Thread

More than 100k people in Japan are now aged 100 or older

217 points · 282 comments · karakoram

shoobiedoo · 1789687401 · focus · HN ↗
This article calls it a "quiet emergency" but even as a foreigner living in Japan there are alarm bells everywhere. And the government buying 150 F35's is just a slap in the face when there's a massive chunk of the population that is, very quickly, going to need extra care.
I looked into becoming a care aid myself as I'm tired of office culture in Japan and have some experience in that field. I was shocked to see that they start at less than 10USD, and working your way up takes years, decades even.
Continuing to kick this can down the road is going to be an absolute disaster.
1. stickfigure · 1789690944 · focus · HN ↗
  > buying 150 F35's
  Your immediate neighbor is going on an imperialist streak right now, and Xi says he wants the fireworks to start in his lifetime. I don't know if F35s are the right answer for Japan, but Xi isn't that young. Get ready however you can.
  1. mars-or_wars · 1789692885 · focus · HN ↗
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    mars-or_wars · 1789693005 · focus · HN ↗
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    strictnein · 1789693592 · focus · HN ↗
    Not sure what history books you're reading, but the history of China is one of imperialism. China didn't just form with its current borders. It expanded and contracted and expanded some more for millennia.
    mars-or_wars · 1789693999 · focus · HN ↗
    China's borders today are essentially identical to what they were...
    ... when the U.S. Declaration of Independence was first uttered in 1776
    strictnein · 1789696117 · focus · HN ↗
    That is completely immaterial and makes absolutely no sense. An imperial power isn't one because its borders were set in 1776 (which they weren't)?
    Also.. this little event where they added something like 10% of the current size. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951_Chinese_annexation_of_Tibet" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951_Chinese_annexation_of_Tib...
    But I'm sure that wasn't imperialism because they had already conquered Tibet previously... in an act of imperial expansion.
    mars-or_wars · 1789802960 · focus · HN ↗
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    Insanity · 1789694249 · focus · HN ↗
    The borders were continuously shifting, but they did stay somewhat near a focal point for centuries.
    The US meanwhile has an overseas empire for honestly no good reason.
    Highly recommend the book “How to hide an empire” which talks about the American version of colonialism.
    lovich · 1789696564 · focus · HN ↗
    The reason for our overseas empire was to maintain our economic dominance.
    If everyone voluntarily refused to touch boats and only trade oil for dollars we may have invested differently.
    Insanity · 1789700954 · focus · HN ↗
    "Maintain economic dominance" is a bit of a distorted view of late 19th century US colonialism. It was not a dominant economic power compared to colonial Europe. It was to boost the local economy for sure, with the guano islands. But colonizing the Philippines after the "war" with Spain was mostly to prevent European colonial powers from dominating that part of the world.
    The US didn't become economically dominant until after the first World War, when it already had an overseas empire for half a century.
    lovich · 1789702660 · focus · HN ↗
    I assumed the comment I was replying to was in reference to our constellation of military bases and the economic machinations post ww2.
    If it was referencing history prior to that then I would reply with the as you mentioned guano mines, fruit production, and keeping European powers out of our regional backyard after several scuffles with Spain and Britain at minimum.
    I’d also mention the boat touching still.
    The Marine’s Hymn doesn’t mention the Halls of Montezuma and the Shores of Tripoli for no reason.
    strictnein · 1789697121 · focus · HN ↗
    > The borders were continuously shifting, but they did stay somewhat near a focal point for centuries.
    Ok? They were still an imperial power. Having a stable border for a little while doesn't affect that definition.
    > The US meanwhile has an overseas empire for honestly no good reason.
    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism
    Insanity · 1789701088 · focus · HN ↗
    Not entirely whataboutism from my part (in my opinion), the thread above was talking about China and US imperialism in (now deleted) comments. It's not like I brought in the US out of nowhere although it looks that way due to deleted comments.
    Same for the first part you're commenting on, that was in direct response to the thread.
    kakadu · 1789694504 · focus · HN ↗
    > China didn't just form with its current borders. It expanded and contracted and expanded some more for millennia.
    As did everyone else?
    I don't see China having military bases all over the world and proping up "freedom fighters"
    strictnein · 1789695729 · focus · HN ↗
    I was responding to the incorrect assertion that China was the least imperialist country on the planet, which is clearly false. Maybe read the entire conversation before jumping in?
    kakadu · 1789702124 · focus · HN ↗
    You keep spewing apologist nonsense by refusing to acknowledge that the US is by far the most imperialist entity at the moment.
    In comparison, China is the least.
    matheusmoreira · 1789703117 · focus · HN ↗
    China has been very active in Africa as of late, and it has... Interests in my own country as well.
    defrost · 1789703735 · focus · HN ↗
    Interestingly China in Africa has been more commercial (not that "free" long term loans don't have a down side, and bribing "officials' to condone the sale of generational farming lands, etc. isn't a bad thing) than military - but where China has used mercenary forces .. it's most often been outsourced to US PMCs (Private Military Contractors)
    eg. In the Congo <a href="https://friendsofthecongo.org/erik-prince-in-congo-transnational-business-or-imperialism-by-a-different-name/" rel="nofollow">https://friendsofthecongo.org/erik-prince-in-congo-transnati... and elsewhere.
    klrefg · 1789713965 · focus · HN ↗
    > In comparison, China is the least
    You only know of two major countries in the world?
    strictnein · 1789735209 · focus · HN ↗
    The original post didn't mention the US.
    My response didn't say any country was better or worse than any other country, just that China had an imperialist past.
    The strange whataboutism you're doing and trying to "debate" things that only you have brought up isn't a compelling form of argumentation. Stating that I was defending and spewing "apologist nonsense" about the US, when I hadn't mentioned the US at all is just really odd. I can't tell if you're really young and haven't learned about how to argue points and/or you're from China and simply can't handle anything negative said about your homeland?
    iioiio · 1789699776 · focus · HN ↗
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