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I just watched this brief and interesting report on the phenomenon of a spike in petty crime committed by the elderly in Japan. Just more proof that seniors the world over are struggling just to survive changes in family structure, the economy and strained social support systems in a country with one of the oldest populations. Currently 1 out of every 3 people is 65+ -- or 29% of the total count. Italy is 24%, Germany is 22% and the US is 18%.
https://youtu.be/A3Jbk49tCr8?si=117Ur_-PW8hv9aW3

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The world is all but in a global depression. If people can't afford to eat they're going to steal. Responsible adults aren't having children anymore because they can't afford them. The only populations that are booming are third-world countries and reckless people who don't provide for their kids. Then so many with no money, professional skills, or any way to support themselves and families migrate to places like Japan who didn't have the strictest immigration policies and they break their social service systems. Same thing happened in Western Europe and the Scandinavian nations. So there's very little left to support the non-migrant population of a country like the elderly, disabled, and their lower incomed citizens. Now factor in the prices of everyday things like food, fuel, housing, etc... and you're left with a whole segment of the population stealing to get by and living int he street.
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Japan stopped having kids. Men worked long hours away from their wives for decades only to end up with shaky marriages and no growing family. They are not in a good shape financially and are over taxed. The government funded retirement accounts are just not enough and with Japan continuing to struggle financially, thinks don't look great. With no descendants and a poor retirement plan, it's no wonder some are panicking.
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Fawnby, they are shoplifting essentials and many are so old they are not punished. Others want to get caught because Japanese jails are much nicer than living on the streets: in jail they get “3 hots and a cot”. Yes, every country has homeless people it’s just so much more tragic when they’re in their 90s and shocking when it’s in a wealthy and “orderly” country.
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Could it be that elderly populations are realizing that they are unlikely to be punished for petty crime? From what I can tell, younger populations aren't punished much either. Takeovers of city streets and shopping malls, shoplifting, beach riots on spring break, whatever. Unfortunately, we defunded the police in many places. We admire sports heroes who are punks and thugs. So what if a 65-year-old man steals a grapefruit from the supermarket? Who cares? (Except for you and me, of course.)
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