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The difference between Japan and the west

August 12, 2025
Wealth Inequality Enough is Enough Tax Wealth Not Work Economics of Covid Rich get Richer Poor get Poorer Economics Explained Tax the Rich End Austerity Billionaire Poverty
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One<00:00:00.320> time<00:00:00.400> I<00:00:00.560> was<00:00:00.640> at<00:00:00.800> this<00:00:00.960> karaoke<00:00:01.360> with<00:00:01.520> a

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One time I was at this karaoke with a

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One time I was at this karaoke with a bunch<00:00:01.760> of<00:00:01.920> like<00:00:02.159> some<00:00:02.399> Japanese,<00:00:02.879> some

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bunch of like some Japanese, some

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bunch of like some Japanese, some non-Japanese<00:00:04.000> and<00:00:04.160> I<00:00:04.319> sang<00:00:04.480> my<00:00:04.720> wonder<00:00:05.040> and<00:00:05.120> I

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non-Japanese and I sang my wonder and I

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non-Japanese and I sang my wonder and I was<00:00:05.359> just<00:00:05.600> looking<00:00:05.839> like<00:00:06.000> I<00:00:06.160> hated<00:00:06.400> it.<00:00:06.560> And

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was just looking like I hated it. And

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was just looking like I hated it. And this<00:00:06.960> old<00:00:07.440> Japanese<00:00:07.839> man,<00:00:08.160> his<00:00:08.400> name<00:00:08.559> was

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this old Japanese man, his name was

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this old Japanese man, his name was Hiroshi<00:00:09.280> said,<00:00:09.360> "Come<00:00:09.599> sit<00:00:09.760> next<00:00:09.920> to<00:00:10.080> me."<00:00:10.320> And

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Hiroshi said, "Come sit next to me." And

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Hiroshi said, "Come sit next to me." And he<00:00:10.719> said<00:00:10.800> to<00:00:11.040> me,<00:00:12.400> "What<00:00:12.800> you<00:00:12.960> need<00:00:13.040> to

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he said to me, "What you need to

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he said to me, "What you need to understand<00:00:13.599> about<00:00:14.000> karaoke<00:00:14.559> is<00:00:15.280> it<00:00:15.519> doesn't

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understand about karaoke is it doesn't

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understand about karaoke is it doesn't matter<00:00:16.480> whether<00:00:16.800> you<00:00:16.960> sing<00:00:17.279> well<00:00:17.440> or<00:00:17.680> sing

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matter whether you sing well or sing

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matter whether you sing well or sing badly.<00:00:19.039> What<00:00:19.279> matters<00:00:19.600> is<00:00:20.320> your<00:00:20.640> guests<00:00:21.039> have

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badly. What matters is your guests have

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badly. What matters is your guests have a<00:00:21.359> good<00:00:21.520> time."<00:00:22.320> And<00:00:22.560> I<00:00:22.720> didn't<00:00:22.960> really

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a good time." And I didn't really

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a good time." And I didn't really realize<00:00:23.519> that.<00:00:23.760> I'd<00:00:24.000> been<00:00:24.160> going<00:00:24.320> in<00:00:24.480> with

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realize that. I'd been going in with

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realize that. I'd been going in with this<00:00:24.880> like<00:00:25.119> quite

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this like quite

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this like quite stupid,<00:00:28.080> quite<00:00:28.480> selfish,<00:00:29.119> quite<00:00:29.599> quite

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stupid, quite selfish, quite quite

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stupid, quite selfish, quite quite English,<00:00:30.400> quite<00:00:30.640> western<00:00:30.960> mentality,<00:00:31.359> which

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English, quite western mentality, which

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English, quite western mentality, which is<00:00:31.679> I'm<00:00:31.840> supposed<00:00:32.000> to<00:00:32.160> sing<00:00:32.399> well<00:00:32.640> and<00:00:32.880> I'm

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is I'm supposed to sing well and I'm

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is I'm supposed to sing well and I'm getting<00:00:33.440> self-conscious.<00:00:34.160> And<00:00:34.320> then<00:00:34.399> they

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getting self-conscious. And then they

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getting self-conscious. And then they were<00:00:34.719> like,<00:00:34.800> "No,<00:00:35.040> what<00:00:35.200> you<00:00:35.280> want<00:00:35.360> to<00:00:35.440> do<00:00:35.520> is

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were like, "No, what you want to do is

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were like, "No, what you want to do is you<00:00:35.840> want<00:00:36.000> to<00:00:36.079> make<00:00:36.160> everyone<00:00:36.480> else<00:00:36.640> have<00:00:36.719> a

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you want to make everyone else have a

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you want to make everyone else have a good<00:00:36.960> time."<00:00:37.200> And<00:00:37.360> then<00:00:37.600> I<00:00:37.840> kind<00:00:38.000> of<00:00:38.160> changed

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good time." And then I kind of changed

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good time." And then I kind of changed the<00:00:38.719> way<00:00:38.800> that<00:00:38.960> I<00:00:39.600> approached<00:00:40.000> karaoke<00:00:40.480> and<00:00:40.640> I

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the way that I approached karaoke and I

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the way that I approached karaoke and I would<00:00:40.879> try<00:00:41.040> to<00:00:41.280> make<00:00:41.360> a<00:00:41.520> bit<00:00:41.600> of<00:00:41.680> a<00:00:41.840> joke<00:00:41.920> of<00:00:42.079> it

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would try to make a bit of a joke of it

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would try to make a bit of a joke of it and<00:00:42.320> try<00:00:42.480> to<00:00:42.559> make<00:00:42.719> everybody<00:00:43.040> else<00:00:43.200> enjoy<00:00:43.360> it.

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and try to make everybody else enjoy it.

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and try to make everybody else enjoy it. And<00:00:43.600> what<00:00:43.840> what<00:00:44.079> I<00:00:44.239> found<00:00:44.480> was

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And what what I found was

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And what what I found was when<00:00:45.520> I<00:00:45.680> started<00:00:45.920> focusing<00:00:46.320> on<00:00:46.480> making<00:00:46.640> the

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when I started focusing on making the

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when I started focusing on making the other<00:00:47.039> people<00:00:47.200> around<00:00:47.520> me<00:00:47.680> enjoy<00:00:47.920> it<00:00:48.079> more,<00:00:48.800> I

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other people around me enjoy it more, I

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other people around me enjoy it more, I also<00:00:49.600> enjoyed<00:00:50.000> it<00:00:50.399> much<00:00:50.640> more.<00:00:50.960> And<00:00:51.120> I<00:00:51.360> kind<00:00:51.520> of

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also enjoyed it much more. And I kind of

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also enjoyed it much more. And I kind of felt<00:00:51.840> that<00:00:52.079> like<00:00:52.320> this<00:00:52.719> I<00:00:53.039> I<00:00:53.840> being<00:00:54.160> raised<00:00:54.399> in

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felt that like this I I being raised in

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felt that like this I I being raised in this<00:00:54.879> like<00:00:55.199> get<00:00:55.440> rich<00:00:55.600> or<00:00:55.760> die<00:00:56.000> trying

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this like get rich or die trying

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this like get rich or die trying culture.<00:00:56.719> I'd<00:00:56.960> kind<00:00:57.120> of<00:00:57.199> allowed<00:00:57.600> myself<00:00:58.239> to

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culture. I'd kind of allowed myself to

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culture. I'd kind of allowed myself to believe<00:00:59.280> that<00:00:59.600> in<00:00:59.840> life<00:01:00.480> you<00:01:00.719> have<00:01:00.879> a<00:01:01.039> choice

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believe that in life you have a choice

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believe that in life you have a choice between<00:01:02.000> do<00:01:02.160> you<00:01:02.239> take<00:01:02.399> care<00:01:02.480> of<00:01:02.640> yourself<00:01:02.879> or

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between do you take care of yourself or

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between do you take care of yourself or do<00:01:03.199> you<00:01:03.280> worry<00:01:03.440> about<00:01:03.680> worry<00:01:03.920> about<00:01:04.000> other

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do you worry about worry about other

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do you worry about worry about other people<00:01:04.559> and<00:01:04.720> you<00:01:04.879> have<00:01:05.040> to<00:01:05.119> take<00:01:05.280> care<00:01:05.360> of

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people and you have to take care of

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people and you have to take care of yourselves<00:01:05.760> cuz<00:01:05.920> no<00:01:06.080> one<00:01:06.159> is<00:01:06.320> going<00:01:06.400> to<00:01:06.479> take

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yourselves cuz no one is going to take

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yourselves cuz no one is going to take care<00:01:07.040> of<00:01:07.280> you.<00:01:07.840> And<00:01:08.000> then<00:01:08.240> from<00:01:08.400> my<00:01:08.640> time<00:01:08.799> in

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care of you. And then from my time in

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care of you. And then from my time in Japan<00:01:09.280> I<00:01:09.439> realized<00:01:09.840> that<00:01:10.000> I<00:01:10.320> think<00:01:10.560> really

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Japan I realized that I think really

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Japan I realized that I think really personally<00:01:12.479> I<00:01:12.720> think<00:01:12.880> that<00:01:13.119> makes<00:01:13.280> us<00:01:13.600> smaller

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personally I think that makes us smaller

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personally I think that makes us smaller as<00:01:14.320> humans<00:01:14.960> to<00:01:15.119> to<00:01:15.520> think<00:01:15.600> that<00:01:15.840> you<00:01:16.000> you<00:01:16.320> can

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as humans to to think that you you can

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as humans to to think that you you can only<00:01:16.640> be<00:01:16.880> all<00:01:17.119> for<00:01:17.280> me<00:01:17.920> or<00:01:18.080> or<00:01:18.400> nothing<00:01:18.640> for<00:01:18.799> me.

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only be all for me or or nothing for me.

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only be all for me or or nothing for me. I<00:01:19.280> think<00:01:19.360> that<00:01:19.600> we<00:01:20.080> have<00:01:20.240> the<00:01:20.479> capacity<00:01:20.799> as

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I think that we have the capacity as

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I think that we have the capacity as humans<00:01:21.600> to<00:01:21.920> both<00:01:22.240> be<00:01:22.479> selfish<00:01:22.880> and<00:01:23.119> care<00:01:23.360> for

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humans to both be selfish and care for

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humans to both be selfish and care for ourselves<00:01:24.320> and<00:01:24.479> I<00:01:24.640> think<00:01:24.720> that<00:01:24.880> you<00:01:25.040> have<00:01:25.200> to

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ourselves and I think that you have to

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ourselves and I think that you have to do<00:01:25.439> that.<00:01:25.600> you<00:01:25.759> have<00:01:26.000> if<00:01:26.159> you<00:01:26.240> don't<00:01:26.400> care

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do that. you have if you don't care

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do that. you have if you don't care about<00:01:26.720> look<00:01:26.880> after<00:01:27.040> you<00:01:27.200> who's<00:01:27.360> going<00:01:27.439> to<00:01:27.520> look

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about look after you who's going to look

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about look after you who's going to look after<00:01:27.920> you<00:01:28.400> and<00:01:28.640> also<00:01:29.040> care<00:01:29.280> for<00:01:29.439> others<00:01:29.920> you

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after you and also care for others you

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after you and also care for others you know<00:01:30.799> I<00:01:31.040> think<00:01:31.119> that<00:01:31.360> we've<00:01:31.600> really<00:01:31.920> made<00:01:32.320> made

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know I think that we've really made made

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know I think that we've really made made people<00:01:33.520> smaller<00:01:34.079> in<00:01:34.400> by<00:01:34.720> convincing<00:01:35.119> them

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people smaller in by convincing them

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people smaller in by convincing them that<00:01:35.520> they<00:01:35.680> that<00:01:35.920> they<00:01:36.079> have<00:01:36.240> to<00:01:36.320> be<00:01:36.479> selfish<00:01:36.960> I

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that they that they have to be selfish I

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that they that they have to be selfish I think<00:01:37.200> and<00:01:37.840> that<00:01:38.079> means<00:01:38.240> that<00:01:38.400> they<00:01:38.640> can't

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think and that means that they can't

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think and that means that they can't give<00:01:39.200> as<00:01:39.360> well<00:01:39.600> I<00:01:39.759> think<00:01:39.920> like<00:01:40.240> 100%<00:01:41.439> you<00:01:41.680> can

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give as well I think like 100% you can

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give as well I think like 100% you can do<00:01:42.079> both<00:01:42.720> you<00:01:42.960> should<00:01:43.119> do<00:01:43.360> Oh.