The Race for Japan's New Prime Minister is On and the Entire Country is Abuzz....ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.......

Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan who was prime minister for just over one short year is resigning. The race for a new clusterf*ck prime minister of Japan is on. 


If you were to judge by the media, you'd think that the Japanese, as well as people all over the world, are gripping their arses in anticipation of who the next prime minister of the world's #3 (and dropping quickly) economy is going to be.


Will it be dumbf*ck number one or dillweed #2? The entire nation anxiously awaits the results of an election that they have absolutely no say in whatsoever.....So, I am....ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.....


ZZZsnork! Where was I? Oh, yeah....


Kan, as you remember, was Japan's prime minister for just about 15 months. In that time, his infamy is often compared with that of many tyrants of the past. The destruction and devastation that occurred under Kan's rule will always be on the level of a Adolf Hitler, Chairman Mao, Attila the Hun, Caligula, Joseph Stalin and that Khan dude on Star Trek. 

The world will never forget the destruction they caused: 

Top (L to R): Hitler, Stalin, Mao

Bottom (L to R): Kan, Khan and Fine

See? Told you he's right up there with old usual suspects. 


Our own Naoto Kan, who, you'll remember singlehandedly was responsible for causing the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster will also always be remembered for his positive achievements such as... his, er.... ummmm... And then there's... the... uh... 


See?


Things will be OK if you just remember to keep repeating the mantra: "March 11, disaster, earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima Dai ichi and Naoto Kan."

Kan! Kan! Khan! Damn you, Khan! We'll get you for this!


AFP reports:

TOKYO (AFP) Japan's ruling party is to kick off a two-day campaign Saturday to choose a new leader for the disaster-hit nation, with trade and industry minister Banri Kaieda emerging as a strong contender.

Who the hell is Banri Kaieda?

Five candidates of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have so far run for the party's leadership election on Monday to succeed Prime Minister Naoto Kan as the nation's sixth premier in five years.

Awriiiiight! I think we should go for a new world record! You know that Italy has had more than 50 government's since World War II? yes. It's true. Come on, Japan! We can do better! Japan! Japan! Japan! Ganbare Nippon!

The party has set a deadline of Saturday morning for candidates to come forward for what is expected to be a close race.

Hoo hum....What? I missed the dealine for filing again?

Kan announced his resignation on Friday after nearly 15 turbulent months in power, during which his response to the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear plant accident drew fierce criticism.

Remember to keep repeating: Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Genghis Khan, Attila and Kan (sounds like some 70's Hippie Prog Rock group doesn't it?)

Through debates and speeches this weekend, the candidates will seek support of 398 DPJ lawmakers who can vote for a new party president to replace Kan. Parliament will then vote the leader in as PM on Tuesday.

Debates and speeches this weekend? Oh goody. That sounds like how I want to spend my weekends with the family! Listening to old political pharts droning on and on about this or that....

Former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, who has topped the list of hopeful successors to Kan in opinion polls, and Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda were largely seen as pre-election favourites.

Is it just me or does the name Seiji Maehara sound like a horse racing jockey? 

But Kaieda, who has led efforts to contain the nuclear crisis, leapt into the front row alongside them late on Friday after party kingmaker Ichiro Ozawa, who controls the DPJ's biggest faction, voiced support for him.

And he lifted a pinky finger is his direction. Don't forget the power of the Ozawa pinky in your direction!

Ozawa, a divisive figure who faces a criminal trial over a donations scandal, leads up to 130 lawmakers, although he has lost his party membership following his indictment over the scandal.

This is great: divisive figure, criminal trial, donations scandal, leads 130 lawmakers...  think that pretty much sums up the political situation here in a nutshell.

"We need support of Ozawa at a time of crisis," Kaieda told reporters late Friday.

Ha! Ha! Ha! "We need support of Ozawa at a time of crisis"!? Tell me, Einstein, when is Japan not in a crisis?

Kaieda, 62, a well-known economist before he turned to politics, also won support of former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama, a close ally with Ozawa.

Hatoyama? Oh, yeah. I seem to remember that name. He was the guy who promised to kick out the US military if elected and that he would..... ZZZZZZzzzzzzz.......

Kaieda came to be at odds with Kan, who made a policy shift away from nuclear power generation while Kaieda was trying to convince local governments to restart reactors that went offline after the disaster.

Maehara, 49, who stepped down as foreign minister in March over a donations row, could become the nation's youngest post-war prime minister. He is against raising taxes to ease Japan's fiscal woes.

Get it? Kaieda who has the support of a divisive figure who is involved with a criminal trail over a donations scandal and is supported by another loser who couldn't keep his election promises is up against another guy who has his own doantions scandal.... Ever see that British TV show, "Yes, Minister"? 

(and now for a short comedy interlude about government)

Back to the article:


Noda, 54, who recently courted controversy with statements supporting war criminals, has softened his earlier stance on hiking taxes.


Doh! How many times have I told these idiots that you don't talk about raising taxes before an election? See? This Noda guy is not completely and totally stupid. He's toned it down. Now, if he becomes PM that will only prove the rest of the nation is completely and totally stupid.

The winner faces the unenviable task of overseeing Japan's biggest post-war reconstruction, resolving the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl 25 years ago, and shielding the economy from a soaring yen.


...And the task of trying to stay in office for more than two weeks... With the even more daunting task of trying not to say something stupid once a day.

The new premier must also unite a divided parliament, decide on a new post-Fukushima energy policy and win market confidence that Japan can overcome a legislative quagmire to address the world's biggest debt mountain.


Read that last sentence again: "The new premier must also unite a divided parliament, decide on a new post-Fukushima energy policy and win market confidence that Japan can overcome a legislative quagmire to address the world's biggest debt mountain."


Bwa! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!


Just remember, no matter who becomes the next Japanese prime minister, he will look good is you just always repeat the mantra: March 11, disaster, earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima Dai ichi and Naoto Kan.


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NOTE: The international and local media are really turning up the gears on this new Japanese prime minister nonsense. Like I said, "who cares?" Nothing is going to change.


My good friend George Williams turned me on to this great British TV show, that I highly recommend that you watch. It is a wonderful documentary about how TV makes people stupid:

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Japanese PM Kan is out on August 30, 2011!!!

Jeez. It's about time! Zero Hedge is reporting that, according to Reuters,  Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan will step down on the 30th!


Zero Hedge reports:

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told his cabinet ministers on Tuesday that they are likely to resign on Aug. 30, Japanese Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano said on Tuesday.

The unpopular prime minister's comments effectively confirmed his intention to resign in coming days, clearing the way for Japan to select its sixth prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi ended a rare five-year term in 2006.

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan is planning to pick a new leader on Aug. 29, setting the stage for parliamentary confirmation of a new premier and the selection of a new cabinet.

Yosano also told a news conference that the government needs to devise steps to cope with the negative effects of the yen rise in the coming third supplementary budget for this fiscal year.

It's good news and bad... If history is any example, the next guy will be just as much of an idiot too.

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Government Interferes Once Again and Our Costs (Taxes) Go Up!

This article is about Japanese government interference in business but it has a lesson for everyone in every country the world over.

TAXMAN - BEATLES COVER

The Beatles had an opinion on taxes!

Once again, with a huge amount of problems, the Japanese government cannot just get out of the way and allow the free market to take care of things and fix our problems. The Japanese government insists upon getting involved and making decisions that involve you or me and businesses. Trust that whenever the government puts their hands, the results are an increase in our taxes.
Please allow me to pick this article apart and expose its inconsistencies and illogic.


Of course, regular readers of this blog know that I am against government interference in any way shape or form and see this example as another attempt to "fix" things but they will only make things worse.

Fox Business reports, "Japan Set to Introduce Landmark Renewable Energy Law":

Japan's parliament is set to approve a landmark bill on renewable energy championed by Prime Minister Naoto Kan as a way to reduce the nation's dependence on nuclear power following the worst nuclear plant accident in the country's history, and which would break the monopoly of the 10 major utilities.

Ummm, excuse me. This is a pretty Orwellian use of the English language isn't it? It says, "reduce the nation's dependence on nuclear power... and which would break the monopoly of the 10 major utilities." How do they come to this propaganda and new use of this wording? Ten utilities does not a monopoly make. Monopoly means one. The Investor Words online dictionary of financial terms describes "monopoly" as, "monopoly - definition of monopoly - A situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service."


The final passage of the bill, which aims to bolster investment in renewable energy, is expected by the end of the month. 


"Aims to bolster investment"? Well, yes and no. If history is any record, I think they mean that the government gets involved and distorts the market and therefore allows their corporate political backers insider information so they might cash in on new laws before they become public.


Ironically, it paves the way for the highly unpopular Kan to step down.


The only good news in this article so far. Kan steps down. The bad news is that the next guy will be even worse. This reminds me of the old story of the king who walked through the kingdom and came upon a very old woman who bowed down to him and kissed his feet. The king was so surprised as the rest of his subjects hated him and often threw stones in protest against his lavish life style and massive taxation. The king said, "Woman! Why do you hail me so when the rest of my subjects hate me so?" The woman replied, "I am a very old woman and have seen many kings in my life. And each king was much worst than the last. So I wish for you a long and healthy life, my lord." 


Its main feature is a requirement that utilities purchase power from outside providers such as private companies or cooperatives under certain circumstances.


Idiots. The government "requiring" purchases? Where have we heard that before? Don't these clowns understand simple basic economics? That when you do something like this, it distorts the market and is a de facto tax burden increase on the public as they will wind up paying any increase in costs?


This is seen as opening the door for much greater use of renewable energy, an area where Japan lags, accounting for just 9% of total supply. 


You know, what really cracks me up about these people (and some of the public at large) is that they claim that the free market and private business only have money at heart and do not concern themselves with the public good. I won't discuss the public good part for the moment and will wait until someone challenges me on that point, but let's look at the notion that the private companies only care about making money.


If this were true that their only concern were profits and that they strive for maximized profits at every turn (I'm not saying they don't) then, if so-called renewable energy sources were profitable, then we wouldn't need government interference or new laws to goad these private industries into pursuing them.


That the government must force private businesses into this market, then, if we use this logic, only goes to show that these businesses are not profitable. Nevertheless, the private businesses are forced into these markets.


What happens? Costs inevitably go up. What happens to these costs? They are either financially supported by the government or through charging customers higher rates for good and services.


Now, keep in mind that the government has no money. The government gets all its money from taxation. That means that these private industries are forced into these new businesses and then, when not so profitable (or losers), pass on those higher costs to you and me as customer. Or, the government takes our tax monies and supports these businesses.


Either way, ultimately, these monies come from you or me either directly through our pockets or through taxation or stealth (debasement of our currency and the ensuing inflation). This means that you and I support these businesses when they lose money.


If we have to pay for a businesses with taxes or by stealth or directly, then, it also goes to reason that when this private business makes money, then we should enjoy the profits, right? But we don't. See? The next line supports my argument completely:


But big manufacturers, already hurt by power shortages and the effects of the high yen on exports, will face higher electricity bills as a result.


Once again, the government comes up with an idea and what happens? It costs you and me money. Anyone who thinks big corporations are going to eat those higher costs and not pass them onto the consumer is fast asleep and just hasn't been paying attention.


Great, our expenses go up. Thank you sir, may I have another?


It'll be good to be rid of Kan, though. The best situation would be to get rid of them all.


After Kan? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. 


UPDATE: Here's a timely post exposing US congress insider trading: http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/08/14/congress-massive-profits-allowing-wall-street-rob-main-street-55421/

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Japanese Government: These People are Just Plain Nuts

We're F'ed. There, I said it. I used the "F" word.

What did I tell you? Exactly one week ago, I complained that those stupid idiots (I do have harsher words but this is a "family fun" blog) in the Japanese government threw away $50 some billion dollars trying to support the rising yen. In Japanese Central Bank Throws Away a Billion Dollars Again, I wrote:


This morning when I woke up I checked the financial markets, gold, silver and, of course, the dollar yen rate.


I was somewhat surprised to see the yen at ¥76.9-something to the US dollar. A hour or two later, the yen had dropped to its current ¥78.9 per US dollar. Obviously the Japanese Central Bank intervened and bought a bunch of dollars.

Fools. When will they ever learn? They keep throwing our hard earned tax money down the drain to stop the yen's rise, but it is all in vain as the yen's appreciation continues....


Why do these fools keep doing this? When will they ever learn that these interventions cannot and will not stop any long term trend? 


Gee, you think that, after decades of this sort of failed action repeated over and over that these analysts would figure it out? Gee... I guess they really go out on a limb and stick their necks out when they make statements like, "We don't believe today's action will explicity change the trend." 

What!? After decades of this sort of action and the inevitable failures of those actions, why is it  difficult to say straight out that "this Bank of Japan intervention will fail like all the others have before it."

They intervened in the yen at ¥76.9, spending some $50 billion dollars. The yen rose to over ¥80 to the US dollar. Now, today, exactly one week later, we're right back where we started. The yen today, as of 4:11 am August 11, 2011 Japan time, is at ¥76.81... 

Those fricking jerks in the government just threw away, for the umpteenth time, $50 billion dollars of hard earned tax payer money. That's your money and my money! God!@%>?! idiots! 


Now they are considering doing this again!? What the f*ck is wrong with these stupid people?


Yahoo reports:


Japanese policymakers voiced growing alarm on Tuesday as the yen scaled highs seen before last week's intervention and global stock markets crumbled under mounting fears of a new financial crisis. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda on several occasions repeated the mantra that he was watching markets closely as the dollar slid below 77 yen, under levels that spurred Tokyo to take action on August 4. He indicated that authorities would wait to see market reaction to U.S. Federal Reserve decisions later in the day (2:15 p.m. EDT) before deciding whether to act again.


What!? they are thinking about doing this again!? WTF!? God! I'm so pissed off about this I want to scream! How many times do they do this over and over and over and the same thing happens over and over until they finally learn? If history is any judge then we know that they never learn! 


The only thing that does make me happy this morning is the news that, finally, it looks like we will get rid of that moron prime minister Kan...


Reuters reports:


Prospects grew on Wednesday that Prime Minister Naoto Kan would resign this month, setting the stage for the selection of Japan's sixth leader in five years as the country struggles to rebuild from a massive tsunami, forge a new energy policy in the wake of a nuclear crisis and fix tattered state finances. With two key bills that Kan wants to make into law before he goes looking likely to be enacted before parliament's session ends on Aug. 31, Japanese media said Kan's Democratic Party was planning to vote as early as Aug. 28 to select a new leader. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who favours paying for bulging social security costs by raising the 5 percent sales tax, and like Kan sees reining in ballooning public debt as policy priority, is mooted as a leading contender.


Noda!? The guy who keeps recommending that Japan buy dollars to lower the value of the yen!? Are you kidding me? No. Can't be. I just can't believe that. I've died and gone to hell. I refuse to accept it.


Well, Noda or not, if we can judge from the past, the next guy who will torture the Japanese nation as prime minister will be just as much of a dolt as Kan. I think Noda will be even worse. Now that's hard to imagine!


Too bad Japan can't be like Belgium.. They haven't had a government in almost a year... Some people get all the luck!


Maybe I'll move to Belgium.

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Japanese Government Incompetent Resigns Over Abusive Remarks to Disaster Area Officials

Hot on the heels of my last two posts, the first entitled; Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Lather, Rinse, Repeat followed by Nuclear Radiation: No News is Good News  blasting the government of Japan (all government for that matter) for gross incompetence (among others things) another scandal hits the news.

Duh!

It seems that the boss of the newly created March 11 disaster reconstruction team, Ryu Matsumoto, that was just formed by soon-to-be ex-prime minister Naoto Kan has gone and done something really stupid within the very first week on duty. Matsumoto went up to some earthquake and tsunami ravaged areas in Northern Japan and was talking down and being extremely rude to local officials there. Now, after catching some serious backlash, the guy has been forced into resignation.


What a doofus! 

FOR FULL COMEDIC EFFECT, CLICK ON

THIS VIDEO BEFORE YOU CONTINUE READING

This is hilarious. You just can't make this stuff up. A total and complete comedy of errors.


Yahoo Japan reports:

TOKYO – Japan's embattled government received a fresh blow Tuesday when the new disaster reconstruction minister resigned a week after his appointment because of criticism he was rude to officials on a trip to the tsunami-ravaged coast.

Hint: Japan. Rude. No.

The teary-eyed minister, Ryu Matsumoto, apologized and stepped down after a weekend trip in which he berated a local governor for being late to a meeting and threatened to withhold aid.

The guy was teary eyed? Bwa! Ha! Ha! 

Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who created the new Cabinet position last week, had hoped it would help fend off critics who have questioned his leadership in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that wiped out much of the country's northeast coast.

Oh, this episode is really going to help out Kan. Dear Mr. Prime Minister, who hired this Matsumoto guy?

Kan has been under intense pressure to step down himself, but has said he will do so only after putting Japan on a solid recovery path. 

He will resign after "putting Japan on a solid recovery path"? Like how he's handled the debt problem and the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami? That means never.

Seriously, folks. I haven't laughed this hard in a loooooong time.

His government faces deep rifts in the ruling party and an increasingly emboldened opposition, which has denounced his response as dithering and poorly coordinated.

Poorly coordinated? Nah! Rubbish! I won't have it!

Matsumoto's brief performance is unlikely to help.

It may have been brief but it was a damned good show while it lasted.

In meetings with local governors over the weekend, the minister's words were regarded as arrogant and uncaring, angering local residents and political opponents. He told the governor of Iwate, one of the hardest-hit prefectures, that the government would not help municipalities that did not have good ideas about rebuilding.

Ah! Now we're getting to the nitty gritty. This idiot Matsumoto told the governor of Iwate that the government would not help unless the municipalities had good ideas? Yes. I see. Translation: "Yeah. We don't have a fricking clue as to what we're doing so someone has got to have a good idea. How about you guys?"

Gee, come to think of it, this is a representative of the same government who claims that they need to raise Sales Tax to pay for reconstruction of northern Japan! No one said that the people of northern Japan had to score at least 80% on a multiple choice quiz before they got the money!

To Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai, Matsumoto expressed irritation that he was made to wait for the tardy governor. Matsumoto refused to shake Murai's hand when he entered the room and scolded the visibly surprised governor.

Maybe Murai was late as the roads are all shot and the trains all fell off a cliff during the earthquake or something.

"When a guest comes to visit, do not call up the guest until you have arrived in the room," he told Murai. "Do you understand?"

Oh! Goody! He even yells at the people who were victimized by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster! I hope he steeped on their feet, farted and slammed the door on their butts on the way out too!

He then warned journalists in the room not to report his words. 

He then warned the journalists not to repeat his words!? Sensational! This is funny! Is this the same guy who was teary eyed when he resigned? Is this guy for real?

However, they were widely reported in the media, and a video of the exchange was posted on the Internet.

Oh! Juicy! Where's this video? I gotta see this... Oh lucky me! Here it is:

Pardon my French, ladies and gentlemen, but what an asshole this guy is. It may not sound like he is being rude because Japanese is such a very polite language, but if that we me on the receiving end, I'd probably tell this jerk to "get out!" What an arrogant worm!

Jin Sato, the outspoken mayor of badly damaged Minami Sanriku, said the minister's comments deeply upset disaster victims already frustrated with the recovery process.

Think so? Nah!

"I have been saying all along that this government has no sense of speed," he said on public broadcaster NHK. "My frank opinion is that this resignation drama is another misstep."

I'm beginning to think that this Naoto Kan guy is the best prime minister we've had since Mori. The mistakes these people make are hilarious and they give me a good hearty laugh every morning. Seriously, folks, this is unbelievable.

I'm going to be sorry to see Kan go. That guy and his posse make great  entertainment.

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Tax and Spend. Tax and Spend. Tax and Spend. Lather, rinse, repeat.

While driving along the road in front of Waikiki beach, I saw a building that said, "Department of Homeland Security" right next to the harbor. I laughed. Prime location on the beachfront and the federal government has a brand new building for the Department of Homeland Security, in Waikiki no less. Isn't that ironic?

Jack Lord would have been proud.

"Book 'em Dan-o!"

Don't forget that this is the same federal government that was in charge of security when the Twin Towers were attacked on Sept. 11, 2011. Most people who blow their jobs get fired. Not these guys. They get nice offices in Waikiki. 

Funny, you know, if you were the fire chief of some hick town and screwed up  your duties on that day and a bunch of buildings burned down, you'd be fired or would certainly lose your job. Not the government though. They increase our taxes and expand their incompetent services. That's the way the government operates, you know. Their answer to every problem is to tax and expand. 

That's how it works, you see. 

People who have been paying attention will already know that golden rule of politics. And that rule is that no matter what occurs the government response will always be an expansion of that government and that will mean higher taxes for you and me no matter how you slice it.  

So bend over and take it.

On that note, there’s a couple of news stories about Japan that caught my “WTF!?” radar yesterday. I thought I’d write about them today. See if you can catch the irony of the situation.

The clowns in control of the Japanese government claim that they need to increase the current Sales Tax rate of 5% up to 10% in order to cover shortfalls in tax revenues and a burgeoning social insurance liability. They also are using the excuse of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident at Fukushima as a ruse to fool the public that this tax increase is needed and is for the public good.

If it is for the public good, well then, they are not at fault for poor management, you know. Public good and all... But hey, weren't they just claiming that they needed to raise taxes for a different reason before the March 11 earthquake? Why, yes, they were! Then it was out of control spending.

But not now! No! Now is because we are all Japanese people and we must stick together to raise taxes to help the people up north. 

By claiming that monies will be used for reconstruction of the northern Japan region of Tohoku, the government can act like they have no choice but to  increase taxes for the betterment of the public. They’ll claim that they are being “forced” into raising taxes and it can’t be helped due to circumstances outside of their control.

Never mind the fact that Japan’s public debt, by this very same government and preceding administrations pushed the debt to past 200% of GDP long before the March 11 disaster struck. 

Regular readers of this blog will know what I think about this sort of political bandwagon nonsense. 

Here are two articles that I found that I’d like to share with you that shows just what kind of shenanigans go on in the halls of power at Nagatacho.

The first from the Daily Yomiuri newspaper about how the government of Naoto Kan, in spite of being resoundingly defeated in the last election due to an insistence on increasing Sales Tax, is going to push it through no matter what. 

Public opinion and a frail economy be damned. Great timing, eh? No election coming up and all. I wonder what the angle is for the criminals of the LDP? The Daily Yomiuri newspaper:

The government and the Democratic Party of Japan agreed on tax reform plans this week, and plans to submit related bills during the Diet's ordinary session next year. 

Woah! Watch out! "Tax reform" is a code-word for "Tax increase." 

It will need to clearly stipulate in those bills when the consumption tax should be raised and by how much.

Translation: One party agrees to tax hikes and "budget cuts" as long as their pork barrel projects remain intact.

However, there are piles of tasks to be completed before that can happen, such as deciding standards by which to assess the national economy's ability to withstand the tax hike, and determining how tax revenue should be shared between the central and local governments.

Yes. The pirates must always decide how to divvy up the loot.

Thus, the government will have to overcome some high hurdles to realize the agreed plan to raise the consumption tax rate to 10 percent "by the middle of the 2010s."

Hopefully those hurdles will be so high that they kill themslves on the way back down. Faithful readers of this blog might remember my post entitled: Japan's Government Headed for Ouster? Good. The Sooner, the Better. Where I pointed out that the best government that we could possibly hope for is one in constant deadlock because, if they are in deadlock, they can't pass any news taxes. See? I was right. That slimeball Kan snookered his way back into power and now they're talking about raising taxes.

Am I genius or what? No. Not genius. All governments are the same sneaky lowlife. I am merely an astute observer at best.

The bad news continues:

The government's plan is to raise the consumption tax rate in two stages. At first, the rate will likely be bumped to 7 percent or 8 percent in autumn 2013 or later, and then to 10 percent by the end of fiscal 2016.

Great! This means we still have a chance to boot these clowns before they do anymore damage.

It is feared that a single, all-at-once increase to 10 percent might hurt the nation's real economy.

Gee. Do you really think so? It's been proven that an increase in taxes coordinates with a corresponding decrease in tax revenues. Haven't these idiot politicians never heard of the Laffer Curve? No? OK. From Wikipedia:

One potential result of the Laffer curve is that increasing tax rates beyond a certain point will become counterproductive for raising further tax revenue because of diminishing returns. 

Gee wasn't the opposition LDP just claiming that they were against Naoto Kan's plans for reconstruction and didn't they just stand in the last election firmly against any increase in the Sales Tax rate? The Economist reports:

"...opposition parties have threatened to block implementation of the spring budget for the next fiscal year. Without big concessions..."

"Without big concessions!?" Gee, do you think that means that you grease our wheels and we grease yours?... Nah!

You know what is going on here, folks, is that the LDP wonks actually want to increase taxes too but they see a golden opportunity to increase those taxes while at the same time making Naoto Kan and the dimwitted Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) take the blame for it.

See? The LDP gets their cake and eats it too and then win the next election because they can claim that they were against any tax hikes. Those sneaky genius bastards! Gotta hand it to them though… They didn't get to run this country for iffy years by not knowing how to play a very hardball game of poker.

Kan and those clowns are out of their league. The LDP is going to secretly get their tax increase (they were the ones who first put a Sales Tax into place) and they are going to blame the DPJ and return to power.

The next article would be a real head-scratcher except if you remember the golden rule: that no matter what occurs the government response will always be an expansion of that government and that will mean higher taxes no matter how you slice it.

The Japan Times reports that in 2010 Japanese government revenues actually jumped 7.1%!

Tax revenues for fiscal 2010 rose 7.1 percent from the previous year to ¥41.49 trillion, exceeding the earlier forecast of ¥39.64 trillion, thanks to improving corporate earnings, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

Did you do a double-take on that one? I sure did. WTF? The government coiffures  actually increased by more than 7% last year and these clowns still want to raise our taxes?!

Just to prove to you how much of a scam this all is and how completely and totally fiscally irresponsible these people are, here's another article from Feb. 24th, 2011, two weeks before the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, that gives another totally different reason for raising our taxes: Government debt to GDP. From Bloomberg:

Moody's said that it cut its outlook on the credit rating on Japan because of “heightened concern that economic and fiscal policies may not prove strong enough to achieve the government's deficit reduction target”.

Also they said the government's policies would probably not be able to “contain the inexorable rise in debt, which already is well above levels in other advanced economies”.

Analysts said that the move by Moody's was widely expected after S&P's decision to cut its rating. However, they added that while it may have a limited impact on the bond and currency markets, it could have broader political implications.

“Politicians or the finance ministry could use this as a reason to push for fiscal reform, which could include a sales tax hike,” said Satoru Ogasawara, an economist at Credit Suisse. 

Uh oh, there's that "reform" word popping up again.

It looks like these people have their hearts dead-set on raising our taxes one way or another. It would never do to be responsible to do something like, say, cut spending. Oh no! Can't do that.

Twenty years of this sort of out of control spending and tax increases have landed this nation right where it is today: With a faltering economy and massive debt and our credit rating slashed.

At this rate, all we can realistically expect is twenty more years of the same.... That is if we don't go bankrupt before then.

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