The samurai awakening

WND ^ | December 25, 2012 | Albert Thompson

[Perseverando]

Exclusive: Albert Thompson says tea party could take cue from rising faction in Japan

Can you imagine two terms of Jimmy Carter’s economy immediately followed by two terms of an Obama recession? The Japanese voter can. Since the early 1990s, Japan has gone from recession to recession. Japan is currently in its third recession since 2000. After more than two decades of disappointment, the sun may indeed be rising over Japan.

Defeated in the Second World War, Japan – backed by American largess – recovered and became an economic superpower that only recently ceded the rank of world’s second-largest economy to China. Beginning in the 1990s, the Japanese economy began to sputter. The central bankers did not have an answer. The population began to age. The other Asian countries that formerly quaked at the power of the economic samurai began to catch up. South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore became the new Asian Tigers. But the political elite in Tokyo continued to allow Japan to slip behind. With interest rates effectively at zero and little to show for it, the bankers were losing their mystique. The American people should have learned from the Japanese example; alas, the Fed continues to hurl the dollar over a cliff. The Japanese people looked behind the curtain, and they were not impressed.

In Japan the voters’ disappointment has reaped changes. The Japanese dumped the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 2009 and elected the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ); this was the first clear defeat for the LDP since in the history of democratic Japan. In elections on Dec. 16, the Japanese returned the LDP to power, but also sent a new third party to the Diet – Japan’s parliament – with a significant following.

Many Japanese voters believe that an alternative path

[staytrue]

Defeated in the Second World War, Japan – backed by American largess – recovered and became an economic superpower

More right wing BS. Japan's economic recovery was 99% hard work and maybe 1% US aid. Just look at France or Spain or England after the war. They received much more aid than Japan and accomplished a lot less. Most conservatives like to say "throwing money at a problem never solves anything". The Japanese got very little money but solved a whole lot of problems, mostly on their own.

[Twinkie]

The “Taxed Enough Already” Party (USA) had it going on in 2010. These were people, by and large, who wanted to AFFIRM the Constitution AS IT WAS WRITTEN. The Democrats and Republican “elites” demonized the TEA Party, and are still scared out of their minds of the TEA Party and still demonizing it just for good measure. - I’d say a good additional name for the TEA Party would be “The Constitutional Affirmation Party”. - The Japanese can lie to themselves about WWII if they like; but America’s foundation is truth.

If we keep on allowing the Democrats & RINOs to “experiment” with the Constitution, there’ll come a time when “restoration” will aptly describe the future task and burden of a population too dependent on Obama to shoulder that task and burden.

I suspect that by 2016, Obama’s pictures, banners and statues will be on every street corner; way beyond what is normal acknowledgment.

[Ditto]

Just look at France or Spain or England after the war. They received much more aid than Japan and accomplished a lot less.

Then look at West Germany. France & England went to socialist style economies and somewhat stagnated after the war where Germany and Japan both followed American economic (and social) models and prospered. In Japan's case, those models were imposed on them by the occupation. The old industrial holding companies were broken up and the old feudal absentee landlord agricultural system was destroyed and the land basically given away to the previous tenant farmers. Trade unions were created and basic democratic principles put in place.

BTW, Japan did receive lots of American dollars especially during the Korean War when the US Military alone accounted for about 30% of their foreign exchange. That is when the Japanese economy really began to take off. But the changes dictated by MacArthur's occupation government of the late 40s laid the foundation for Japans 'economic miracle.' Without that foundation, they would not have grown and prospered as they did.

[Twotone]

Having read the title, I was hoping for a story about Japanese Tea Partiers with samurais. How disappointing...