Japan’s Finance Minister to Aging Citizens: Hurry Up and Die

The redistributionist welfare state has been justified as an alleged necessity predicated on ‘social justice’ and ‘compassion’. 

But when pseudo-idealism is confronted with reality, where the dependency culture eventually strains on the government finances, politicians reveal of their disdain for social welfare.

Recently the Japanese finance minister Taro Aso candidly uttered a controversial statement censuring aging citizens who depend on the government to “hurry up and die”. 

From the AFP Google 

Japan's finance minister Taro Aso said Monday the elderly should be allowed to "hurry up and die" instead of costing the government money for end-of-life medical care.

Aso, who also doubles as deputy prime minister, reportedly said during a meeting of the National Council on Social Security Reforms: "Heaven forbid if you are forced to live on when you want to die. You cannot sleep well when you think it's all paid by the government.

"This won't be solved unless you let them hurry up and die," he said.

Mr. Aso reportedly retracted this statement a few hours after.

Politicians use the public for their personal and political interests, yet when the welfare state and other political mechanisms backfire, the political class will renege on their commitments and abandon their people.

Mr. Aso’s sentiments already reflects on this, which serves as a blueprint of the future, and will be magnified on the imminence of the debt crisis.

In the world of politics, promises are habitually made to be broken. And the illusions of the welfare state will eventually be shattered.