A “Sneering at the Rich Movement” Has Emerged in Japan’s Income Gap Society

*Hiragana Times CIA(Cynically Insulting Agency)

It was once said in Japan that 100 million Japanese belonged to the middle class, but now, annual income differentials are widening among Japanese. The National Tax Administration Agency announced that the average annual income for 2006 has dropped again, as it has for the last nine consecutive years, and that after a 21 years interval there are again more than 10 million people whose annual income is less than two million yen. On the other hand, the number of people whose annual income exceeds 10 million yen has increased to 2.24 million. Against this background, the “Sneering at the Rich Association” that encourages the working poor, has become a topic of conversation. Hiragana Times CIA interviewed Mr. KANEHIRA Kouhei, president of the association.

CIA: What activities are you undertaking?

Pre.: The true nature of the income differentials lies in the fact that wealth is centralized with a small number of people. Nowadays, the executives of most large companies treat laborers as parts of a machine that is necessary to make products, not as partners with which to share the profits. It is safe to say that the relationship between the two is now like that of a slave and a master. There will no longer be any solutions to improving living standards of the working poor besides this movement.

CIA: It’s a dangerous story, isn’t it? Are you planning to start the Socialist Revolution again?

Pre.: Oh no! The revolution we are looking at is a quite different one. In short, it is a movement to basically change the way of looking at rich people. Thanks to God, members of this group are increasing rapidly these days.

CIA: What is it all about?

Pre.: At present ordinary people are feeling uncomfortable about rich people who enjoy buying luxurious products and enjoying expensive foods. Ordinary people have such high stress levels, therefore we have started this movement to help ease their stresses. Take, for example, that Japanese rich people want to buy foreign deluxe cars. They think it is a status symbol to have such cars, but instead, we look down on them and consider how careless people are to be proud of their wealth. In other words, it will be easier for you to understand if I put it that this is a movement that looks down on the rich people and gets rid of our stress.

CIA: What do you do in the movement?

Pre.: Whenever you happen to see an unpleasant rich person, we look down on him or her by exhibiting an expression that shows that they are a cunning person who has made money for their benefit only. A meeting is held once a week and members will report their results. What joy it is to look down on rich people! It will not be a crime, because we look down on them and feel superior to them not in public, but among the members.

CIA: What will happen after the movement expands?

Pre.: By looking down on rich people, who have more than necessary, instead of respecting them, we can create a world in which rich people feel uncomfortable. Wherever rich people go, whatever they do, they will live in a society where they are always being scorned and looked down on by the overwhelming majority of working poor people. After all, the movement will put the brakes on their greediness and their wealth will be returned to the poor people. This sneering movement will be as revolutionary as the passive resistance movement started by Ghandi.

Comment from CIA
Dear readers, which would you prefer to be - one who becomes rich but is hated by the poor, or one who becomes poor and is jealous of the rich?

*Hiragana Times CIA(Cynically Insulting Agency)

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