(Certain Tokyo Views)SECTION I: DEFLATION
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The question looms large in the United States, as a surging budget deficit pushes government debt to nearly 98 percent of the gross domestic product. But it looms even larger in Japan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/business/global/21yen.html?_r=2&hp
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It is however deflation that has annoyed Japan for so long and also so long toward future in the worst case.
There are two important points to keep in mind when mentioning John Maynard Keynes (1883 - 1946):
(i) Keynes did not know this type of deflation being observed especially in Japan.
(ii) Keynes did not know today's IT-equipped giants in the financial sector and the industrial sector.
Put simply, his theory is classic, though he knew the core of economics must be ethics, since he was living in a Christian society in England. Anyway, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes seem to have become a kind of heroes to some many people even in Japan.
Recently, a certain Japanese economist came to think that the reason for persistent deflation in Japan since 1990's must be that the Japanese people like deflation.
(http://pokemon.at.webry.info/200609/article_31.html)
As the Japanese people like deflation, the Bank of Japan does not take a drastic measure to beat deflation, the Japanese economist concludes.
But, his reasoning why the Japanese people like deflation is not sufficient.
It is natural environments.
If industrialization is further strengthened consuming so many imported materials and so much imported energy while destroying Japanese forests, woods, and fields, the nature of the Japanese land and religious spirits of the Japanese people should suffer irreparable damage.
So, instinctively, the Japanese people have opted for deflation rather than desire-contaminated inflation.
However, practically, the global competition with China having a billion of low-paid workers and potential workers has forcibly led Japan to deflation in the labor market and the government budget revenue.
Finally, Japan has conceded so as to accept deflation to save the nature of the earth and help poor Chinese people.
(So, great is Japan since Japan is great in deflation.)
And, it might be a turn for the United States, now.
SECTION II: Capitalism and Judaism
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Judaism does not recommend one type of economic system for all times and places. However, its principles of social conduct are clear. The Torah is opposed to all types of exploitation and to concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, with the resultant impoverishment of the many. The Torah desires that all people should work and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/RSchwartzSocialismJudaism
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Which is more important money or religion for Christians?
Which is more important money or religion for Judaists?
Christians know that they have to opt for religion, but most of them expect that the God will give them big money for some reasons.
Judaists know that they have to opt for religion, but most of them believe that the God will give them big money for their survival among Christians.
Accordingly, Christians in New York make themselves believe that the God has given them big money through Judaists.
Big money makes Christians happy and Judaists safe.
But, if in Moscow under the rule of Marxism, something different must have made Soviet communists happy and Judaists safe.
Also, in the Roman Empire, something different must have made ancient Romans happy and Judaists safe.
Indeed, this scheme must have been devised in the era of the Roman Empire after the fall of Jerusalem.
Through living in the ancient superpower, the Roman Empire, for centuries, Judaists came to stop directly relying on their God and religion for their survival as Judaists but something other dominant heathen liked and loved.
So, capitalism is not a simple corollary from Judaism.
It is very reasonable to think so, if Judaism can be conveniently tailored for modern capitalism for survival and prosperity of Judaists in the world where money-loving Christians are dominant.
(To be continued...)
Mat 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.