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‘Hurry up and die,’ Japan’s Finance Minister tells nation’s elderly - The Globe and Mail
I could just imagine the outrage this would cause in North America
In North America, longevity is the holy grail. But in Japan, home of the famous centenarians of Okinawa, living to a ripe old age is becoming a source of shame.
While magazines such as National Geographic rhapsodize over Okinawan seniors – who are among the longest lived on earth – Japan’s new Finance Minister, Taro Aso, has a harsh message for the nation’s elderly: “hurry up and die.”
Almost a quarter of the population is over age 60, leaving Japan’s social services crippled by the financial and medical needs of the elderly.
The number of households receiving welfare that include a senior over age 65 represent about 40 per cent of the total, the Guardian reported.
Aso, a wealthy 72-year-old, said he couldn’t imagine living off the state in his golden years. “I would wake up feeling increasingly bad knowing that [treatment] was all being paid for by the government,” he said.
I could just imagine the outrage this would cause in North America