>Sometime in the last year I read an article, which I will try to run
> down, by Bertell Ollman which, if I remember correctly, argued that the
> Yakuza was an essential element in the political structure of Japan.
>
In any political economy where bag men are necessary, it's nice to have some yakuza for hire around. I know of some yakuza, by the way, who have better criminal records than Oliver North or Adm. Poindexter (he WAS Jack Ryan) --well actually, better than Cheney, Pres. Bush or the Bush daughters for that matter. For one thing, the yakuza let someone else drive when they have had a few too many.
Charles Jannuzi