Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
One of the biggest problems facing Japanese society today is “hikikomori” (lit. “shut-ins”), typically young men and women who have shut themselves off from the world completely. Most hikikomori live at home an rely on their parents for food, shelter and financial support.
Though the term hikikomori is of Japanese origin, in recent years it has come up in the international community in relation to NEETS–which stands for “Not in Education, Employment or Training”–who spend their days at home with no money or even future job prospects.
Recently, Belarus’s government has passed a new law dubbed the “NEET Penalty” which penalizes those with no job with a hefty fine or face doing volunteer work. Although the bill seems to taking a lot of criticism, 2ch users were overall supportive and many thought that similar laws should be carried out in Japan.
From livedoorNEWS:
“Why Belarus`s `NEET Penalty` is receiving harsh criticism from the international community
In the former Soviet nation of Belarus, a new law was just passed that penalizes citizens who skip out on taxes and don’t work for 6 months. But the law has been receiving harsh criticism from abroad.
Under the so-called `NEET Penalty`, the aim is to “encourage able citizens to work and to emphasize respect for the constitution which requires citizens to participate in the creation of resources for national spending”. The fine is approximately 30,000 yen and those who do not pay will be detained and forced to do regional volunteer work. Adolescents, disabled persons, women over the age of 55 and men over 60 will be excluded.
With NEETs and hikokomori already a worldwide problem, the Japanese word “hikikomori” has entered into usage among specialists from around the globe and those methods are being discussed in all countries.
However, some are calling Belarus’s new NEET penalty “counter-effective” and say “it’s a form of slavery reminiscent of old East Germany”. One international human rights alliance spoke to the Belorussian government, declaring that “there is a problem concerning human rights. We request that the law and forced labor be abolished immediately”.
He gathers 70 to 80 percent support in the elections every time and and has held power since 1994, but his involvement in election violations and campaign obstructions such as arresting the opposing candidates is seen as a problem,” said a journalist with knowledge about the country.
Up until now, the President has been creating all kinds of “strange laws”.
In Belarus, which is praised for its gorgeous women, he said that “Beautiful women are our nation`s resource” and banned the “export” of beautiful women and is also said to have locked up alcohol and drug addicts into a sort of treatment facility and forced them to work. He likes ice hockey, so he built ice hockey rinks in places around the country and is said to have visited Japan secretly to attend the Nagano Olympics.”
It’s not expected that there will be any imitations of the eccentric president’s anti-NEET measured abroad.
Comments from 2ch:
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
SSSTOOOPPPPP!!
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
This is a good thing
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
Isn’t forced labor better? If they set up several job where workers can work and live on site the problems will be solved
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
So I guess there are sane politicians out there after all
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
It’s communism in action
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
Isn’t this slavery? w
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
You threw away your human rights when you hose to become a NEET w
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
Make a NEET law in Japan as well. Offenders will be drafted into the Self-Defense Force
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
It would good to revise constitution in Japan to make it this strict. Those who don’t work don’t have human rights or the right to speech.
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
So in other words if you can keep paying the 30,000 yen fine then you can keep your jobless lifestyle
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
In Japan we have individual freedom so whether you work or not isn’t an issue. It’s simply that we can’t provide public assistance for people who can’t work even if they wanted to.
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
I wish they’d do away with the whole volunteer-if-you-don’t-pay and send them to jail
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
In Japan there’s also a duty to work so it wouldn’t be strange to penalize those who don’t
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
“Penalty” sounds bad so how about calling it a NEET tax?
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
Even in Japan, two of the “Three Major Duties” in the constitution are “The Duty To Work” and “The Duty To Pay Taxes”. They’re the “Three Major Duties” and yet it’s strange that there’s nothing in the way of penalties.
名無しさんの5月17日まで板ルール集中議論中：
Look, it’s not like NEETs are doing what they’re doing because they enjoy it right? I wish you guys would show some consideration
