The New York Times showcased an apparent disregard for human life when it chose to legitimize the idea of mass suicide as one “drastic” method to deal with Japan’s aging population.
The Times pushed the extremism of Yale University Assistant Professor of Economics Yusuke Narita, who apparently doesn’t mince words. “‘I feel like the only solution is pretty clear,’” Narita reportedly stated during a 2021 online news program. “‘In the end, isn’t it mass suicide and mass ‘seppuku’ of the elderly?’ Seppuku is an act of ritual disembowelment that was a code among dishonored samurai in the 19th century.’” The Times propagandized Narita as an academic leaning “into his Ivy League pedigree as he fosters a nerdy shock jock impression. He is among a few Japanese provocateurs who have found an eager audience by gleefully breaching social taboos.” Yikes.