Comments on: The Japanese Miracle, Again? http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/ Christopher Lydon in conversation on arts, ideas and politics Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:09:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: sidewalker http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75271 sidewalker Wed, 06 Sep 2006 11:02:59 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75271 In the September 2006 issue of National Geographic there is an article on China. In it there is mention of how the large Japanese companies, such as Cannon and NTT, have set up call centres in Dalian staffed by Japanese speaking workers to sell their products back in Japan. More evidence that Capitalism may have many faces, but ultimately speaks in the forked tongue of commerce. In the September 2006 issue of National Geographic there is an article on China. In it there is mention of how the large Japanese companies, such as Cannon and NTT, have set up call centres in Dalian staffed by Japanese speaking workers to sell their products back in Japan. More evidence that Capitalism may have many faces, but ultimately speaks in the forked tongue of commerce.

]]> By: Almanch http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75270 Almanch Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:52:04 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75270 regarding Winston: > “I want to live in a country where the poor people are fat� - quoted by an US > citizen of Indian decent from his friend who still lives in India. > > A description of the state of the “12% of Americans who live in poverty� > > “But only a small number of the 35 million persons classified as “poor� by > the Census Bureau fit that description. � ----------------------- AND tying in tbrucia What is the result of a nation where the elite can make sure that you don't know the "grass is greener" elsewhere? Is it a true sign of national success when the poor have a lot of "stuff" that makes them unhealthy, unhappy, and forces them to work two jobs to make ends meet? And do the two (or more) jobs and cheap sources of entertainment (TV) make them too busy or too distracted to care about alternatives? Nevermind that it's not in the media's interest to promote them. MOST IMPORTANT (IMO): isn't it true that if any system becomes too unbalanced, it will fail? (In this way it becomes an issue of sustainability) regarding Winston:

> “I want to live in a country where the poor people are fatâ€? – quoted by an US

> citizen of Indian decent from his friend who still lives in India.

>

> A description of the state of the “12% of Americans who live in poverty�

>

> “But only a small number of the 35 million persons classified as “poor� by

> the Census Bureau fit that description. �

———————–

AND tying in tbrucia

What is the result of a nation where the elite can make sure that you don’t know the “grass is greener” elsewhere?

Is it a true sign of national success when the poor have a lot of “stuff” that makes them unhealthy, unhappy, and forces them to work two jobs to make ends meet?

And do the two (or more) jobs and cheap sources of entertainment (TV) make them too busy or too distracted to care about alternatives? Nevermind that it’s not in the media’s interest to promote them.

MOST IMPORTANT (IMO): isn’t it true that if any system becomes too unbalanced, it will fail?

(In this way it becomes an issue of sustainability)

]]> By: tbrucia http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75269 tbrucia Tue, 15 Aug 2006 11:58:17 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75269 Interesting that no one has mentioned income distribution in any detail... Japan is an ethnically homogeneous middle class nation. It has a small wealthy class and a small underclass. In other words its income distribution is that of 'a diamond'. --- The United States, on the other hand, is an ethnically diverse nation where most productivity increases are siphoned off by the top fifth of the population, and the emergent model is the classic 'pyramid', with a large base and a small elite. The true miracle of Japan is that it has not followed the usual model:a small kleptocracy 'farming' a mass population, thereby destroying the national future. Most of the world is pyramidal; Japan is not (at least so far). Interesting that no one has mentioned income distribution in any detail… Japan is an ethnically homogeneous middle class nation. It has a small wealthy class and a small underclass. In other words its income distribution is that of ‘a diamond’. — The United States, on the other hand, is an ethnically diverse nation where most productivity increases are siphoned off by the top fifth of the population, and the emergent model is the classic ‘pyramid’, with a large base and a small elite. The true miracle of Japan is that it has not followed the usual model:a small kleptocracy ‘farming’ a mass population, thereby destroying the national future. Most of the world is pyramidal; Japan is not (at least so far).

]]> By: winston_dodson http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75268 winston_dodson Fri, 07 Jul 2006 02:23:06 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75268 Cave Blogem - The reason why those countries you sited in your analysis above can achieve those enormous % increases is that they are so far behind the US. And you specifically site China - well they will achieive those results by being morel like the US not less. And, no matter what version of the Goldman Sachs report you read or what word you use to describe the future state of European economies you still get US that goes from an ~ 30% greater GDP / head to an ~ 250% GDP / head. So I wonder, how much Social System can those govts buy at those levels? Current situation - US has / produces ~ 25% of the entire world's economic activity. Future - by any realistic estimates (you can fiddle with compounded growth rates) the US, Chine and India will each have about 25% of the same. Japan's economy will not decline it just will not compete at the same level going forward. Europe's is and will simply fail. Cave Blogem – The reason why those countries you sited in your analysis above can achieve those enormous % increases is that they are so far behind the US. And you specifically site China – well they will achieive those results by being morel like the US not less.

And, no matter what version of the Goldman Sachs report you read or what word you use to describe the future state of European economies you still get US that goes from an ~ 30% greater GDP / head to an ~ 250% GDP / head. So I wonder, how much Social System can those govts buy at those levels?

Current situation – US has / produces ~ 25% of the entire world’s economic activity.

Future – by any realistic estimates (you can fiddle with compounded growth rates) the US, Chine and India will each have about 25% of the same. Japan’s economy will not decline it just will not compete at the same level going forward. Europe’s is and will simply fail.

]]> By: avecfrites http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75267 avecfrites Thu, 06 Jul 2006 19:52:31 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75267 Japan has an old population (compounded by a low birthrate and very little immigration). And the country has almost no energy resources of its own. Japan thus is a great test of whether technology and education are sufficient to allow us to slip the trap of two enormous problems. Japan has an old population (compounded by a low birthrate and very little immigration). And the country has almost no energy resources of its own. Japan thus is a great test of whether technology and education are sufficient to allow us to slip the trap of two enormous problems.

]]> By: sidewalker http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75266 sidewalker Sat, 01 Jul 2006 06:37:14 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75266 Here are a couple of articles on social issues in Japan that threaten any second coming. Youth Employment in Japan’s Economic Recovery: ‘Freeters’ and ‘NEETs’ http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=597 Whither Japan’s Lifetime Employment System? http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=586 Japan Stares into a Demographic Abyss http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=600 Here are a couple of articles on social issues in Japan that threaten any second coming.

Youth Employment in Japan’s Economic Recovery: ‘Freeters’ and ‘NEETs’

http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=597

Whither Japan’s Lifetime Employment System?

http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=586

Japan Stares into a Demographic Abyss

http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=600

]]> By: sidewalker http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75265 sidewalker Sat, 01 Jul 2006 06:31:22 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75265 Here is an an interview with Niwa Uichiro, Chairman of Itochu, a large Japanese trading company, who argues against the neo-liberal approach to capitalism promoted by our own would-be Elvis, Prime Minister Koizumi. http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=598 Here is an an interview with Niwa Uichiro, Chairman of Itochu, a large Japanese trading company, who argues against the neo-liberal approach to capitalism promoted by our own would-be Elvis, Prime Minister Koizumi.

http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=598

]]> By: Cave_Blogem http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75264 Cave_Blogem Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:38:00 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75264 The article to which winston_dodson refers is, I think, a little confusing. Perhaps better at this point in the discussion to go back to the Goldman Sachs white paper that initiated it at http://www.gs.com/insight/research/reports/99.pdf. As to Europe being "a group of 3rd world nations," that's not in the original. "Third World," of course, refers to those halcyon days when there were two superpowers locked in combat over (among other things) economic and political ideologies. We, the industrialized capitalist West, were the "first world," the Soviets were "the second world" and usually referred to via other euphemisms such as "the Evil Empire." Then the "third world" was what was left, which many today refer to as the less developed world or many other varieties. The GS whitepaper does not show that these countries decline in prosperity (for which I am using Goldman's GDP per capita figures). Indeed, the prosperity of Japan, Great Britain, Germany, France, et. al., double over the timeframe of the model. What's odd, though, and troubling if one takes GS's whitepaper as received truth, is Russia's 1756% growth, India's 3611%, China's 3572%, Brazil's paltry 513% growth. Should we follow the Chinese model? The article to which winston_dodson refers is, I think, a little confusing. Perhaps better at this point in the discussion to go back to the Goldman Sachs white paper that initiated it at http://www.gs.com/insight/research/reports/99.pdf.

As to Europe being “a group of 3rd world nations,” that’s not in the original. “Third World,” of course, refers to those halcyon days when there were two superpowers locked in combat over (among other things) economic and political ideologies. We, the industrialized capitalist West, were the “first world,” the Soviets were “the second world” and usually referred to via other euphemisms such as “the Evil Empire.” Then the “third world” was what was left, which many today refer to as the less developed world or many other varieties. The GS whitepaper does not show that these countries decline in prosperity (for which I am using Goldman’s GDP per capita figures). Indeed, the prosperity of Japan, Great Britain, Germany, France, et. al., double over the timeframe of the model.

What’s odd, though, and troubling if one takes GS’s whitepaper as received truth, is Russia’s 1756% growth, India’s 3611%, China’s 3572%, Brazil’s paltry 513% growth. Should we follow the Chinese model?

]]> By: sidewalker http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75263 sidewalker Thu, 29 Jun 2006 04:17:35 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75263 The conclusion to the article Winston Dodson referenced about the Goldman Sacks model says something important: http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-12622 <i>Now, I am not sure if it was scope creep that scared Goldman Sachs from making other assumptions. One doesn't have to be an environmentalist to wonder what will happen when 1.5 billion Chinese run riot with the living standards of what Americans enjoy today (assuming, of course, oil remains plentiful or is replaced by an alternative energy source).</i> The resource depletion and environmental degradation problems, among others, are just too important to omit from any modeling of real value. That GS did, indicates that they were looking for the rosiest economic picture possible to keep investments coming. Why should we not be surprised. That is their business after all. But it's not very persuasive. The conclusion to the article Winston Dodson referenced about the Goldman Sacks model says something important:

http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-12622

Now, I am not sure if it was scope creep that scared Goldman Sachs from making other assumptions. One doesn’t have to be an environmentalist to wonder what will happen when 1.5 billion Chinese run riot with the living standards of what Americans enjoy today (assuming, of course, oil remains plentiful or is replaced by an alternative energy source).

The resource depletion and environmental degradation problems, among others, are just too important to omit from any modeling of real value. That GS did, indicates that they were looking for the rosiest economic picture possible to keep investments coming. Why should we not be surprised. That is their business after all.

But it’s not very persuasive.

]]> By: winston_dodson http://www.radioopensource.org/the-japanese-miracle-again/#comment-75262 winston_dodson Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:13:30 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=572#comment-75262 If you read the artilce with the results of the Goldman Sachs model you would see that there is no real competition to our model. Europe will be a group of 3rd World nations and the only ones in our league will be India and Japan who will look more and more like us with each passing year. If you read the artilce with the results of the Goldman Sachs model you would see that there is no real competition to our model. Europe will be a group of 3rd World nations and the only ones in our league will be India and Japan who will look more and more like us with each passing year.

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