Jersey Boy said:
Japanese government spend well over USD 1 trillion for the public works over the course of the lost decade (with such as drip-drip spending over the course of years, it is reasonable to expect the economy will keep an economy afloat). There was an interesting NYT article on that one that showed a stark example of wasteful public spending for the sake of spending, like a bridge to nowhere (literary to nowhere as no one is using some of the expensive bridges Japan built).
Yes, that is alot of money, but I think it was well worth it for the reasons I stated. I wonder how the $1 Trillion stimulus package in the US will be used for public works projects to keep people working. From what I've read it's only about $40 billion. A pittance considering how bad our infrastructure has become. MOst of it will go for pet projects of bureaucrats and their own home towns/cities. Here in the US we have a few "bridges to nowhere also."
The fact of the matter is the USA is still considered the safe haven for many investors. Even though the current economic recession originated from the USA and spread to Europe and Asia, the blunt of the hatchet would fall heavily on Europe and Asia. (note: Most of the major international trade partners have got affected by this downturn. So, my comment is relative to other countries).
It may be a false belief based on what the media is telling us and the "arm twisting" by the US of foreign nations to continue buying US treasuries. But let's face facts here. The US is broke, broke, broke, and is $14 Trillion in debt. How in the world will they ever be able to pay back that money, especially to China and Japan? They can never pay it back and will probably declare itself bankrupt in the short term (1 - 3 years). In the coming months foreigners will shy away from US investment and may even begin to sell their T-Bills if, and when, the US$ begins it's decline as it eventually will as there is no other course save for manipulation. But even that cannot last forever.
Where is the money coming from for the stimulus package? China and JApan, that's where. And if that's not enough the US will just print more with no gold or anything to back it up. Soon hyperinflation will take hold as there will be too many dollars chasing too few goods.
I believe Japan will come out on or near the top when the dust finally settles as it is still the largest creditor nation in the world while the US is the largest debtor nation and most households have negative net worth while the majority of households in Japan have a positiuve net worth.
The current exchange rates between the Dollar and the Yen illustrates clearly. I think the Dollar will go above JPY 100 in several weeks.
It may well be, but that is just manipulation to satisfy Japan and increase the value of their exports. In the long run (1 yr or so) the Japanese yen I believe will be below 80 yen/$.
The major long terms ills for Japan would be:
stagnant domestic consumption
highly regulated domestic industries (too many red tapes)
rapidly aging population
50% of manufacturing industries depend on exports (overseas recessions will bring down Japan's economy
lack of raw materials (hard currencies from the trade should offset this but Japan cannot escape the fact that it depends on imports for essential materials; Japan may not be able to maintain the trade surplus any longer).
I agree, but the same is true of the US. Besides our manufacturing capabilities are virtually nil today save for big ticket items, but even these are being outsourced overseas. As the Japanese yen stregthens raw materials will be that much cheaper for them.
I expect that the USA and China will emerge as the twin pillar of the world economy and that Japanese economy will in the downward trajectory hereafter.
I respectfully disagree as I believe the US will go the way Spain, France and the UK did in the past. At one time these countries were also the most powerful economies and militaries in the world and where are they today? They are nowhere near their former powerful selves. I believe the US is headed down the same road and the pillars of the world economy will be China, Japan (due to their creditor status) and maybe most of Asia including India. In about 10 years the US may be making goods for export to the strong economies of China, Japan, and India.
For all my research to date, I cannot see the US coming out of this at all outside of a war. For them to do so would mean a massive rebuilding of factories for the manufacture of all the goods we now import for export. At present salaries and red tape it is physcally impossible to compete. Besides we do not have the factories available anymore. In order to compete, the US would have to have wages at or below those of China, India, and many other countries. I do not see that happening anytime soon and thus the US cannot compete.
We no longer make any electronics, nor clothing, nor any textiles. We have very limited steel building and every stick of furniture, clothing, electronics, household items like dishes and cutlery, toothpicks, chopsticks, mousepad, carpets, lamps, vases, coffee pot, football jerseys, hats, etc., etc in my home today were made in China or another foreign country. I believe I have a personalized coffee cup that was made in the US. Even my own US flag was manufactured in China!
How in God's name are we to compete and come out on top when we do not manufacture anything anymore?
God I hope I am wrong.