Off topic, but as Japan's leaders flounder about in a vain struggle to find a governmental response commensurate with the worsening economic situation, a little perspective is in order.
The financial reporting of the press of advanced industrial economies camouflages, without malice, the extraordinarily privileged status of the producers of financial and business news--and the primary consumers of such news. The Olympian viewpoint is the default--it is so easy to forget that for most of the world, the movements of prices and the drying up of credit means sudden, unexpected, undeserved catastrophe.
Which begs a question -- what is Japan doing to stabilize and bring balance to the global economy, Francisco?
Well, it seems to have declared war on marijuana lately. Not that it'll help the economy, exactly, but perhaps the focus on the taima-using university student population can distract people from crisis. Or, it'll act as lots of free publicity for marijuana, creating a population too stoned to care about the economy anymore.
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