[burgerbrain]

Aging population is countered by immigration, something that Japan is notoriously harsh on. "Success" appears to have the effect of lowering birth rates, as my second link talks about.

There are of course efforts and policies in place to encourage people to have more kids, but focusing on those is ignoring the obvious and proven solution. Furthermore, they do not seem to work. At least not well enough.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Aging_of_Japa...

[dextorious]

Well, if your number one priority is to have a young population (whatever it is), to keep the economy grinding, then that would be a solution. But then you're using people just as interchangeable economic entities, i.e "I need X young workers so that I have that economic outcome".

If, on the other hand, your priority is to preserve your way of live, your country's culture, etc, then encouraging immigration as thus, can lead to many problems, something a lot of countries can attest to.

Now, it's true that historically the US had been a "melting pot", which cultures joining and contributing, etc, but this is a notion of the past in an era with cheap travel, instant communications with the homeland etc. It's not 1890 anymore, when say immigrant workers had to more or less adapt to the "american way of life", separated as they were from their home culture. With a large enough immigrant population, as an immigrant you don't have to "melt" in the pot at all, you don't even have to try to learn english. Especially if the immigrant population, because it's unskilled, has no major aspirations besides some low end job.

[burgerbrain]

"If, on the other hand, your priority is to preserve your way of live, your country's culture"

This is all just xenophobic crap, and you should know that.

If all the people who don't want to work and don't want to fuck only want to speak English, but all the people who do want to work and fuck all speak Portuguese, then so be it. Life isn't a game and people who look the same and talk the same as you are not "your team". You don't "lose" if people dare have different ways of doing things on the same continent as you.

This talk of "the "american way of life"" makes me think of today's XKCD...

Regardless: You asked for a citation that strict immigration policies are hurting Japan, and I believe I have adequately provided them.

[cousin_it]

On the other hand, if the American way of life continues to attract immigrants, there must be something worth preserving about it...

[dextorious]

"""This is all just xenophobic crap, and you should know that."""

That's an idiotic oversimplification, and you should know that.

"""Life isn't a game and people who look the same and talk the same as you are not "your team"."""

Well, they are, and the team is called a "country" or a "nation". They don't have to look the same or talk the same, but they DO HAVE to share certain beliefs and agree on certain procedures.

"""You don't "lose" if people dare have different ways of doing things on the same continent as you."""

Actually, I do lose the ability to live in a country that operates the way I like.

With your reasoning, you can just as well move to Saudi Arabia, and you be fine with no free speech, women not voting/driving, religious hysteria etc.

I don't think that this is the case --you're just talking BS, secure in living in the specific environment that you like and are used to. For all your "diversity" talk, I don't think you could even make it for a week in rural Montana, much less with actual people --including people who could give a rat's arse about diversity.

[burgerbrain]

"That's an idiotic oversimplification, and you should know that."

It's really not... You are a xenophobe.

"team is called a "country" or a "nation"."

1) That is an absurd concept.

2) No part of "political entity" implies "ethnicity/language/tradition"

"Actually, I do lose the ability to live in a country that operates the way I like."

1) Xenophobia, again.

2) It's still allegedly a democracy isn't it? That has to be worth as much as it ever was.

"With your reasoning, you can just as well move to Saudi Arabia, and you be fine with no free speech, women not voting/driving, religious hysteria etc."

Strawman. How mature.

"all your "diversity" talk"

Where?

"I don't think you could even make it for a week in rural Montana"

You know precisely nothing about my personal life. Do not pretend that you do.

"Regardless: You asked for a citation that strict immigration policies are hurting Japan, and I believe I have adequately provided them."

This is still the case. Unless you wish to discuss that further, this conversation is complete.

[dextorious]

"""It's really not... You are a xenophobe."""

Yes, thank you for your five-year-old "did too" reply.

"""1) That is an absurd concept. 2) No part of "political entity" implies "ethnicity/language/tradition""""

In your part of the world, maybe --it was after all a mish-mash of people that made it from scratch, and had to account for that.

In my part, it's even in the constitution. And if you ever read history, you would have found that the political entities called states were based on ethnicity/language/tradition. Maybe the fact that we call them "nation states" would have given you a clue.

"""1) Xenophobia, again."""

Knee jerk reaction, again.

"""It's still allegedly a democracy isn't it? That has to be worth as much as it ever was."""

Actually it's not worth that much. Do you voted for Patriot Act or DMCA?

I find it ironic that Americans, which from what I read on the intertubes can hardly tolerate the vast Bush-voting republican masses in between their two coasts, think that a mass injection of islamic or whatever else immigrants in a country will be even better. Because "there's always democracy".

""""With your reasoning, you can just as well move to Saudi Arabia, and you be fine with no free speech, women not voting/driving, religious hysteria etc."

Strawman. How mature."""

Strawman? Hardly. It's called a challenge. Can you walk the walk? Or do you think all "diversity" is like your friendly Starbucks diversity?

"""all your "diversity" talk" - Where?"""

Gee, I don't know, maybe in all those places where your knee-jerk reaction is to call out a "xenophobe".

"""I don't think you could even make it for a week in rural Montana" You know precisely nothing about my personal life. Do not pretend that you do."""

I don't have to "know" anything. I can see what your writing reveals.

""""Regardless: You asked for a citation that strict immigration policies are hurting Japan, and I believe I have adequately provided them." This is still the case. Unless you wish to discuss that further, this conversation is complete."""

Yes, let's backtrack when the conversation strays to somewhere we don't like. Actually, no, you haven't provided anything.

For one, I already made the distinction between aging and immigration.

Second, I'm in one part of the world with the most immigration influx in the last 10 years, and with the worst economic outcome for the same period. It's not like Japan's case proves anything in general.

Third, "hurting Japan" economically? How about benefiting them other ways? Or is all "economy"?

[burgerbrain]

"For one, I already made the distinction between aging and immigration"

I have already addressed this, and you refuse to acknowledge that.

It is clear that you are beyond hope, you will continue to be a xenophobe even when your excuses for being so are addressed. Your comical attempts to profile me really just highlight the quality of your mental processes.