(Is the sunset crying or smiling, dear?)"Hey, Wait, Mr. Postman!"
("Hé, attendez une minute, postier!")
SECTION 1: Nice Posting in "ECONOMY IN CRISIS"
I cannot help but feel like laughing when reading the following description (probably like a Japanese non-nonsense diplomat or economist does):
When we consider the stark contrast of our economy with that of Japan, it should make us aware that there is much room for improvement in our economic system. It should be a wake up call that unless we make major changes quickly, Japan’s economy may soon smother ours.
This may be hard to believe and come as a shock but just look at the comparative statistics and accomplishments of Japan versus America.
To put this in perspective, this is how America compares with a country as small as Japan:
- Land: Japan is a country with only 4% of our land mass (smaller than California) and is 90% mountainous and infertile.
- Resources: Japan has minimal natural resources - no oil, no coal, and no iron, just fish!
- Manufacturing: To manufacture a product, Japan must import all of its required resources. Even after this expense, they have an $88 billion per year balance of trade surplus with America alone (their exports versus imports with America) (2006, US Census Bureau) and also accumulate one-third of the world's savings (US News & World Report, March 19, 2001).
- Wages: Few Americans realize that Japanese hourly compensation costs in US dollars were nearly identical to that of US hourly compensation in 2005 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Savings and Debt: The average Japanese family has a savings equivalent to $117,000 US Dollars (US News & World Report, March 19, 2001). American families average $85,000 in debt (USA Today, October 4, 2004).
- Income Through Trade: Japan had the world’s second highest current account surplus (net trade plus interest and other income) next to China in 2006 of $170 billion while the US current account deficit including goods, services, income, transfers was a staggering $857 billion loss, the world’s largest, according to the US Department of Commerce and the International Monetary Fund.
- Investment Income: Japan earned $118 billion on its foreign investments in 2006 and the US actually lost $7 billion according to the International Monetary Fund.
Japan must be doing something right! Better planning, direction, and a more responsive government are keys to their success. They have learned much from us and have improved on it. Perhaps it would be wise for us to study their improvements for our own benefit.
http://www.economyincrisis.org/articles/show/1088
Ok, still Japanese Government should try hard to disseminate and diffuse correct information on Japan even into our allied country the United States of America.
The Publication Division of the Japan's Prime Minister's Office should also try hard.
SECTION 2: A Comment Posted by a Guest
There is one interesting comment to the above description or report posted on May, 2007.
guest says "Correction on world's largest current account surplus" on 05/27/07
"China had a current account surplus of $250 billion in 2006. So, Japan's current account surplus in 2006 was second to China's. Nevertheless, Japan supplies most of the capital equipment and sophisticated materials for China's advanced manufacturing industries."
As of October 2007, the ranking of countries in terms of foreign currency reserves is as follows:
Note that Japan has been extensively helping China, Taiwan, and Korea after WWII by providing financial, technical, and educational support.Japan has heavily invested in China, Taiwan, and Korea to foster their industries, which is a big difference from the U.S. and European countries still living in the old paradigm of colonization the Roman Empire had devised 2000 years ago.
SECTION 3: From Monopolar World to Multipolar World
Anyway, some argue that the above fact indicates the end of the Era of American Unipolar Domination in the world.
In this context, voters and citizens in New Hampshire must choose their next President to be based on his or her ability to manage things peacefully in the new Era.
SECTION 4: Warning to Further Dollar Depreciation
One of the most popular Japanese blogs in the field of economy has recently claimed that Japanese Government should change its dollar-based asset to the yen-based asset to discharge its national debt.
(http://www.financial-j.net/blog/2007/12/000440.html#more )
Specifically, the blog writer posted an opinion to transfer 640 billion US dollars in Japan's exchange reserve to a budget account of 70 trillion yen, so that the Japanese Government can partially settle up its national debts.
I think it is reasonable to do so, though it will further lower the value of US dollars worldwide.
But, polarization itself is a policy the next US Administration to start in 2009 should take.
Indeed, it means the end of unipolar dominance of the US Dollar, which has created 30 million potentially starving citizens in the U.S.
Truly, Japan and the United Sates should start sincere negotiations on this issue, since all the experts in China, Taiwan, and Korea know how much they owe to Japan in these decades, just like Asians in general and Muslims know how much they owe to Japan since the Japanese-Russo War in 1904.
(How many families of US soldiers sent to Iraq and Afghanistan are waiting for letters from their sons, daughters, or spouses so anxiously, since about 900 soldiers died in 2007 in those war areas, resulting in total 3909 US casualties?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DoD_PERSONNEL_%26_PROCUREMENT_STATISTICS_-_Personnel_%26_Procurement_Reports_and_Data_Files_-_GLOBAL_WAR_ON_TERRORISM_-_OPERATION_IRAQI_FREEDOM_by_month_March_19%2C_2003_through_September_1%2C_2007_-_killed_in_action%2C_died_of_wounds%2C_accidents.jpg
But, is the number still simply compared with yearly deaths in traffic accidents in the U.S.?
The next US President to be should declare that 4000 deaths of soldiers are different from 4000 deaths on roads, streets, or bridges in the U.S., since patriotic families are waiting for a letter from a soldier so patiently.)
"Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit"
(Heilung eines Kindes)