Tin Tức

As we work our life away, we ultimately and inevitably reach a stage where our body is no longer capable of working as efficiently as it did in its prime. That is when people enter retirement. In most countries, retirees earn pension as a means to sustain them without the usual income from their job. However, in countries with an aging population such as Japan, the burden of having to provide for elders who no longer contribute to the economy is evident, which has given rise to the debate of whether it is the government’s responsibility to pay for the elderly’s pension with the money that is, in essence, taxpayer’s money. It is understandable that some may feel entitled to that portion of their earnings instead of an elderly they do not know, but this system exists for a reason, and overturning such an integral aspect of society would undoubtedly have severe consequences.

It is not only out of ethical concerns that we are providing for the elderly who are no longer a part of the workforce. The fact of the matter is, unless we resort to, quite literally, putting them down, pensions are essential in ensuring that part of the population is properly fed and sheltered, as is the responsibility of the government. This is due to the fact that an uncared for population would always result in rising crime rate and other socioeconomic consequences, as has been proven time and time again in the past. Providing for the elderly also indirectly stimulates the economy as it lessens the burden of having to take care of the elderly from young people, who make up the majority of the workforce. In cases where the elderly in question is not given any support from family, care and financial support from the government will be their lifeline, preventing a sizeable part of the population from falling into poverty, resulting in the aforementioned consequences.

Having said that, a big part of why society functions the way it does in terms of how the elderly is treated are ethical in nature. We would not be here if it was not for the tireless
efforts of our forefathers. In the same way we celebrate historical figures, we must treat our predecessors who are still alive with the same respect. It is a moral value that we
must instil in younger generations as well, for they will be the ones shouldering our pensions when we, too, are of retirement age, and what better way to do that than to lead by example. Furthermore, there is no shortage of elderly folks who, unfortunately, do not receive adequate support from their own adult children for it is not required by law. As mentioned previously, this support from the government may be the only lifeline these people have, lest they are left to die. Even if society was not indebted to them, from a purely humane standpoint, it would be unethical to leave people who are unable to fend for themselves to die. As humans, such an act is simply imperceivable, and they are against all of the values we aim to foster as a race.

It is understandable, to a certain extent, why many feel against the fact that a part of the money that they earned and are obligated to pay is used to fund the lives of people they may not feel closely associated with. However, such is the way of society, and there are very good reasons for this, as explained above. What governments can do is to try to
strike a balance between what is a reasonable pension for older folks and what is a reasonable tax rate to impose upon the workforce.

VOCABULARY

Inevitable (adj): không thể tránh khỏi
Pension (n): lương hưu
Sustain (v): duy trì
Debate (n): cuộc tranh luận
Integral (adj): cốt lõi
Uncared for (adj): không được quan tâm tới
Stimulate (v): khuấy động, khuyến khích
Sizeable (adj): khá lớn
Ethical (adj): liên quan đến đạo đức
Predecessor (n): người đi trước