Happiness is good health and a bad memory.
Ingrid Bergman
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"The voters have to know whether or not their presumed President is a crook." #emailgate #hillaryclinton #hypocrite http://t.co/K95tQY4sUa
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) March 7, 2015
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The Hubris of Statist Central Planners: The Japanese Handsome Tax?
I saw this story first covered by Zero Hedge, although it's been circulated along the Internet, at least since 2012. The aging Japanese population has a below-replacement birth rate and the population could shrink in half by the next turn of the century. Japanese economist Morinaga Takuro suggested tongue-in-cheek that there is an inequality of good looks among men. He posits 3 aspects to male marriageability: looks, income, charm. He thus hopes to boost marriageability of plain-looking men by reducing their taxes while doubling down on handsome men. There are several things wrong with this: for instance, 40% of American births are illegitimate. Tongue-in-cheek, if he wanted to truly manipulate circumstances, he could adopt the Democrats' social welfare programs and/or ban or prohibitively tax contraceptives and condoms. Or require women to wear blindfolds during sex and play the voices of handsome Japanese actors. I can see it now: handsome Japanese could bring my photo to a plastic surgeon and tell the doctors they want to look like me. Or plain-looking Japanese could use their tax savings on a plastic surgeon.
I think the only time I got called handsome during my salad days was by one of those Hare Khrishna ladies sticking a flower on my lapel at an airport. But oddly enough, I drew attention from a couple of gorgeous coeds at OLL. One was the most physically attractive woman I've ever seen: I was headed for the dining hall when I saw her in a breathtaking low-cut white dress (she also had rosy cheeks and a babysoft voice--I was smitten), and my knees literally and involuntarily buckled under me (I almost fell down at the mere sight of her). She would later admit (she only attended the college her first semester) that she had been attracted by my intelligence; how her looks got unwanted attention from guys, and she longed to be recognized for her own thoughts and other gifts as a person. I think she saw in me those unrecognized qualities in herself.
I've struggled with weight most of my adult life; what I can tell you from anecdotal experience, that I got exponentially more attention and flirting the leaner and more fit--although most women seem to prefer guys at least 5 inches taller. Takuro is correct; looks for the most part are beyond our control. But I don't think I've ever heard a woman say, "Wow, babe, your tax refund check is so hot! I can't wait to have our own exemptions!"
But on a more serious note, the megalomaniac planners, besides your education, healthcare and retirement, still think they're competent to intervene in private lives. According to Zero Hedge: "Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set aside 3 billion yen ($30 million) for programs aimed at boosting the birthrate, including matchmaking programs." You may recall Abe's money-printing policies in 2013 helped the Nikkei advance, and girl band Machikado Keiki Japan shortened their skirts accordingly. I'm surprised that didn't boost the birth rate... Without a single yen in subsidies...
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Facebook Corner
(Reason). Hillary Clinton is a hypocrite—and one who has plainly broken the law.
The voters have to know whether or not their presumed President is a crook
Oh, SHUT UP! You frigging, toddlers....THIS, is NOT an issue.
Oh, SHUT UP, you asinine, ass-kissing OP! Maintaining a double standard is a character flaw..
(IPI). The town of Normal, Illinois has a total pension payment equivalent to nearly 70% of town’s general fund property-tax revenue, but like many communities in the state, their hands are tied when it comes to pension reform.
[edited response to a pro-pension troll] Why is Normal experiencing pension problems like many municipalities? Can you say a growing, longer-living public sector retiree base relative to active employee base? Why underfunded? It's not a matter of occasional holidays. It's a combination of excessive distributions, under-contributions of both employee and employer, unrealistic pension plan performance, Not to mention that the Illinois court system refused on constitutional grounds to enforce funding.
[Just an aside here: Normal is the home of Illinois State, where I ended my academic career in a one-year appointment. Its twin town, Bloomington, is the home of insurer State Farm.]
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Robert Ariail via Townhall |
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| Former IL Gov. Quinn; courtesy of the original artist via IPI |
Carly Simon, "Legend in Your Own Time"
