So, Japan – which, at the time, was being presented to the world as a perfectly oiled and smoothly running machine nation – glowed brightly within my thoughts as a sort of corporate managed, computer controlled Brigadoon or Shangri-La.
Fast forward to the present: economic stagnation, apparent loss of confidence and now, increased suicide rates.
Karel van Wolferen, and a general maturation and broadening of perspective, cured me of mindless Japan-worship long, long ago.
Still, it is a bit painful to see this agonizing twisting in the wind of a dynamic culture.
Not that we’re doing any better over here with all the nervous chest beating, tiny flag waving and yelling about treason every five friggin minutes.
It appears that the terror-dome, the world the Bushies would have us believe we’ll inhabit forevermore (or until the US “prevails”), is not very good for global breadth economics.
DRM
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