Toshio Matsuda, Commentator & Intl Economist

Straight from the Shoulder No.550

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With magnificent mountains and rivers and beautiful seasonal flowers, I do not think there is a country in the world as blessed as Japan.
Japan also has the blessing of quality water.
It is said that Japan is not accustomed to the principle of competition. Japan does not stress it even though foreign countries continually demand it. Japan not only never borrows money from other countries but also continues to lend, and then ultimately forgives the debt.
If God never takes but always gives, Japan is a God-like country.
Have Japanese governments transformed Japan into a God-like country?
The financial condition of the Japanese government is the worst among advanced countries. Although the U.S., which is called the king of debt, has a national debt that is approaching 50% of GDP, Japan’s is 170%. However, more than 50% of the U.S. government debt is held by foreign countries, but almost 100% of Japanese government debt is held by Japanese. While the U.S. has the largest foreign debt, Japan is the largest creditor nation. Well, why does Japan lend money to the rest of the world but does not have to borrow money from other countries even through its financial position is the worst? The reason is that the Japanese government continues to borrow money from its own citizens, not other countries. In fact, it is the Japanese who have made Japan a God-like country.
With this in mind, what should we Japanese do?
First of all, as many people as possible should be made aware of the fact that Japan is a God-like country.
There should also be broad recognition that it is precisely the Japanese who have made Japan a God-like country. Then when Japanese go abroad, they should remember that they are partially supporting the lives of people in the particular country, and they should also hope that the people living there have a better life.
I have spent many years living abroad, and I am sure that the true pride of Japanese is born from knowing this fact and hoping for the happiness of people in other countries.
Taiwan in the Past, Tibet Now
There are good and bad aspects of one-party dictatorship in China. With numerous differences in culture, economic (vitality), authority, education, and social standing throughout its broad land, China is truly a country of disparities. A dictatorship is effective for maintaining order in a country of 1.3 billion people with different values and identities. If China were to adopt a parliamentary-democracy style government based on freedom and choice, the state would collapse as “too many cooks (military factions) spoil the broth“?previous military factions would constantly quarrel, it would be impossible to maintain order, and foreign countries would interfere with the domestic affairs of China. This has been proven by modern Chinese history. Under a dictatorship, countless anti-government movements led by citizens demanding freedom will occur, but it is possible to avoid these through armed suppression and political and military rivalry with foreign countries.
The former Taiwan was an apparent rival of China, and at one point in time, this rivalry looked like it could develop into a military confrontation. In addition, the Koizumi government, which was in deliberate conflict with China, was also a good partner for maintaining order in China. At the present time when the economic interdependence between China and Taiwan is deepening, Taiwan can no longer be used as a tool to stoke patriotism in China. Yukio Hatayama is critical of Japan’s unquestioning devotion to the U.S. and is working to build closer ties with China as did the government of Ichiro Hatayama, which followed the government of Shigeru Yoshida; therefore Japan also can no longer be used as a rival. As a result, China must make India its biggest rival.
There are often riots in Tibet, and one must realize that the backdrop of this is the rivalry between China and India. With U.S. cooperation, India is working to become a nuclear super power, but why is the U.S, which is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons, supporting India’s development of nuclear weapons. This is because the U.S. is moving toward “eating the fatten pig”, the ultimate goal of capitalism. The expansion of India’s nuclear capabilities will not only save China’s dictatorial regime from collapse but also contribute to continued economic growth. For the U.S., politics is a tool, and shows that its true national interests lie here (in China). National political and economic strategies are successful when they are implemented in secret, not in full view.