Originally Posted by Pickles

Having stepped back a bit from the weeds, I do see that Japan is in trouble, maybe even big trouble. The unwillingness of most people in many areas of endeavor, including government, large corporations, and small, entrepreneurial firms, to actually step up and take a risk is very damaging in the long run. Expecting others to step up and move things forward because of risk aversion is leading Japan towards a sclerosis that is self-reinforcing. Maybe Japan needs to be bombed by North Korea, that should get their juices flowing.