Regarding the closing quote from the article above, "Older people are squeezing money from the young and future generations under the current system": No elder-bashing, please!
The current crop of older people — such as the lifelong taxi driver mentioned who didn't retire until he was 75 — worked hard all their lives, paid taxes and public health insurance premiums, and contributed to pension plans for decades.
I don't think he and his friends are "squeezing money from the young and future generations." They're just getting a small return on their 40 or 50 or more years of investment.
They are also helping the country by keeping themselves physically and mentally fit through preventive medicine and social contact. None of the retirees described in the article requires nursing home care or hospitalization, so they are actually saving money for the system.
If they can't afford to stay fit as outpatients, there will be even more demand for nursing homes and inpatient care.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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