Depending on Self-help

What are you going to do, if you have serious apprehension about your life in your old age? Europeans would appeal government to enhance welfare. Americans may save money to prepare for the future. Japanese may kill oneself in desperation. It is a report with which suicides in Japan might be increasing. The National Forum of Social Security Reform wrote a final draft of the report it will submit the government this fall. Main concept is to increase burden of old people.

In current comprehensive medical care system, patient from 70 to 74 years old pay 10% of medical fee at the hospital. The forum supports the decision of government to raise the ratio to 20% next spring. The payment of relatively high-income old person for nursing care will also be raised from current 10%, because financial situation of nursing care system has been worsened. On the other hand, nursing care service will be reduced for the people with less necessity, and they will be cared by city government, instead of national government.

This is the typical example, to which the concept of Liberal Democratic Party on social security is reflected. Making a clear contrast from social security policy of Democratic Party of Japan, which is based on universal support, LDP upholds self-sufficiency in welfare policies. To maintain social security system, whether or not it still worth being called “security,” LDP tries to raise its price and shrink its service, instead of fulfilling the shortage.

Although the forum was established as a framework of multi-partisan with participation of DPJ, LDP and New Komeito under the DPJ administration last year, DPJ decided to step away from it, because its discussion was too much one-sided. Actually, the draft mostly dismisses DPJ’s primary policies, including repeal of heavy burden system on the 75 years or older and introducing minimum guarantee in pension system. DPJ wanted to avoid being involved in the discussion going opposite direction.

As in the United States, big or small government is one of the biggest choices in bipartisan system. The point is whether policy matches the situation of society. In Japan, it is unlikely to occur riots and coups against government’s policy on social security. But, the separation between haves and have-nots are getting broader these years. The government needs to recognize this issue not as a matter of economy, but as human rights. Ignoring the impact of this social apathy may cause distrust of any governmental authority and lead to significant erosion of democracy after all.