The Change Japan Needs?

(Published @ The Compass @ RealClearWorld.com. September 3, 2009)


So Japan doesn't love the newly empowered Democratic Party of Japan.

Nonetheless, the DPJ is hitting the floor running: currently 1 trillion yen worth in projects are being considered for suspension, with the revenue instead being dedicated toward pro-demographic growth initiatives such as a child-raising allowance. Will such policies be enough to shore up Japan's deficit in "the ultimate resource"? Can the DPJ really support increasing the already seemingly insane debt-to-GDP ratio (200%)? Can the DPJ actually afford to abandon pro-market reforms?

Talk about Japan's economy is always frustrating, largely because Japan remains one of the absolutely most developed countries in the world. With a 5.4 percent unemployment rate, people really do wonder what the future of Japan is supposed to look like. What can it look like? Has Japan reached the final stage of economic development?

I certainly don't know, but I really do like the robots. Perhaps Japan and Steven Spielberg could collaborate on a sequel to A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.