Throw the bullshit on the fire

Today I woke up to some news that on the surface could be devastating to our future plans. Japanese politicians are looking to tighten the restrictions on business visas in Japan, basically locking us out by only offering the visa to middle sized and larger businesses, six months before we intended to apply.

This is all because “tourism is out of control” (nevermind that Japan has canabalized it’s own economy and needs tourism to survive). The weak yen and popularity of Japan has been drawing more and more dumb tourists trying to make content on social media.

There are plenty of similar local influencers that exist, and the problem isn’t all that extreme, but some poltiicians see this as a way to take advantage of frustration towards higher prices and busier streets. They need something to rile people up otherwise people will focus on their corruption.

I understand their desire to curb foreigners who don’t live in Japan buying up all the real estate… that’s not what this is about. As is always the case with polticians, they know people are not conditioned for nuance and so they are more concerned with simple narratives that can quickly present a problem and provide a solution.

Problem: there are too many foreigners here
Solution : make things more difficult for foreigners.

Nevermind that there are many kinds of foreigners doing very different things here. Never mind the difference between a resident and a tourist.

I am a taxpayer these 6 years (11 in total with a 6 year hiatus) who speaks the language and could get a list of 200 people who want me here. Forget any of that though, I get lumped in with disrepaectful tourists, the out of control influencers and medical tourists who just try and take advantages of loopholes in the national insurance system.

All this does is make life difficult for foreign restaurants and shops with less than 10 employees. It doesn’t actually solve any problems. It actually makes it worse by making it harder for foreigners to integrate into society and contribute and makes them more likely to come as tourists, and encourages some secondary issues from over tourism which is the real issue here (not even tourism itself).

I am not just angry at my own situation which isnhardly the worst of it. I am angry at the selfish drive to oversimplify and demonize.

….The lack of nuance in other political issues around the world, the black and white oversimplifcation that has so many people on edge and looking at others as the enemy.

A narrative about how we should be open and inviting led to open borders and more benfits for newly arrived undocumented people than residents in the US. And then a narrative about fixing the open border led to innoncent students and workers having their visas suddenly denied extention and making it harder for people to legally get approved to stay.

You can’t have honesty and integrity without nuance, and naunce is always the first thing to go when someone is acting without integrity. A vicious cycle.

I felt a raging anger at these piggy politicians who have contempt for those of us who want freedom and a modest but comfortable life and still mean to contribute to society. “Create a wall so high that only our friends can jump over… and only with our help”.

The rest of us are cannon fodder. Scape goats.

My frustration isn’t just about the situation here, which is still developing, just the fact that so many of these people get away with their shenanigans all over the world.

The way Africans are robbed by their politicians who are propped up by foreign governments. The way Europe is ruled by unelected bureaucrats who preach empty words about democracy and cooperation. The way America is all about divide and conquer.

The way insurance companies feed off our lack of trust in our social connections and pharmaceutical companies feed off keeping us sick. The way the education industry has fooled us into turning society into a fraternity where you are either in or out, and all effort and ability must be funneled through the structures that maintain the status quo.

I resolved not to spend too much time thinking about this.

I resolved to honor my rage, to channel it into something beautiful. I won’t waste this feeling by just shouting and complaining.

All of this is just fuel to go harder.

To speak with more honesty.

To build more bridges.

To be bolder.

To take more risks.

To dream bigger.

To give it my fucking all in the avenues which I have available to me.

Art and music is my path so I’m letting this fire burn to push me faster towards my goals, towards a community of support where we inspire and care for each other.

Let these piggy politicians fire up our engine. That’s what they are good for. Let all the problems of the world help create a blueprint for something better. Let these rotting structures fertilize new paradises for us to inhabit, as true stewards, not as drones or as cogs in a wheel.

Let us come in peace, their violence will come back around to haunt them as our voices reshape landscapes in the image of our highest desires. Every attempt to divide will be met with the love of new connections reaching further and wider than any of us thought possible.

Where there is a will there is a fucking way!

Let’s. Fucking. Go.

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