Indonesia and Japan
In December 2004, Indonesia suffered the Great Sumatra Tsunami which took on tens of thousands of human lives in Indonesia alone, but its GDP never ceased to grow.
This strong trend of growth in Indonesian economy tells that there is a strong potential of material development in Indonesia which also seems to have pulled through the social and political crisis caused by Islamic terrorists in almost the same period of time as that of the natural tragedy.
Japan also experienced a great tsunami which took away about 20,000 lives in March 2011, resulting in a slight decline in GDP.
Year GDP in 10 billion yen
2010 511,780
2011 507,916
It is not only a Magnitude 9.0 earthquake and more than 15-meter tsunamis that plagued Japan in 2011. A nuclear accident which occurred following the big tsunami also damaged the Japanese industrial sector. So, it can be understood that the real GDP of Japan decreased a little in 2011.
However, the real GDP of Japan in 2012 is expected to grow a little. The Japanese economy looks like recovering from the state of shock and awe of the great natural and nuclear disasters.
The next year is the third year after the great disasters of 2011 for Japan. It will be an important year for Japan. A great warning the God gave to Japan in 2011 must be understood by the Japanese people. Its success and prosperity after 2013 must be different from that before 2011.
One example is the nuclear power generation issue. Before 2011, the Japanese people had enjoyed affluent material life without worrying a nuclear problem, energy problems, and electricity scarcity. But, through the great predicament of 2011 which could be comparable to the devastating tragedy of WWII, the Japanese people seem to become more cautious in developing its industry and society based on high technology. They may even become more humble before the nature and less arrogant in handling advanced science and technology.
The Indonesian people are progressing boldly over the 2004 tragedy. Though Japan is a more matured country, it should also advance boldly but with a higher sense and more care for the nature and danger of human technology.
In addition, though Japan has never become a target of the Islamic terror, the strongest nation in Asia has come to face a real challenge from China over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea after 2011.
The Islands belong to Japan in an internationally recognized manner for centuries, but as there is a great amount of natural gas and crude oil in the sea area, China claims its sovereignty over Senkakus. And, as the leftist and liberal party DPJ had been in power forming the Cabinet in Japan from September 2009 to December 2012, China took a very aggressive stance as if testing the will of those leftist Japanese politicians to make any concession to China over this conflict. So, Japan has been in a difficult state in terms of diplomacy and national security not only with China but also South Korea and Russia both of which have also intensified a kind of territorial dispute with Japan in these years, especially after the 2011 Great Disasters.
However, since the conservative party LDP won the general election in this month replacing the DPJ regime, the situation will be changed. The LDP-centric government will take more effective measures to defend Japanese interest over its territories on the border to China, South Korea, and Russia.
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Exo 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
Exo 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
Exo 12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
Exo 12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.