Thursday May 24, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

IMF chief: Japan should prioritize reducing debt

Business Nov. 12, 2011 - 03:43PM JST ( 9 )

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Order by Time Order by Popularity

9 Comments

-1

Elbuda MexicanoNov. 12, 2011 - 09:46PM JST

What a lovely place so far away from all of the economic mess back in Washington DC and of the EU, ALOHA!
1

herefornowNov. 12, 2011 - 10:22PM JST

Japan’s debt is the world’s highest after years of pump-priming measures by governments trying in vain to arrest the economy’s long decline.

Much of government spending is swallowed up by a social security system catering to a rapidly ageing population, while entrenched deflation and the feeble economy have made it hard for lawmakers to curb borrowing

Elbuda -- did you read the article and the above? Japan has its own version of an economic mess, which will take decades to even make a dent in. Especially with an aging, shrinking population, and no plan at all on how to fix it.
0

AiserXNov. 12, 2011 - 11:59PM JST

Although the IMF has a good point, they still have no credibility. The IMF should NOT lecture or advise anyone on anything. They still have not explained what they've done to Argentina. Every indebted country can help lower debt by abandoning the IMF altogether. It is one big global wealth redistributing sucking coercive leech that relies on the donations of Govt officials at the expense of ALL tax payers. Greece is a good example, during a past bail-out Greece was bailed out by a combination of E.U and American tax payers dollars through the Federal Reserve into the IMF and then into Greece, it's an out rage.
0

ubikwitNov. 13, 2011 - 03:03AM JST

the IMF does not have a good point.

under the present recession-like circumstances, not too mention the 3-11 disaster, talk of reducing national debt is technocratic Rubish from a bureaucrat of the privileged class.

she sounds like a right wing pundit from the USA, and should be an embarrassment to the progressives in france.

what she says about the strong yen is also far too weak compared to her proclamation on debt.

international economics agencies are dysfunctional because they are all implicated in the finance crisis, so they are all acting like apologists for the criminal INVESTOR CLASS, of which they are either members or aspiring thereto.
0

NeoJamalNov. 13, 2011 - 03:57AM JST

Oh thank goodness

For a second I thought the IMF was insisting Japan to accept its bailout.
-1

herefornowNov. 13, 2011 - 09:40AM JST

ubikwit -- you should have read the article more carefully. She acknowledged that Japan needs to focus on rebuilding in the short-term. But, in the medium-term needs to start to address the huge debt. And if you don't think that is sound advice, coming from someone who has been deeply involved in the problems in the EU, then you are just being deliberately ignorent. Japan should have addressed its debt years ago, and Tohoku has made the fact that they did not even worse. But don't use it as an excuse to continue to just ignore the obvious.
0

globalwatcherNov. 13, 2011 - 12:22PM JST

Christine Lagarde is absolutely correct. The sovereign debt of Japan is growing faster than GDP. The solution is balancing the budget while increasing GDP output. This should have done a long time ago. .
-1

PT24881Nov. 13, 2011 - 06:16PM JST

Unfortunately, IMF has never been a friend indeed to countries in need, Madame Lagarde was only a 'product' of 'compromise' resulted from power sharing between the EU & the US.. In exchange, the US has put a few American deputy heads at the IMF to keep an eye on her & to safeguard the US' dominance in any major decisions.

Hence, having clarified her symbolic role play with no genuine power, throwing a few 'politically correct' comments around & returning home with no pressure on achievements, one can treat her trip as a simple tourist. Come on, no need to be serious about what she said given Japan's public debts ( of course it is still a debt ) remain an internal issue, not to mention the fact that Japan has never ask for help from the IMF. What Japan tries to avoid is Madame Lagarde came for more contributions to the IMF -- don't pour money into a casino's pocket !
0

ubikwitNov. 14, 2011 - 01:12AM JST

yes, she is just saying what the INVESTOR CLASS wants to hear, because she is their representative.

the japanese gdp has been hammered by several factors, most of which are external to japan, as evinced by the extraordinarily high yen. that issue has received no significant input from the imf or g20 or any other international body.

that is also a product of the INVESTOR CLASS cretins represented by mademoiselle lagarde.

i think that from a macroeconomics perspective, all of this talk about debt reduction is patently out of sync with the present reality.

who can really think of the "medium term" at a time like this? that term is just a rhetorical device to try and lay more of the blame on countries instead of the CRIMINAL INVESTOR CLASS, brought to you by...