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> the village ... now directly or indirectly employs a fifth of all working islanders. Most of the rest are engaged in fishing, also government-subsidized. Dol
by tjic 18y ago
> the village ... now directly or indirectly employs a fifth of all working islanders. Most of the rest are engaged in fishing, also government-subsidized.
Dollars to donuts, we're looking at a case of massive subsidy from the national government.
Jobs may sound good, but if there's a ton of labor going into not-very-productive folks going through the motions (being paid to catch fish that are worth less than the cost of the labor that produces them!??!), then the whole thing is just an elaborate kabuki (pardon me) show masking the fact that it's fundamentally just a case of welfare transfers.
- donw 18y agoCouldn't agree more -- the work-theatre kabuki in Japan is both charming (the three men directing traffic around a hole in the sidewalk), and incredibly idiotic (being paid to catch unprofitable fish). What's strange is that the three guys around the mini-construction-site make sense to me. But I'll still go visit this place, just because it's part of my favorite bit of Japan (Kyushu).
- poiuhjkl 18y ago(being paid to catch unprofitable fish) Isn't necessarily bad. I live in area where coal was deemed uneconomic to mine 20years ago with a subsidy. The result of closing all the mines is that for 20years the area has had the highest unemployment, highest crime, highest drug use and worst health in Europe. The cost of the social security payments, health care, policing and continual 'renewal' attempts have been many times the saving on buying imported coal.
- donw 18y agoYorkshire?