As for the China. You have to remember that Japan together with EU are all alligned with US. I am not worried about China one bit just as I am not worried about India also becoming a new economical power house.

There’s good stuff in your comment about ROK. It’s worth a post when I can sit down to do it. I agree with much of what you say. Instead of the media, I would blame the public schools and teachers’ unions. I would also argue that Korea traditionally fluctuates between political factions wildly, so what we see now are the conservatives and a different regional clique consolidating power. But, I would also argue that ROK is starting the corporation reform process, although it has done little and in some ways has backtracked. It also rewrote its constitution to leave the dictatorship behind. Both of these accomplishments warrant more praise than Beijing’s raw economic prowess.

I for one have serious doubts about S Korea. The government is endorsing xenophobic nationalism which is flamed by their media. More yet, academics are enthusiastic about rewriting history so the Korean race will look “greater”. Now, they’re even having historical issues with China …let’s see if any of this changes in the new regime. I think China and Japan gets all the criticism in East Asia while countries like S Korea seem to be under the radar screen of western medias…

I for one think Chinese leaders are quite pragmatic. See how Japan was able to improve relations with China but not with S Korea.

Baltimoron: I have similar views on China and have often expressed them here and on a different website over the past couple of years. The other poster’s mention of Russia in this instance stood out.

Just in case anyone is interested.From the blog “China Matters”.Criticizing Waldron’s lean to Japan and rightist American “blue team”.Waldron himself posted a comment.

http://chinamatters.blogspot.com/2005/05/arthur-waldron-and-rightward-drift-of.html

It’s amazing how easily Ampontan (no singling you out, just pointing out the thread above) will write off Russia, but there’s this divide over China. I’m china-skeptical, as well. Japan has been around the block; China hasn’t proved to me it can whether life without the Communist party or stay united. I might have my qualms about Japanese political culture, but I still think China would be well-advised to be more like Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rogers/rogers140.html

I cant understand the fixation on Presidential campaigning. I mean, it is just more Hollywood. Its strikes me America is like some menopausal woman now having hot flushes, losing her head and acting like an infatuated teenage ever 4 year or so. Come one, its not here the action is.

Mike does another really saddening and, I feel, emblematic article on the nature of the cultural and economic shafting Japan has received.

Japan, Amway, George Bush and Diana Ross – Your Tax Dollars at Work! … http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/rogers2.html

As an aside, can I put my hand up as someone that whooped a sigh of relief when Iris Chang’s did the noble thing and ended her own career prematurely.

The US is on a campaign of containment of China building bases all around its perimeter, including previous Soviet states. I am not sure about Japan’s puppy dog status. When push comes to shove, I can’t imagine the US giving a damn.

No, I didn’t mention Obama, but then the post wasn’t about Obama. Can’t write a book with each post. He’s also less likely to be nominated, and less likely to win if nominated.

John K: Don’t understand your assertion about Russia at all. It is in a demographic death spiral, it has an infant mortality rate (and health care system) of Third World countries, men have an extremely short life expectancy (less than 60 IIRC), an estimated 70% of all pregnancies end in abortion, Muslims could account for a majority of military personnel in another 10-15 years, the Muslim population of Moscow is growing rapidly, and there is open speculation about when Vladivostok will revert to China, as people are picking up and leaving the eastern part of the country lock, stock and barrel.

Oh, and democracy turned out to have been a failure.

About the only thing it has going for it now is oil revenue. I would not call this a country that’s ascending.