[SeekAndFind]

[Last Dakotan]

Big difference - Japan’s debt is held by the Japanese. Our debt is largely held by foreigners.

[devere]

The difference is they owe it to themselves.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Unlike a VAT, which is largely hidden from consumers, Japan’s consumption tax, as I understand it, is imposed at the point of sale, so consumers feel it — and they are not eager to endure an even deeper bite”

The stimulus approach is pretty good at running up debts, although it's claimed it reduces debt.

The worst tax is a hidden tax, that includes a VAT, Cap and Trade, deficits and inflation. Those are all hidden taxes by politicians wanting to trick us into thinking their spending is free..

[TexasRepublic]

“There’s a way around that problem — deep spending cuts — but nobody is talking seriously about that, in Japan, in Europe, or in the United States.”

The governments are so addicted to the pernicious drug of the public’s money that nothing will pry them from it except bloody revolution.