the day of reckoning
Moody'sが社会保障・税一体改革大綱についてかなり強い言葉を使ったコメントを出しました。ここで消費税をあげないとthe day of reckoningに直面することになるというのがそれです。
reckoningは「清算、決算」ですが、the day of reckoningというフレーズで「罪の罰せられる日、過ちを思い知る時」という意味になり、キリスト教のThe Judgement Dayと同じように用いられます。
大型連休明けに日本の将来が決まる国会審議が待ち受けています。（UG）
Japan could face day of reckoning if tax plans fail: Moody's
BUSINESS MAY. 04, 2012 - 07:00AM JST ( 11 )MANILA —
Japan could face “the day of reckoning” sooner than expected if the government fails to raise the sales tax and investors demand higher returns on government bonds, Moody’s Investors Service said this week, keeping up the pressure on Tokyo to enact tax reform bills.
Tom Byrne, senior vice president and regional officer, acknowledged the tax increase would leave Japan facing weaker economic growth but said the country needs to “bite the bullet” and start fixing public finances driven by swelling welfare costs.
“If you don’t increase taxes you’d have to issue more JGBs which moves the day of reckoning closer to the tipping point where markets demand higher risk premiums,” Byrne told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Manila.
“We tend to think there is a tipping point where things could change abruptly.”
