...

conservatives could use this outlaw abortion and birth control and liberals could use this to legalize cloning.

That would actually be a fun book to read- a book about a culturally advanced country with falling birth rates in which cloning is sanctioned in order to maintain a large workforce and army.

[ohio2007]

2. Only political "hari-kari " ...stick a fork in him

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Maybe yes, maybe no

Members of the ruling LDP (Liberal-Democratic Party) have been known to make gaffes like this before, with little repercussion. The electorate might make a protest vote in the essentially meaningless Upper House elections, but in the Lower House elections, they'll continue to vote for the ruling party or its coalition partner (the Komei-to), even if they have to hold their nose to do it. And sometimes voting districts are set up so that the LDP is virtually guaranteed a seat.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Why would the Japanese want to increase the birth rate?

Do they want their land to be all skyscrapers?

[Kagemusha]

4. There's a panic over "population crash"

fears that it'll lead to the death of the entire nation through underpopulation. Economic ruin, political and military weakness.

Sort of Malthusianism turned on its head.

[LiberalFighter]

6. How much more population can their country support?

When will they reach that point?

[Kagemusha]

8. Doesn't matter, their population will go down

Hence the panic. Even a little population decline brings images of THE NATION IS DYING OUT. It's the ultimate nightmare that's spoken of in the shadows in Western countries: we can't be like Japan! We need morals and religion so people breed more! ...etc.

[breakaleg]

5. They don't have enough young people to support the older population in their retirement.

[ohio2007]

7. That is a taxing delima for the Japanese economy

[Art_from_Ark]

9. They have a special term for the declining birth rate and aging population

"Shoshi-koreika", whose characters translate directly as "fewer children, aging". The government is trying to encourage an increasing birth rate by, for example, increasing the age limit (from 3rd grade to 6th grade) and income level (about $50,000) for qualifying for child subsidies. Currently, the subsidy payment for children of elementary school age or younger is about 5000 yen per month (paid three times per year), which works out to a little more than $40/month. However, given that it costs from $100,000 upward to raise one child to maturity (which in Japan is 20 years old), a lot of people are deciding that they would rather stay single, or be a childless couple, and do other things with their lives.