Posted in: Okinawa countersues Japanese government over U.S. base move See in context
The people of Okinawa may want to file a complaint of violations of human rights with the United Nations and the European Union.
The USA is sensitive about complaints of violations of human rights against it or its allies while Japan under PM Abe does not care judging by the passage of the security laws in spite of rampant protests. The E.U. has been active in human right violation cases in other parts of the world.
0 ( +4 / -4 )
Posted in: Japan passes controversial security bills into law See in context
The fight is not over yet. Japanese voters can fight the security laws by : (1) filing lawsuits in different courts to block the implementation of the security "laws" on the ground they violate the Constitution.
(2) voting for the opposition parties like Democratic Party of Japan, etc. at the next elections. Make sure the opposition parties have enough votes to block any bills introduced by LDP and Komeito. Do not vote for LDP, Komeito or Party for Future Generations ( Shintaro Ishihara who inflamed the Senkaku dispute).
(3) publicly harassing, heckling, pestering, etc, Diet members of LDP, Komeito, etc, at their speeches, meetings, at work, at home, every public place they go to.
(4) refusing to serve all Diet members of PM Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito if you operate or work in stores, restaurants, shops, bars, medical clinics, schools, etc. Refuse to serve their spouses and children. Make photos, names, etc of them available free to businesses. Boycott businesses which serve the LDP and Komeito Diet members and their families.
(5) staging mass protests "demanding" the resignation of PM Abe, Minister Aso, etc and asking voters to vote against LDP and Komeito.
2 ( +7 / -5 )
Posted in: Gov't, opposition parties battle it out over security bills See in context
Do not give up the fight. Japanese voters can fight the security laws by : (1) filing lawsuits in different courts to block the implementing of the security "laws" on the ground they violate the Constitution.
(2) voting for the opposition parties like Democratic Party of Japan, etc. at the next elections. Make sure the opposition parties have enough votes to block any bills introduced by LDP and Komeito. Do not vote for LDP, Komeito or Party for Future Generations ( Shintaro Ishihara who inflamed the Senkaku dispute).
(3) publicly harassing, heckling, pestering, etc, Diet members of LDP, Komeito, etc, at their speeches, meetings, at work, at home, every public place they go to.
(4) refusing to serve all Diet members of PM Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito if you operate or work in stores, restaurants, shops, bars, medical clinics, schools, etc. Refuse to serve their spouses and children. Make photos, names, etc of them available free to businesses. Boycott businesses which serve the LDP and Komeito Diet members and their families.
(5) staging mass protests "demanding" the resignation of PM Abe, Minister Aso, etc and asking voters to vote against LDP and Komeito.
2 ( +3 / -1 )
Posted in: Diet panel to vote on security bills amid chaos See in context
My fellow Japanese, the fight against the security bills is not over even after they are passed into laws . We can (1) file many lawsuits in different districts to block the security "laws" on the ground they violate the Constitution. (2) refuse to serve all Diet members of PM Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and those of Komeito if you operate stores, restaurants, shops, bars, medical clinics, schools, etc. Refuse to serve their spouses and children. Blacklist and boycott them. (3) vote for the opposition parties like Democratic Party of Japan, etc. at the next elections. We must make sure the opposition parties have enough members to block any bills introduced by LDP and Komeito. Do not vote for LDP or Komeito or Party for Future Generations (extremist Shintaro Ishihara). (4) publicly harass Diet members of LDP, Komeito, etc, by shouting at them at their speeches, meetings, etc. Heckle them at work, at home, every public place they go to.
6 ( +7 / -1 )
Posted in: Abe to skip China visit during WWII commemoration See in context
China's military parade is intended to serve as a warning to the USA, not Japan, not Russia. I doubt it is aimed at Japan because Japan's military is eclipsed by the size of China's military. Russia is a strategic ally of China against USA.
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: Nagasaki marks 70th anniversary of atomic bombing See in context
There is no MORAL JUSTIFICATION for many bombings during World War 2 because they attack hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, such as : (1) the atomic bombings of 2 Japanese cities by the USA . (2) the bombings of Chinese cities by Japan. (3) the bombings of UK cities by Germany, etc.
Japan is NOT BLAMELESS because the Japanese leaders during World War 2 were given the option of unconditional surrender or atomic bombing, they chose atomic bombing.
The Japanese people are NOT BLAMELESS because they DID NOT vigorously OPPOSE and DID ALLOW leaders who GLORIFY WARS like Hideki Tojo, and now PM Abe to become government leaders.
Japanese voters, fulfill your duty as a citizen by voting, and voting for the candidates who DO NOT GLORIFY WARS at the next elections ! Think of the tens of millions of innocent Japanese who have died or permanently crippled during World War 2 because of the actions of EVIL leaders when you vote.
3 ( +6 / -3 )
Posted in: Health fallout from Fukushima mainly mental: studies See in context
Radiation damages the DNA or chromosomes of cells causing cancer, mutations, deformities, etc. There are no simple tests for all cancer. Each type of cancer can require specific tests. Many Japanese from the Fukushima areas could have cancer and radiation damages but do not know they have them. In the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine, and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in the USA, people living near the areas are "permanently evacuated", not allowed to return to live. Japanese government "should" do the same for Fukushima residents. Government-sponsored and nuclear-operator-sponsored studies tend to play down the effects of radiation on statistical incidence of leukemia, cancers, etc, to reduce or avoid claims of injuries and damages. It is easier to prove radiation damages using babies with deformities born after the accident, plants and animals with abnormal parts or growths around the reactor areas, etc. Fukushima residents should sue to get compensation for permanent relocation and future cancer-related medical expenses.
5 ( +7 / -2 )
Posted in: Public support plunges for Abe See in context
If LDP's supporters are mostly old people, then we should look into voting fraud.
Many old people are senile and gullible. In other countries like the USA, the voter fraud is committed by having the old voters sign the forms or the mail-in forms, with the choice of the candidates picked by someones else. I am not surprised if this happened. Voter fraud in the USA is a big issue raised by the Republican candidates because the Democratic Party candidates do not want voters to be required to prove their citizenship, identity and eligibility with a state or federal ID with a photo. The Democrats claimed blacks, Hispanics, etc, who mostly vote for the Democrats have trouble getting state or federal ID with a photo. This shows some people will do anything to win elections.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: LDP aims to have lower house vote for security bills on Thursday See in context
The Constitution allows Japan to use military force to attack any country that attacks Japan.
The security bills would allow Japan's military "go into battle even if there is no direct threat to Japan or its people".PM Abe wants to send Japan's military to fight in support of the troops of other countries like the USA even when the national security of Japan is not affected, as in places like former Yugoslavia in Europe, or in Africa.
Japanese citizens should oppose the security bills for the following reasons :
(1) Wars are very expensive, both in financial and human costs. The USA has raked up the world's biggest external debt of at least US$ 18.1 trillion or US$ 18 100 billion, over 102% of its GDP, mainly because it has been involved in a lot of wars. The problem is a lot of that debt is owed to foreign countries. In 2014, US exports totaled around US $ 1.61 trillion or 1610 billion according to CIA World Factbook. According to US president Obama, US pres. G. Bush "borrowed" a lot of money from foreign countries to pay for the at least US$ 2 trillion fighting the Iraq and Afghan wars alone.
(2) Payments for benefits, housing, foods, etc for military personnel who are killed or permanently disabled make up a big part of the national budget of the USA "every year", at least a hundred billion dollars. These payments are made to the injured and their dependents, surviving members of the family of the killed "every year, for at least 20 years until they die".
(3) Japan has the world's biggest external debt as a percentage of GDP, over 226% of its GDP, at over US$10.4 trillion. Japan's government has been spending more money than it receives. The deficit is around 8% of GDP. 1 US$= 122 yen
(4) The money to be spent on these unnecessary military operations can be better spent on bettering the education, lives, etc, of many Japanese citizens. There are millions of Japanese out there living in poverty and struggling with paying their living expenses.
(5) For example, if Japan joins another country in attacking a Middle East Muslim country, then Japanese citizens will become the targets of terrorists from Muslim countries, anywhere they travel to, in the world.
(6) The security bills violate the Constitution, that is, the highest laws of Japan.
9 ( +11 / -2 )
Posted in: Abe says history will prove him right over security bills See in context
Many of you reviewers do not understand the purposes of the security bills. The Constitution allows Japan to use military force to attack any country that attacks Japan.
The security bills would allow Japan's military "go into battle even if there is no direct threat to Japan or its people" =========================================================================================== as quoted from above. PM Abe wants to send Japan's military to fight in support of the troops of other countries like the USA even when the national security of Japan is not affected, as in former Yugoslavia in Europe, or in Africa.
Japanese citizens should oppose the security bills for the following reasons :
(1) Wars are very expensive, both in financial and human costs. The USA has raked up the world's biggest external debt of at least US$ 18.1 trillion or US$ 18 100 billion, over 102% of its GDP, mainly because it spent a lot of that debt on wars. The problem is a lot of that debt is owed to foreign countries. In 2014, US exports totaled US $ 1.61 trillion or 1610 billion according to CIA World Factbook. According to US president Obama, US pres. G. Bush "borrowed" a lot of money from foreign countries to pay for the more than US$ 2 trillion fighting the Iraq and Afghan wars alone.
(2) Payments for benefits, housing, foods, etc for military personnel who are killed or permanently disabled make up a big part of the national budget of the USA "every year", at least hundred of billion of dollars. These payments are made to the injured and the survivors of the dead "every year, for at least 20 years until they die".
(3) Japan has the world's biggest external debt as a percentage of GDP, over 226% of its GDP, at over US$10.4 trillion. Japan's government has been spending more money than it receives. The deficit is around 8% of GDP. 1 US$= 122 yen
(4) The money to be spent on these unnecessary military operations can be better spent on bettering the education, lives, etc, of many Japanese citizens. There are millions of Japanese out there living in poverty and struggling with paying their living expenses.
(5) For example, if Japan joins another country in attacking a Middle East Muslim country, then Japanese citizens will become the targets of terrorists from Muslim countries anywhere in the world.
5 ( +7 / -2 )
Posted in: Abe says history will prove him right over security bills See in context
Prime minister Abe tries to pass the security bills without revealing the costs to the public.
According to a major newspaper in U.K., www(.)telegraph(.)co(.)uk, the OECD said Japan's government debt, currently at a world record 226 % of GDP, would balloon to more than 400 % by 2040 if the government did not carry out reforms. "With a budget deficit of around 8 % of GDP, Japan's debt ratio is set to rise further into uncharted territory,"
According to www(.)treasurydirect(.)gov, the USA has the world's biggest national debt, US$ 18151 billion (18.15 trillion) which has grown bigger every year for the last 20 years. The debt is more than 102% of its GDP.
US president Obama said US pres. G. Bush spent at least US$ 2000 billion (2 trillion) on the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. A lot of that money is borrowed from foreign countries. This does not include the continuing costs, at least for 20 years, at least billions of US $ every year, of paying monthly disability benefits to tens of thousands of disabled US military personnel and the survivors of those who died, until they die. US$ = 121.7 yen.
According to www(.)mof(.)go(.)jp/english/ ,Japan's government debt, is over one quadrillion yen (US$10.46 trillion), over 226% of GDP. Japanese citizens have the right to ask PM Abe to provide a true estimate of the cost of carrying out the military actions, at least hundreds of billions of yen "every year", if the security bills are passed.
6 ( +8 / -2 )
Posted in: War fears See in context
Are the true purposes of the security bills to share the costs of wars started by the USA with Japan ?
The USA under pres. Bush was reported to have spent more than US$ 2 000 billion (US$ 2 trillion) on the Iraq War, Afghan War, etc, according to US pres. Obama. A lot of that money is borrowed from foreign countries.
2 ( +8 / -6 )
Posted in: Chinese media see international bank as diplomatic coup See in context
The USA puts up 17.69 % of the capital (SDRs), holds a 16.75 % voting share at International Monetary Fund (I.M.F.) and a veto.
China puts up 30.34 % of the capital at Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (A.I.I.B.), holds 26.06 % of the voting rights at A.I.I.B. but no veto.
In simple words, the USA can kill I.M.F. decisions, even if they are approved by 83.3% of the votes, all members except USA, because of its veto.
China "can not" kill A.I.I.B. decisions approved by 73.94 % of the votes because it has no veto.
You do not have to be a genius to figure out the A.I.I.B. has a management system which is fairer and much more justified than that of I.M.F..
5 ( +6 / -1 )
Posted in: China says many in Japan not ready to accept its rise See in context
Fire PM Abe as the prime minister and Japan-China relation will most likely improve. Japan-China relation was better before he became prime minister. He is stepping on too many toes of other people including Japanese at once. He wants to revise the Constitution without the required approval of at least two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, and the majority of voters in a referendum. He puts himself above the laws like a dictator. He denied former Japanese PM has shelved the Senkakus dispute with China until the government of United Kingdom released declassified documents confirming the shelving. His knowledge of Japanese history is pitiful as shown by his speeches in the Diet and elsewhere.
2 ( +6 / -4 )
Posted in: U.S. anthrax samples shipped to Japan in 2005: Pentagon See in context
The USA ratified the Biological Weapons Convention on Mar 26, 1975. Can anybody explains to me why the US Pentagon has shipped deadly biological weapon like the anthrax bacteria to countries which have US military bases ?
4 ( +6 / -2 )
Posted in: Constitutional questions grow over Abe's military plans See in context
PM Abe is the BIGGEST THREAT to Japan. He :
(1) tries to revise the Constitution without the "required" approval of the two-thirds majority in BOTH houses and the majority of Japanese voters in a referendum. He does not called it revising, he calls it reinterpreting. He behaves like a dictator with no respects for the highest laws of Japan. He tries to push through the security laws despite many Constitutional scholars say the laws violate the Constitution.
(2) wants to silence and intimidate the press like newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, etc. by using laws on national security and secrets. He wants to deprive Japanese citizens of their Constitutional rights to know about the LDP's secret deal allowing US to bring nuclear weapons into Japan, 18.4 million "missing pensions" scandal, Fukushima radiation leakage, corruption, mishandling of industrial accidents, etc. by the government. He wants the press NOT to show, write or say bad things about "his" government, even if they are true.
(3) wants the young and the future generations of Japanese to learn history based on "his" interpretations, revisions, etc., not based on factual materials, evidence, etc. This is what happens in North Korea, Soviet Union, etc.
(4) wastes thousands of billions of yen in foreign aid to bribe other countries into voting for Japan's permanent membership in the UN Security Council, despite knowing that the bid can not succeed with China's veto. This "wasted" money can be better spent to help millions of Japanese with their medical care, tuition costs, living expenses, food, rebuilding from disasters, old-age care, Fukushima resettlement, etc. More than 159,000 Japanese and many businesses were evicted from lands too radioactive to live in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Many are still waiting for help, enough compensation, etc. to rebuild their lives.
(5) wants to take away some of the basic Constitutional rights of all Japanese citizens under the false excuses of protecting national secrets. These are the same excuses used by dictators and totalitarian governments to control their citizens.
14 ( +16 / -2 )
Posted in: U.S. tells Okinawa governor new base 'fundamental' to security See in context
Governor Takeshi Onaga and his team are wasting time talking to US senators, representatives and officials. Most of them will back US government policy and opinions. They do not want to be seen as unpatriotic.
During the Vietnam War, thousands of anti-war protesters and the news media in USA successfully publicize the evils and atrocities committed by some US troops, the horrors of US bombing, the huge costs to US taxpayers, etc. This painted the war in a very negative picture.
During the Vietnam War, the unpopular USA president LB Johnson announced he would not seek a second term as president. Richard Nixon won the USA presidency mainly by promising to pull out from the very unpopular Vietnam War.
Governor Onaga's team should be talking to non-governmental groups to publicize the violent crimes committed against defenseless school girls, the constant noises, sufferings endured by the people, armed robberies and violent crimes committed by drunken soldiers, the burden on US taxpayers, etc.
They should be trying to get support for the human rights of the people of Okinawa from famous people like Bill Gates, Tim Cook, etc and those groups who are already campaigning for the Rohingyas, human rights, etc. They should persuade the news media like CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, etc to do news stories on them by offering them a lot of help in filming in Okinawa, etc.
-1 ( +1 / -2 )
Posted in: U.S. tells Okinawa governor new base 'fundamental' to security See in context
The USA empire has spoken. Do it the USA way or hit the highway (get lost) !
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan's push to secure African resources sputters, helping China See in context
Japan is much much better off than USA financially. Look at the facts below:____JapanUSA__ 2014 external debt, billion US$__10460180000_World Bank__ 2013 foreign reserves, billion US$_____1267_145__CIA_____ 2014 current account,billion US$____+31__-386__CIA____ USA can learn from Japan how to manage its finances. Japan can pay for commodities like oil, gas, etc, with cash. China lost money on its investments on tar sands projects in Canada, etc. Japanese companies should invest in resource projects only if the projects meet their criteria for profits, safety, etc. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2188rank.html
-4 ( +0 / -4 )
Posted in: Japan's push to secure African resources sputters, helping China See in context
It appears to me the government under PM Abe is blindly imitating US policy at the urging of US to compete in many things China does. That is a bad policy because :
(1) The US has borrowed over $18000 billion, over 100% of its GDP, starting wars, competing with Russia, China and other countries. Many parts of its govt will be shut down if it fails to borrow enough to fund the hundreds of billions of dollars in budget deficit every year. Its government has already shut down before when the Congress failed to raise its debt ceiling.
(2) Borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars every year from foreign countries by the US is a bad role model for Japan.
(3) There are millions of poor and middle-class Japanese, including some of you, who need government help in paying for food, education, medical care, retirement, old-age care, etc.
(4) Many of the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Fukushima disaster are still waiting for "enough government help and compensation" to rebuild their lives.
(5) The govt has already wasted thousands of billions of yen in bribing foreign countries to vote for the failed bid to get permanent membership at the UN Security Council, in competing with China for influence, etc.
(6) Japan's external debt is over 240% of its GDP and is increasing by hundreds of billions of yen every year.
(7) Foreign investments should be made only if they satisfy certain criteria for profitability, safety, etc, and not for the sake of competing with China for influence, etc.
2 ( +6 / -4 )
Posted in: Okinawan governor determined to press U.S. to move base off island See in context
The US military objects to moving the bases out of Okinawa. Governor Onaga will have to use the same tactics used by the anti-Vietnam-War protesters to make the Vietnam War very unpopular among US voters. He needs to appeal to the American people. He needs to publicize the cause and plight of the people of Okinawan with the help of major US networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, New York times, Los Angeles Times, etc.
The right-wing US Republican Party have a simple majority in the US Senate and the US house of Reps and are unlikely to be sympathetic to his cause.. The Democratic Party "may be" more sympathetic. I wish him success.
3 ( +8 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan's economy grows 2.4% in first quarter See in context
I do not trust the numbers released by Prime Minister Abe and his cabinet. He does not have a history of HONESTY.
He should release the details in many pages of the different numbers to the press and on government websites. The exchange rate has gone from 80 yen to a dollar to 120 yen to a dollar. "Constant" GDP in US dollars will shrink because of the depreciation of the yen. The US government is MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT in releasing details.
0 ( +2 / -2 )
Posted in: Gov't submits security bills to Diet See in context
(1) wants to take away the basic Constitutional rights of all Japanese citizens under the false excuses of threatening national security or revealing national secrets. These are the same excuses used by dictators and totalitarian governments to control their citizens.
(2) revises the Constitution without the "required" approval of the two-thirds majority in BOTH houses and the majority of Japanese voters in a referendum. He does not called it revising, he calls it reinterpreting. He has no respects for the highest laws of Japan.
(3) wants the young and the future generations of Japanese to learn history based on "his" interpretations, revisions, etc., not based on factual materials, evidence, etc. This is what happens in North Korea, Soviet Union, etc..
(4) wants to silence and intimidate the press like newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, etc. by using laws on national security and secrets. He wants to deprive Japanese citizens of their Constitutional rights to know about the LDP's secret deal allowing US to bring nuclear weapons into Japan, 18.4 million "missing pensions" scandal, Fukushima radiation leakage, corruption, mishandling of industrial accidents, etc. by the government. He wants the press NOT to show, write or say bad things, even if they are true, about "his" government.
(5) wastes paying billions of yen in "extra" foreign aid to bribe other countries into voting for Japan's permanent membership in the UN Security Council. He squanders this money despite knowing that the bid can not succeed with China's veto. This "wasted" money can be better spent to help millions of Japanese like some of "you", with their living expenses, food, educational expenses, Fukushima resettlement, rebuilding from disasters, etc..
More than 159,000 Japanese were evicted from lands too radioactive to live in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Many are still waiting for help, compensation, etc. to rebuild their lives.
8 ( +8 / -0 )
Posted in: Foreign ownership of U.S. debt rises; China reclaims top spot See in context
Many countries are trading directly using barter and currencies other than US dollar. Japan and China both have currency swap agreements with their major trading partners.
The use of the US dollar by other countries has been declining year after year in a long term decline. The use of the US dollar as a reserve currency will take a big HIT as soon as China makes the yuan, also called renminbi, more convertible and when it is added to the SDR at International Monetary Fund.
The external debt of the USA is growing bigger every year, it is now about US$ 18000 billion for a 2014 population of 319 million. That works out to US$ 18 000 000 million / 319 million = US$ 56400 for every US citizen. This is more than the its 2015 per capita GDP of US$ 53,042 according to World Bank.
The USA will be forced to pay much higher interest rates to attract people to buy its debts, also called US Treasury bonds and notes, due to the long term decline of the use of the US dollar.
2 ( +2 / -0 )
Posted in: China must guard against Japan's denial of history: military See in context
Corrections to my comments on May 11, 2015. The 2 internet addresses displayed at the end should be separated.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/31/national/history/japan-china-agreement-maintain-senkaku-status-quo-82-suzuki-thatcher-files/ http://www.margaretthatcher.org/
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: China must guard against Japan's denial of history: military See in context
Most of YOU do not understand the problems which are causing the bad relations between PM Abe and China's and S Korea's leaders. If YOU do not know what the problems are, you CAN NOT fix the problems. Below are some of the problems : (1) PM Abe should NOT have visited and paid his respects at the Yasukuni Shrine where the names of the CONVICTED WAR CRIMINALS are kept. This visit has sent the wrong message that he supports and condones the atrocities they ordered and allowed.
(2) Several of PM Abe's officials claimed the "comfort women" were prostitutes or provided sexual services willingly. These statements are insults to these women. Former US Sectary of State H. Clinton said they were "sexual slaves".
(3) Several of PM Abe's officials said the Nanjing Massacre was a lie. There are thousands of photos, videos, diplomatic reports, documents, eyewitnesses, etc. which prove that at least tens of thousands of Chinese civilians were killed.
(4) Declassified documents from UK prove that the Japan's PM Zenko Suzuki told UK's PM Margaret Thatcher in 1982 that he and Chinese leader Deng Xio Ping agreed to shelve the Senkaku Island dispute. Also attending the meeting was Foreign Minister Yoshio Sakurauchi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiichi Miyazawa, a future prime minister. PM Abe said NO SUCH AGREEMENT exists. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/31/national/history/japan-china-agreement-maintain-senkaku-status-quo-82-suzuki-thatcher-files/ http://www.margaretthatcher.org/
1 ( +4 / -3 )
Posted in: Japan to increase investment in Asian infrastructure See in context
PM Abe has ignored the needs of the poor and lower middle class Japanese citizens. He squandered billions of yen on bribing countries with foreign aid to get their votes at the UN to help Japan get a permanent membership at the UN Security Council. China's VETO effectively kills the bid, regardless of how many votes Japan gets in the UN General Assembly.
7 ( +7 / -0 )
Posted in: Fitch downgrades Japan citing economic concerns See in context
The 3 credit rating agencies, Moody's, S&P, Fitch, all based in the USA, are racist and biased favoring the USA. These are the same 3 which rated the subprime bonds AAA or Aaa causing the American subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2008. The huge losses from the subprime bonds caused US banks to be bailed out by the US government. Below are some credit ratings : (More A or a, the better) ...................Japan............China............USA S&P...............AA-................AA-.............AA+ Fitch............. A ..................A+..............AAA Moody's........A1 ..................Aa3.............Aaa
Dagong........A+..................AAA...............A- JCR.............AAA.....................................AAA Chengxin.... AAg+................AAg+..........AAAg..
The C.I.A. defines external debt of a country as the total public and private debt owed to nonresidents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services.
The external debt by the end of 2012 are $3017 billion for Japan, $15680 billion for USA. That for China as of end of 2014, 2 years later, is $894 billion for China.
.............................................Japan............China............USA..................................... current account 2014..........$31................$204.............. - $386(minus)............billion US$
2014 exports.......................$710..............$2252............$1610..............billion US$
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2079rank.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: Abe arrives in Boston to kick off weeklong U.S. visit See in context
I do not think Japan-China relations will improve as long as PM Abe remains PM, despite the short meeting between PM Abe and Chinese pres. Xi at the Asian-African Conference on 19th to 24rd April 2015 in Indonesia.
Forbes magazine, covering the Asian-African Conference, which was attended by over 100 Asian and African nations and international organizations. Forbes reported : "The first day of the two day conference, attended by leaders of most of the important countries in Africa and Asia, featured short speeches by most of leaders. Then, when Abe appeared at the lectern Xi stood up and, in full view of everyone, walked out the room."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stephenharner/2015/04/23/xi-abe-meeting-in-jakarta-no-thaw-as-abe-travels-to-washington-china-japan-relations-are-worsening
http://blogs.wsj.com/indonesiarealtime/2015/04/25/in-photos-a-walk-to-remember-in-bandung/
4 ( +5 / -1 )
Posted in: Abe offers ritual gift to Yasukuni shrine See in context
PM Abe needs to stop visiting Yasukuni shrine and repeats apologies for past aggression and atrocities, to repair and improve ties with China and S Korea. This will give Japan more leverage when dealing with the USA.
It gives Japan more leverage when negotiating Japans's payment of hundreds of billions of yen for the US bases in Japan, technology transfers when buying US weapons, etc.. Japan can not get a permanent membership in the UN Security Council with China's veto. It also has to buy UN members' votes for the permanent membership with expensive foreign aid. This is money that can be better spent to help poor Japanese citizens.
It failed to get 2 members, out of the 7 members of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, China and S Korea to back building the ITER in Japan instead of France.
Japan has too much to lose internationally and financially from bad relations with China and S Korea.
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Haitian gang slaughters at least 70 people as thousands flee
Posted in: Cheers
Posted in: Over 10% of Japan elderly will have no close relatives by 2050: research