The International Monetary Fund has joined Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and leading politicians and bureaucrats in laying down a remorseless softening up barrage of facts, figures, argument and just plain determination that the country's consumption tax should rise as quickly as possible.
Noda wants to increase the tax from the current 5 percent to 8 percent by 2014 and 10 percent by October 2015. The IMF is arguing for 15 percent in steps.
Other economists claim that the tax may have to go to 20 percent or even higher to bring Japan's debts under control. It's tempting to ask who's going to bid 22.5 or 25 or 30 percent.