Let's Gambling - Japan's great gamble

From the Japan Times. An indication that the end is nigh.


Japan's great gamble | The Japan Times Online: "Shozo Azuma, a lawmaker member of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the pro-casino Diet league, outlined his reasoning in a speech last week.

'What this country needs is a way of stimulating the economy that won't use tax money. The only way left to do that is casinos,' he said.

'In order for this country to develop energetically in the future, then I think the casino industry has potential worth exploring.'

Of course, it's not just the central government that stands to gain through tax revenues from casinos. Regional governments, which are suffering from drastically reduced revenues as their residents age and decrease in number, are desperate to host what they see as potential gold mines."

Elderly woman arrested for beating youth sitting in priority seat of bus › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Elderly woman arrested for beating youth sitting in priority seat of bus › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion: "Elderly woman arrested for beating youth sitting in priority seat of bus
Friday 09th July, 09:00 AM JST

NAGASAKI —
A 66-year-old woman was arrested for assault Thursday after using her umbrella to beat the face of a male high school student who was sitting in the priority seat on a local bus, breaking the youth’s nose and causing other injuries.

According to police, the woman, identified as condominium manager Tamiko Masuta, yelled at the 18-year-old youth because he wouldn’t get up and vacate the silver seat. When he refused to move, she began to kick him and hit him in the face with her umbrella, according to witnesses. The youth suffered a broken nose.

Police said that Masuta has neither admitted to nor denied the charges, and that she has been warned before by police for hitting middle and high school students."

Japan - on the bullet train to irrelevance

Here in communist Japan - labour laws make it very difficult to layoff anyone, there are no strikes and the government just keeps spending money on useless road work.

The Japanese have "adopted" the American style - upper house [senate] and lower house [congress]. this month there is an election of (half) the upper house (every 3 yrs); the PM's are so spineless that they dare not say or do anything to upset anyone and, can't do anything as there is always an election around the corner in this country.

Now there are many "new religions" that have launched political parties and attract many sheep-like followers. These parties are winning the votes of the burgeoning naive as the supporter of the old guard begin to die off (literally). These “New Religions” are winning seats and upsetting (controlling) the balance of power. Now the two party system is rapidly proliferating into a sea of milquetoast gridlock.

Check out this photo from a former election: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01472/japan-election2_1472012c.jpg

There is an election every other year, and leadership that changes more frequently than the fashion (I have seen 5 prime ministers in just 3 years), no strong leadership, no strong vision, no majority, and a population more likely to vote for a small dog than for needed change.

Japan is on the bullet train to irrelevance.

But remember, on July 11th: “Let’s Voting!”

An Internet Kill Switch

Manufacturing consent for internet security

Within the next twelve months there will be a major internet outage in an important region of the United States.

The Internet will go down in this region. No email, no YouTube, no iTunes, no Facebook, no Twitter, no e-commerce, no virtual meetings, no online gambling and no internet porn. The outage will occur for a short time – a day or so – long enough to attract national attention. The media will be all over this story: “The Internet, struck down by hackers”. No, by “terrorists”. The media will report that it was caused by rogue or terrorist elements from Russia or China or an “enemy state”.

Lots of discussion: “How dependent on the Internet are we?” and “How vulnerable are we?” “This is vital to our national security”.

And, there will be lots speculation as to who and how. An array of conspiracy theories will bubble up.

This event will be instigated by the US - the government, the CIA, the military. We will never know. But, blame will be placed squarely on “rogue elements”. You will never know for sure and the media will not investigate. They will go along with what the government says.

The media will discuss how important the internet has now become not only for social media but for news, information, and commerce. Corporations rely on and are deeply dependent upon the internet. They will talk about how it is important for government and politicians and how it is critical to national security. That it was originally created by the US military etc.

This temporary event will set the stage for the US government to manufacture the consent it needs to launch some sort of internet security initiative. This will spiral into a new program and the launch of a new kind of internet.

The outage might occur in August or back-to-school time in the US, though not during 9/11. Maybe this time it will be Silicon Valley or Dallas. In Atlanta or Chicago. Perhaps after thanksgiving but before Christmas.

The feeling of Internet withdraw will be palpable.

So, why is this happening? Money, of course. Power, control and any other conspiracy theories you may wish to throw into the pot. How will bankers and Wall Street make untold millions off this? That's the key. And how will the US government control us?

Here’s the plan:
US Government: “Let’s get everyone online, wired and totally dependent on the internet, and then...control and monitor them.”

Here's how:
Politicians: "We are at risk of terror attacks online that threaten our freedom. We need a better and safer Internet. The new internet will track all traffic for foreign intrusions and rogue elements."
Public: “Mmmm….yeah…mmm….ok, sure.”
Politicians: “You want to be safe and secure, right? You want to be able to continue to use the Internet in safety are freedom, right? You don’t want to be exposed to the risk of foreign terrorist groups infiltrating the Internet and compromising your freedom, right?”
Public: “Yes! You are right. Please help us!”
At this point scads of government money appears and goes to the Telco’s, and network infrastructure R&D community, universities, the US military and Halliburton, of course.

Much money is spent. More money is spent after it was originally deemed to be not enough. After sometime a new and improved Internet emerges.

Then it is announced that all users of the new internet will need to be registered. They will need to register all of their devices – computers, laptops, cell phones and all web devices.

Government: “Now, you want to get on this newer and much better, faster and safer internet, don’t you?”
Public: “Yes! Yes, we do! Tell us how!”
Government: “Well, you will need to register yourself and all your electronic devices so that we can ensure that you are not a terrorist...”
Public: “Hey, that sounds like an intrusion on our personal freedom!”
Politicians: “It will be easy, small chips software will be embedded into every device sold. You won’t even notice.”
Public: ”what about our privacy?”
Politicians: ”everything will be in accordance with the homeland security act. It’s just like going through security at the airport. And, you want the internet grid to be safe from foreign terrorist who could infiltrate and bring down the Internet or a power grid or worse, don’t you?”
Public: “Mmm…yeah, I guess. Anyway, we can’t live without email, Twitter and Facebook, so we’ll do it.”
Politicians: “It is a small price to pay for our freedom.”
Public: “Mmm…I guess.”

Likely it will be legislated that there will be a required chip installed to activate and monitor the activities from all connected devices from now till the end of time. Exactly how? We will find out soon.

As we get more and more digital, including appliances and wearable tech, and with the coming singularity...who will control you? The Bilderbergs and any other conspiracy theories that fit: insert here.
Imagine: all individuals, all companies, all schools, all hospitals, and all airports. All data tracked all the time.

The current commercial (public) version of the Internet pre-dates 9/11. There are no controls or means of monitoring (that we know of) and no "registration". The government, officially, does not know who is coming and going on line. This, they will tell us, is an issue of national security and if we want to continue to live in digital freedom, we’ll need to adhere to monitoring. Otherwise, to channel Dubya, “the terrorists win”. Don’t worry; you won’t even know it is there. And, if you are not doing anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about, right?

======
This posting was inspired by the following story and many recent like articles.
Obama internet 'kill switch' proposed ASHER MOSES
June 18, 2010 - 2:43PM

Tuna's End

Tuna's End is a VERY long article in the New York Times, written by Paul Greenberg, on the eventual extinction of blue fin tuna. It is adapted from his book “Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food”

Japan unapologetically consumes 80% of the world's blue fin tuna, so have to be included in the "who to blame" list.

The usually reserved and polite Japanese take on a smug and ignorant tone when this issue of over fishing of blue fin is brought up - as if they are all-seeing and all-knowing. They are likely to throw a tantrum like a three year old, or better, a thirteen year old who feels victimized by a mother that just doesn't understand her need to have her tongue pierced.

What used to be very rare and expensive is now on every corner and in every grocery store. The same for beef and dairy - used to be special. Now it is everywhere. No halos over the heads of the beef industry - but that's a story for another time.

So, just a reminder to the Japanese, remember to take your "ECO" bag when you buy your bluefin tuna at the supermarket, you wouldn't want to hurt the planet by using one more plastic bag. Though, you should note that the sashimi they will buy from the grocery store is housed in plastic and then placed in a small plastic bag before it is placed in their ECO shopping bag.

Read the NY Times article: Tuna's End

It is interesting to read the comments written by readers of the NY Times - compared with other publications. Seems that knuckle draggers are less likely to read the NYT and wouldn't read such a long article. The comments tend to be quite long - takes a long time to write - and informed.


I live in Japan. It is an insulated world here. While people are outwardly humble, there is an underlying smugness.
I would love to hear people in government in Japan stand up and support what the countries of the world are saying. They won't. It is a pompous and greedy place. The world won't tell Japan what to do.

The future is so easy to see. The shock that is coming to the Japanese will be just like their penalty kick loss in the world cup - from let's happy, happy to a bitter wake up to reality.

Let's Ignorance!

What does the world think about Canada's role in the world?
According to the Japanese: not much.

Ipsos-Reid conducted a survey in advance of the G20 summit in Toronto. It polled over 18,000 people in 24 countries asking them a dozen questions on Canada's role in world affairs, peacekeeping and human rights, international aid, economy and economic power, the safety of the banking system, and healthcare.

It is pretty easy to see that the Japanese have a very low image, likely based on little knowledge and awareness [read: ignorance], of Canada in comparison to the other countries in the survey. Most of the 24 countries has a positive image, especially the up-and-coming BRIC nations. Sweden, too, seems to have a low image of Canada. Perhaps for them it is jealousy? Likely the Japanese would have ranked Canada high if asked to respond to the statement: Canada is a global leader in maple syrup.

As a Canadian, it is an interesting report with some very surprising results. Take a look for yourself.

Read the results here:
What the World thinks of Canada: Canada and the World in 2010
International Affairs, Economy & Business

A Perfect Storm?

The following is an excerpt from a submission published on The Market Oracle:

But the coast guard, the media, BP and Obama don’t seem to be aware of the caliber of disaster affecting the Gulf Coast and the nation since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20.

The BP Oil spill has the makings of a perfect storm because one can visibly see the cracks in the ocean floor when reviewing tapes of the live BP feeds. In the tape dated 6/13/2010 you can see oil spewing up from visible fissions

The pressure at the base of the wellhead deep under the ocean floor is approx. 100,000 PSI. There is no known device to cap a well with such a high PSI pressure. To further complicate things geologists using a GPS and Depth finder system have discovered a large gas bubble 15-20 miles across and tens of feet high under the ocean floor.

A bubble of this magnitude if able to escape from under the ocean floor through a crack would cause a gas explosion that can only be described as Mt. St. Helen’s under water.

The explosion would take place 50 miles off the Louisiana Coast, instantly releasing a toxic cloud that the winds would carry to the shorelines. This explosion would also create what is called a Cavitations’, sinking any ships, oil structures virtually anything floating atop the water instantly within at least a 10 mile radius, and thus could create a Tsunami which would travel towards the coast of Florida at a speed of 400-600 miles per hour. This has the potential of putting the state of Florida under water. Gulf Coast Disaster, Is it The Perfect Storm?

SOURCE: The Market Oracle, June 20, 2010

Man punched in the face by fellow train commuter over bad phone manners › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Man punched in the face by fellow train commuter over bad phone manners › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Wonderful. The quiet, serene and polite Japanese culture. It's the beginning of the end.


Note the comments posted. A fair indication of foreigner sentiment.

Buy the Skyy and sell the Skyy

Spotted June 2010:

A 750ml bottle of SKYY Vodka at the British Columbia Government Liquor Store: $23.75


The same bottle at Seiyu [Tokyo, Japan] Y980 [$11.13].

This is a difference of $12.62 [113%]



According to WineLaw.ca, the BC Government Tax on spirits is 163%

The Daily Yomiuri's Economic Rescue Plan

The Daily Yomiuri (DY) blasted the front page of their May 8th edition announcing their plan for the rescue of the Japanese economy.
There were five recommendations:
1) End manifesto-accelerated business slump
2) Both concrete and humans are important
3) Employment is source of reassurance
4) Seek domestic and external demand
5) Stay ahead of international competition by developing higher technologies

I couldn’t see the massive front page story on their web site. This editorial comes close [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20100508TDY02T03.htm]
It seems that the DY is more a right-wing publication. They do not seem happy with the DPJ. They ought to be reminded that the Japanese economy has been mired for the past decade. It is nothing new. The right-wing LDP had been in power for fifty years. Certainly it is they who have left the Japanese economy in a shambles.

Here is my interpretation of Yomiuri’s “rescue” plan.
1) End manifesto-accelerated business slump
Comment: I have no idea what this means.
2) Both concrete and humans are important “public works are necessary to escape deflation”
Comment: I have no idea what this means, either.
3) Employment is source of reassurance
This makes no sense. An unemployment rate of 5% means that the employment rate is 95%
4) Seek domestic and external demand
Comment: This is not new or insightful.
5) Stay ahead of international competition by developing higher technologies
Comment: Not just high technologies but higher technologies. Nice. However, to do this you need education. It doesn’t just happen. Your education system educates for conformity not for creativity and innovation. “Let’s work harder” ain’t gonna cut it. The brightest minds are in America and they are not only American, they are from India, China, Korea and Russia. Later, they take that new knowledge and return to India, China, Korea and Russia and launch new businesses.

The DY’s fuzzy, ethereal rant is tantamount to entering a grocery store and declaring: “let’s eat lunch”. There is food there, but the declaration just leave everyone confused. It is amazing, their piercing prose and obviously professional writing skills of the editorial board of the Yomiyuri. I`m kidding. It stinks. I suggest the editors read and heed the advice of The Economist. I suggest the reader of the DY do the same, along with cancelling their subscription. And finally, the government of Japan ought to do the same as well as heed my advice, of course.

The powers that be do not know how to change the Japanese economy. Or, more likely, the powers that be do not want to change the Japanese economy. They obviously want to keep things exactly as they are. It serves their purpose to keep things as they are. If it didn`t they would change. After all, they are in power, right?

So, what would you do? How would you stimulate and grow the Japanese economy?

Here’s what I would do. First, identify the problem. Second, identify what stimulates and grows an economy. Third, make recommendations that suit the Japanese situation.

First, the problem.
Japan’s strength is now its weakness. According the CIA Factbook, “the two notable characteristics of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labour force. Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. “ The world has changed. Japan hasn’t. This, coupled with the all too well known economic bubble that burst at the end of the 1980s. They have been hiding / cleaning up from it ever since. Massive public and corporate debt, massive over production and massive over hiring and a protectionist climate all make for massive inefficiency, low productivity and an inability to compete. Add to this a rapidly aging population and a tiny birth rate.

Second, consider what stimulates an economy, any economy.
Well, there is: spending, consumer spending, having money to spend, confidence that you will have a job in the future, having a job now, confidence that the price of a new home will not be cheaper in the future, creating new jobs, and creating new businesses. These are not all but they are quite important stimulants.

Third, here are my recommendations:
1) Introduce and enforce a 40 hour work week. If you can’t get it done in 40 hours then that’s a failure of management. If they really can’t get it done, then hire more people.
2) Introduce and enforce mandatory 8 week annual vacations for all employees, requiring at least one 4-week vacation. People are unproductive already, give them time off to enjoy life, get to know their children and spend money.
3) Deregulate. It is the end of la-la land. Open the economy right up. The reason why there is no growth is because there is no incentive to grow. Fat, bloated, lethargic, and constipated corporations need to be whacked in the side of the head. Efficient and hungry foreign firms are at the gate and they are ready to eat your lunch.
4) Reform the labour laws and allow companies to layoff all the dead weight. Sure it will be tough at first, but it is like removing a band-aid – rip it right off all at once.
5) Institute a national daycare and national eldercare system
6) Introduce hard-hitting punitive damages on companies convicted to wrongful dismissal and gender bias. Time to start utilizing and promoting the smarter half of the population.
7) In a make-work program, send the unemployed to clean up the coastline. It is a disgrace.
8) Remove all highway tolls and implement a 60% tax on all religions and triple the tax on tobacco
9) Do whatever it takes to encourage entrepreneurship – they create jobs and create wealth. Salarymen don’t.
10) And finally... my final recommendation is not to take any advice from the DY.

#1, 2 and 3 sound tough, even impossible. But this country has been through much worse things in its history and it has endured. This ought to start to bring Japan into the 1980’s at least. I’ve got more (it is so easy when there are so many obvious problems with obvious solutions) but I will stop at 10, it’s a nice round number.

Of course none of this will happen. It’s all a dream. Like election reform and universal health care in the US. The reality is people get the government they deserve. In a democracy, if your economy and government stink, it’s your own fault. If you don’t like it then change it. This will never happen in Japan and the powers that be know it. The Japanese people are getting the government they deserve.

The future of the Japanese economy?
At this point, there is no future. I am not alone in this opinion. I encourage you to read any much more informed views of any foreign economist or analysts. The Japanese economy is a rusty ship with a slow leak sailing around in circles in the fog. But there is pachinko. So, re-arrange your deck chairs, there is a fresh copy of the Daily Yomiuri delivered to your table. Enjoy the ride.

April 25th Refreshmas in Tokyo

Enjoyed a lovely pre-refreshmas and pre-St. George's Day at The Aldgate in Shibuya this week. If you don't know St. George's Day it is the day to celebrate the de facto saint of England - for whom the English flag is named: Saint George's Cross.

To celebrate England's day in Japan I had a Japanese microbrew IPA (Indian Pale Ale), a California IPA and an Ale from Wales. All this while watching Barcelona play Inter Milan. All very English.

Happy Refreshmas

March 25th....the first refreshmas of spring. hope it is a good one for you.

Bye, Bye Blue Fin

Bye, Bye Blue Fin
Blue Fin Tragedy

It was decided this week by the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES that there would be no ban on blue fin tuna fishing.

Here is a quote from the Associated Press:

“Thursday's decision occurred after Japan, Canada and scores of poor nations opposed the measure on the grounds that it would devastate fishing economies.”

This should read:

“Thursday's decision occurred after Japan, Canada and scores of other morally poor nations opposed the measure on the grounds that it would devastate fishing economies.”

It is an outright disappointment that Canada opposed this ban. Though I suppose their fishermen are desperately trying to make up for the Atlantic Cod industry they wiped out. They did not learn their lesson, they just need the money.

The word is, Japan put pressure on smaller, non-fishing countries to vote against a ban on fishing blue fin tuna. Apparently the fishing countries, save Japan and Canada, were all in favour of the ban.

Sign of the times. Rather, the sign in the Times newspaper today: “World votes to continue trading in species on verge of extinction“.

In the same article, a quote from Greenpeace spokesman Oliver Knowles:

“It is an own goal by Japan. By pushing for a few more years of this luxury product it has put the future of blue fin, and the future of its own supply, at serious risk. The abject failure of governments here at Cites to protect Atlantic blue fin tuna spells disaster for its future, and sets the species on a pathway to extinction.”

Here is how things played out in Atlantic Canada:

“The cod stocks failed because of greed,” says Dr. Richard Haedrich, a respected fisheries biologist at Newfoundland’s Memorial University, “People wanted all the money they could get out of the fish.”
After greed, the answer gets more complex, involving a tangle of government rivalries and scientific arrogance. In the end, the cod were defeated by fishermen who became too good at fishing, scientists who ignored what they didn’t know and politicians who refused to make the tough decisions–until it was too late.
By the time Canada’s fisheries minister John Crosbie closed the northern cod fishery in July 1992 and threw 40,000 Canadians out of their $500-million a year industry, decades of over-fishing had decimated the ground fish stocks and virtually emptied one of the most bountiful areas of the Atlantic.”

(Source: UNESCO)

I recall that the industry blamed the reduced numbers not on overfishing but on seals or sea lions who were eating all the cod. There was a motion to hunt the sea lions to reduce their numbers. It was madness.

Countries can’t solve anything, collectively. The UN is ineffective at halting genocide. The Kyoto accord could not be ratified and enforced. Countries couldn’t come to any useful or effective agreement on CO2 emissions at Copenhagen. I am all for discussion and rationality. It never seems to work where profits are to be gained.

It is always the case of the stronger country wielding power over the smaller ones, as is common with the US and here with Japan. It is the old adage of the big fish eating the little fish. Sadly, that idiom is set to become historic as all the big fish are fast being wiped out from the Earth’s oceans. What does that say to the “big fish” countries: USA and Japan?

3rd Refreshmas - February 25

happy, happy.

2nd Refreshmas - January 25

Happy Refreshmas!
Enjoy your refreshing time.