There is, of course, one major reason why America will not go the route of Japan, and that is that it is not Japanese. Japanese society can weather the kind of situation it’s in much better than the United States ever could. Just to give you an example, consider the response of the Japanese to the recent tsunami and imagine if exactly the same thing had happened in Los Angeles or San Diego.

In Japan there was no rioting, no looting, rescue and relief work began immediately and everybody who could help did so. There were even Japanese who volunteered to work in the nuclear plants, searching for people and shutting down systems, knowing it could have lethal health effects.

Japanese citizens have an aversion to banks and many of them kept their savings in safes at home. After the tsunami a large number of these safes were found and a major project has been underway to reunite the safes with their owners. Not only that, but wads of money have been found and a many of these have been turned into authorities by people who could have easily kept it for themselves.

If the same thing had occurred in Southern California the riots and looting would have began immediately and in all likelihood troops would have been called in within hours. Shops would have been emptied of goods, a thriving black market would have arisen in stolen merchandise and individuals and families would have found their belongings taken. There would have been large numbers of arrests, buildings set on fire and people killed by looters. This would have continued for days, perhaps weeks. Don’t even think about money being turned in. Lawyers would have emerged from the woodwork and a mass whine would have arisen from anyone injured by anything anywhere, including by police who tried to stop them from rioting and looting.

Japanese have a sense of solidarity that America or any multicultural country like it can never have. This has disadvantages in other contexts, but when it comes to survival and making do in down times, I think Japan can do it where many other nations would find the going very difficult. Japan’s major challenge in the future will be keep their business and financial class loyal to their country but that has been a disease that has affected everyone, especially here in the United States. Japan may resist it better.

Here are the two biggest and most important reasons that the United States will never become another Japan. Note that this Ian Bremmer character failed to mention both of them, and they are really doozies, too! Look:

1) First of all, there already is a country named “Japan”. YOU CAN’T HAVE TWO COUNTRIES WITH THE SAME NAME, DUH! When the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedadonia tried to call itself “Macedonia” it caused a huge diplomatic row, and that name wasn’t even being used by a whole country, just by a tiny corner of a small country! Learn your history, Ian Bremmer! And then there is Mainland China and Taiwan; let’s not even go there!!!!

2) Second of all, this country is not inhabited by mostly Japanese people. If you carefully check the statistics issued by the Japanese government, most of the people in Japan are Japanese, which is why they call it Japan in the first place! For the US to become another Japan, the vast majority of non-Japanese Americans would have to move! And then a bunch more Japanese would have to move in before more Mexicans move in to fill in the empty spots! This would tax the global transportation system and wreak havoc in the mortgage industry!

Really, Ian Bremmer, you need to do more research before you publish articles like this. It sounds like crazy talk!

XOXO,
Vraag

Also, I think many commenters forget that the author is writing up to his intended audience and assumes you have a healthy amount of background information to along with his points. For instance, when he says “demographics” the author isn’t just pointing at population growth, but also suggesting that the environment allows for better overall growth in education and other qualities that make U.S. a haven for innovators. At the present, the United States still holds the largest number of top academic institutions world-wide. The United States is also home to technology and research hubs that individually outshines the total capacity of many countries.

In many cases, the only thing holding us back is our distribution of tax dollars. Sure, illegal immigrants cost us money, but they are a necessary source of labor. Sure, foreign aid is pricy, but it is critical to ensure we maintain ties with countries harboring a wealth of natural resources. What remains is the question on whether our military spending is necessary. It sure doesn’t seem like we need it, but you never know what you will need tomorrow.

Yes, we have problems, but before you say the grass is green on the other side, be sure to take a look at the house and the people that live in it.

http://www.economist.com/node/21538745