Socialism to Egalitarianism: Drop Dead

Fun times in the Diet today as the government got the chance to defend the second supplementary budget bill in House of Councillors Committee. Francisco got to put on his best, vein-popping "No, you're wrong. It WILL have an effect!" defense of the two trillion yen handout that is almost, but not quite, as unpopular as the Cabinet decision promising a rise in the consumption tax within three years.

I must say, I do a double take when hearing both Fukushima Mizuho of the Socialist Party and Kokuta Keiji of the Communists denouncing an egalitarian handout of cash to the citizens. Fukushima indeed called the plan to give every Hiroshi and Hanako an equal amount of cash "the Stupid Stunt of the Century" (seiki no gusaku).

Welcome, my fellow travelers, to the 21st century's more discriminating socialism.