水説：金持ちが逃げていく＝潮田道夫

(Mainichi Japan) September 28, 2011
Rich Japanese should not receive tax breaks despite signs of fleeing overseas
水説：金持ちが逃げていく＝潮田道夫
　＜ｓｕｉ－ｓｅｔｓｕ＞

A growing number of Japanese people are reportedly moving to Singapore where income and corporate tax rates are far lower than their home country.
　日本からシンガポールに居を移す日本人が増えているそうだ。所得税にせよ法人税にせよずっと安いからだ。

A friend of mine who previously worked as a bureaucrat said celebrities were among those who have moved to Singapore.
　官僚出身のさる友人が移住した有名人を教えてくれた。

I will withhold their names as it doesn't matter if they have chosen to live away from Japan.
名前は秘すが、感想を述べるならば「日本にいてくれなくてもちっとも構わない」というような人々だった。

However, the friend fears that higher tax rates will certainly prompt companies and human resources that are indispensable for Japan's growth to flee abroad sooner or later.
　しかしながら、そのうち日本に必要な企業も人材も海外流出してしまうだろう、というのが友人の懸念である。

To prevent the outflow of key businesses and human resources, it is necessary to lower tax rates.
それを食い止めるには、何税であれ税率を下げるのが一番ということになる。

Corporate tax rates and the maximum rate for income taxes in Singapore and Hong Kong are less than half those in Japan, and these two territories levy no inheritance tax. In terms of tax rates, Japan cannot compete with them.
　シンガポールや香港などの法人税は日本の半分以下である。所得税の最高税率もそうだ。相続税に至ってはゼロ。そこだけみれば日本は勝負にならない。

The friend warns that Japan will hollow out unless it substantially cuts taxes even though such a measure could stir criticism that Japan gives favorable treatment to businesses and wealthy people.
「企業優遇」とか「金持ち優遇」とか言っていないで減税しないと、結果的に日本は空洞化する、というわけだ。

I share the rich exodus fears of my friend, but if Japan gives excessively favorable treatment to major companies and rich people, it will have harmful effects on society.
　私もそういう懸念を共有するけれど、企業優遇、金持ち優遇もやりすぎるとおかしなことになる。

An article that Warren Buffet recently contributed to The New York Times has drawn worldwide attention.
　少し極端な例かもしれないが、米フォーブス誌の長者番付で今年全米２位の投資家、ウォーレン・バフェット氏のニューヨーク・タイムズへの寄稿が話題を呼んだ。

In his article Buffet said he paid 17.4 percent of his taxable income as taxes, below the 20 percent that one of his secretaries paid, because most of his income is earnings from investments.
　バフェット氏の秘書は課税所得の２０％を税金として納めているが、彼はそれより低い１７・４％で済んだ。低税率の投資収入がほとんどだからである。

Buffet then called for higher tax rates for wealthy people.
バフェット氏は「大金持ちにもっと課税せよ」と主張した。余裕だねえ。

Buffet was ranked second in U.S. magazine Forbes' list of the richest people in the country, while the Koch brothers, who own a petrochemical conglomerate, were ranked fourth.
　長者番付に戻れば、全米４位はコーク兄弟。

（この部分英訳抜けです＾＾ by srachai）
ふたりあわせて５００億ドル（約３兆９０００億円）もの資産だ。日本での知名度は低いが、非公開の石油化学財閥のオーナーである。

Thanks to a rise in the prices of resources, the value of the brothers' combined assets has risen from 34 billion dollars four years ago to 50 billion dollars today.
このところの資源高のおかげで、兄弟の合計資産は４年前の３４０億ドルから５００億ドルに跳ね上がった。

However, it is notable that the number of employees at the company that the brothers run decreased from 80,000 to 67,000 even though they have become wealthier -- a fact that dismisses U.S. conservatives' claims that if the rich are given preferential treatment, less wealthy people will also get a small share of their benefits, eventually making everyone happy.
　しかし、ここが肝心なところだが、彼らの企業の従業員総数は８万人から６万７０００人に減少している。米国の保守派は「金持ちを優遇すればそのおこぼれが貧困層にも回ってきて、結果として全員がハッピーになる」と主張してきた。結果はどうか。兄弟はますます金持ちになったが、彼らは雇用を増やすどころか減らしただけである。

As the next U.S. presidential election approaches, President Barack Obama has ended his conciliatory stance toward the Republican Party and has become confrontational.
　オバマ大統領も大統領選が近づくに連れ、共和党への迎合をやめ、対決路線に転換した。

The liberal president has gone back to his principle of raising taxes for the rich and using increased tax revenue to finance public works projects.
「金持ち増税」で公共事業をやる。リベラル派大統領への原点回帰である。

The administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who is also regarded as a liberal, has adopted three basic principles of not saying anything unnecessary, not showing off and not standing out.
　おなじくリベラル派のはずの野田政権は「余計なことは言わない」「派手なことをしない」「突出しない」の３原則。

Can he overcome Japan's various crises with such simple principles? No doubt, Japan is set to hollow out.
これで難局を突破できるのか。日本は間違いなく空洞化するね。（専門編集委員）

(By Michio Ushioda, Expert Senior Writer)
毎日新聞　2011年9月28日　東京朝刊