recent posts

Ha! This just made my day: Where's George? Bill ...

In a recent New York Times column, Tom Friedman no...

Prince is looking sharp. But watch out, he could ...

Just came across a link to this map on a friend's ...

Tide won't get above 3' during daylight hours for ...

Skeptics say prove it. I say keep science out of ...

Dell's treated me pretty shabby lately and I'll ne...

Supermarkets, Grocery Clerks Reach Deal At last! ...

Strawberry Jesus : Taste the Passion

Well, I just sent the replacement Axim gratuitousl...

archives

May 2014

May 2012

February 2012

November 2011

September 2011

August 2011

July 2011

June 2011

May 2011

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

December 2010

November 2010

October 2010

September 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

May 2010

April 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

October 2009

September 2009

June 2009

April 2009

February 2009

January 2009

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

September 2008

August 2008

July 2008

May 2008

March 2008

February 2008

January 2008

December 2007

November 2007

October 2007

September 2007

August 2007

July 2007

June 2007

May 2007

April 2007

March 2007

January 2007

December 2006

October 2006

September 2006

August 2006

July 2006

June 2006

May 2006

April 2006

March 2006

February 2006

January 2006

December 2005

November 2005

October 2005

September 2005

August 2005

July 2005

June 2005

May 2005

April 2005

March 2005

February 2005

January 2005

December 2004

November 2004

October 2004

September 2004

August 2004

July 2004

June 2004

May 2004

April 2004

March 2004

February 2004

January 2004

December 2003

November 2003

October 2003

September 2003

August 2003

Tuesday, March 23, 2004
It is gratifying to contemplate the economic crumble of Japan, especially when it can be described as a function of their chauvinistic and xenophobic culture. Poetic justice.

This from a friend in Japan:

Xenophobia is here to stay, and this country is fucked. End of debate.

All the money going into China that currently passes through Japan will
be siphoned and rerouted through HK (as much of it is already) which
enjoys a solid, direct pipe into the West with very little cultural
barriers to entry.

The rest of the money to China and Asia goes through Taiwan, which will
either a) get better or b) get worse, meaning more/less money through
HK.

Japan will slip, quietly but inexorably, into irrelevance.

They can only manipulate FX rates as long as their (stupendously huge)
trough of savings is plentiful, but sooner or later (later rather than
sooner) they'll being importing more than they export, and they'll slip
into even more horrendous debt than they have now. Japanese bond ratings
will plummet, the domestic market will be seen as less enticing than,
say a billion Chinese, and that, as they say, will be that.

It won't be a Big Bang, it will be a long, drawn-out whimper, that
started 15 years ago and will continue until at least 2025.

But it'll be fun to watch!

And yeah I experience at least as much discrimination on a daily basis
as a black man in Georgia. Sometimes days go by with no incident, and
then it's a strange look from a dude on a bicycle, a waitress freaking
out until I open my mouth to order in Japanese, a real estate agent's
sign that says "No foreigners"...