sachiko

Maybe those traditions should be imposed or re-imposed by the rest of us.

Is there some good reason why a woman who plans to have children should not be expected to find a husband? Hasn't that been a tradition for a very long time?

The percentage of households living on welfare in Japan was 2.14% in 2008.

http://stats-japan.com/t/kiji/11767

The percentage of households living on welfare in the U.S. of A is 35.4%

http://cnsnews.com/commentary/terenc...631000-welfare

Surely we can do better.

Fieldmouse

And the book "coming apart" reviews the very reason why those on welfare and/or earning less money are there by their own choice and/or actions. The common denominators are the family unit and religion.

Champlain Islander

My view on Japan is one that the country has strong traditions, smaller traditional family units and a culture of work. For some reason here in America it has become different for an ever increasing demographic. Our population is quite diverse given the "American way" of welcoming immigrants. I don't know the statistics but suspect Japan has fewer non natives thus allowing a tighter tradition.

sachiko

True, our population is quite diverse and Japan's is quite homogeneous. There are only seven Christians in Japan and two of them don't attend church on a regular basis. (j/k)

Yes, we have incorporated many different immigrations into our society. But which of them brought the tradition of one man, eight kids, by five different women?

Was it the folks from Africa? Doesn't look that way. Those statistics were the same for African-Americans as for any other group a few generations ago. The Irish, Germans, Sicilians? I don't think so.

I think our government's tendency to override morals and enforce what turns out to be a Libertarian/Libertine lifestyle is the basis of the problem.

I think this line of thought that society does not have the right to impose moral values on folks has some flaws. Equal rights may not be completely appropriate when applied to behaviors.

AF Hunter

Or even a less radical and overboard solution would be by letting people know that the government is not responsible to pay to raise your children. If you have kids, you better be able to support them.

Fieldmouse

actually between the open border policy and the welfare state, its changed our American values. The core are still there but being drowned out by an ever increasing population looking for the government handout. We had closed our borders for decades.

It's time we do it for at least one decade and bring back operation Wet Back to deport the illegals instead of distributing them across our country.

waddler

OK. Kill them if they don't? Kill the kids too?

waddler

Whose morals?

AF Hunter

Your argument is asinine.

Champlain Islander

FM has it right. In reality won't happen. Our leadership from both sides and even the middle grounders are too afraid to take on that hot button issue. Is it fear from voter push back from emerging and growing minority groups or something else. The larger cities in this state are full of people who mysteriously came here from afar, got free (to them) housing, an education and now jobs. They didn't show up with any money to pay for it all but it happened. The funny thing about the welfare state...after it gets so big it just grows all by itself...out of control.