Recently, an anonymous person criticized the Japanese
government 's current efforts to combat the birth crisis,
suggesting that instead of giving support to those who want to be
parents, they should punish those who do not want to have children ,
especially single men over 30. years. In a leaked document, the author argues
that single people who do not want to “settle down” should be
monitored and punished .
- « Now,
I would like to address the third priority, which is measures to combat
late marriages. The reasons why these measures are
necessary have already been mentioned, but to summarize: There is
a strong correlation between the number of children and the age at first
marriage: the younger the age at first marriage, the more children one
has, and The older the age at first marriage, the fewer the number of
children. It is said that couples who do not have children often
marry at an older age. The reason why people who want to have children
give up is because they are relatively old. The later it is, the more
difficult it will be to get married.
- So
what can be done to combat the trend towards late marriages? There
are two possible solutions. Measures to encourage people to marry at an
early age to avoid late marriages. Accept that late marriages are inevitable
and take steps to reduce their negative effects. There are two
types: The second option is obviously easier from a political perspective.
Option 1 is important, but it is politically taboo, and there is a
question of whether it can be implemented in reality. On the other hand,
the second is easier to do because, in any statistic, the percentage of
single people who want to get married increases with age at any time, and
once they reach a certain age, the percentage decreases.
- However,
this is different from parenting support. In policy terms, it is often
included in support for parenting, such as “expanding public assistance
for infertility treatment.” What differentiates them from
parenting support is that childcare support, free tuition, etc., are
supports that are provided “after birth.” In fact, these are said
to be ineffective and irrational measures to combat the decline in birth
rates.
- Directly
supporting people who want to have children but can't would be effective,
but for some reason this is not being adequately funded to address the
declining birth rate. Since there
is a budget available to combat the declining birth rate, I think we
should do everything we can. It is believed that this is not done because
people with certain attributes do not speak much in the political sphere
and there are no social organizations that can speak on their behalf .
Proposing punishments for single people over 30
years of age who do not wish to get married presents several feasibility and
ethical problems:
- Individual
rights: The proposal goes against
individual rights and personal freedoms. Imposing punishments for personal
decisions such as marital status is a violation of privacy and basic human
rights.
- Social
acceptance: Such a drastic and coercive
measure is unlikely to be accepted by Japanese society, which is known for
valuing privacy and respect for personal decisions.
- Effectiveness: It
is not clear that such coercive measures have a positive impact on the
birth rate. They are more likely to generate resentment and resistance.
Japan faces a serious birth crisis and
an aging population . Birth rates have declined
dramatically in recent decades, and the population is aging rapidly. This has
led the government to seek various solutions, although not all have been
successful or well received.
The government's focus so far has been on supporting
families through economic incentives and child care services, but the
results have not been enough to reverse the trend. The proposal to punish
singles reflects a desperation to find radical solutions to a
problem that threatens to have serious long-term economic and social
consequences.
In short, although the proposal to punish singles
over 30 is extreme and probably unworkable, it underlines the urgency
and seriousness of the birth crisis in Japan . It is crucial that more
balanced and respectful measures for individual rights are found and
implemented to address this problem.
Source: Yaraon!
