The number of newborns in Japan fell below 700,000 for the first time since records began in 1899. The government data released Wednesday showed a 16th straight year of decline and it's faster than had been expected.
I’m really interested on how you think they should move away from a capitalist system, what the actual steps are. If you’re saying that they should treat their employees better and make the work culture more accommodating for families, I get your point.
Yeah their whole shtick has been mimicking American corporatism et al since before the 80s. Aint working out for them.
Actual steps? We have books about that since the 1800s. Usually involves overthrowing the bourgeoisie, arming the proletariat, and dismantling their networks of propaganda
They haven’t been mimicking American corporatism, they were set up that way after the war. You could almost call them a commonwealth since we have military bases there and protect them.
Edit: Compare them to Puerto Rico except the part about being an American citizen that can’t vote, and you’ll see that they’re very similar.
Key aspects of American influence on Japanese capitalism:
Post-WWII Occupation and Reconstruction:
The US occupation, led by General Douglas MacArthur, introduced significant changes to Japan's economic system. This included:
Land Reform: Breaking up large landholdings to benefit farmers and reduce the power of wealthy landowners.
Breaking up Zaibatsu: Attempting to dismantle the large, powerful business conglomerates (Zaibatsu) to promote free market competition.
Promoting Free Market Capitalism: Shifting the Japanese economy towards a more free market model, inspired by American ideals.
And they’re not a commonwealth of ours. If you think the US would defend Japan or Taiwan in the next few years, you’re as big of a fool as those that doubted a lying populist like Trump would win.
I won’t be arguing any further. You do you chief. Sorry that the facts dont add up and you wanna squabble over things neither of us can change. You seem to have found a good home on shitjustworks, the vibe suits you
Key aspects of American influence on Japanese capitalism:
Post-WWII Occupation and Reconstruction:
The US occupation, led by General Douglas MacArthur, introduced significant changes to Japan’s economic system. This included:
Land Reform: Breaking up large landholdings to benefit farmers and reduce the power of wealthy landowners.
Breaking up Zaibatsu: Attempting to dismantle the large, powerful business conglomerates (Zaibatsu) to promote free market competition.
Promoting Free Market Capitalism: Shifting the Japanese economy towards a more free market model, inspired by American ideals.
I think we’re agreeing, we set up the Japanese markets. Not sure why you’re getting so antsy about this.
And they’re not a commonwealth of ours. If you think the US would defend Japan or Taiwan in the next few years, you’re as big of a fool as those that doubted a lying populist like Trump would win.
I didn’t say they were one, I said they’re almost like one. Do you think the trump administration would defend Puerto Rico? He threw paper towels at them when they had a disaster. Again, not saying Japan is a commonwealth, but trump sticking up for them isn’t a guide either.
I’m not coming to argue you on your main point. As a Communist, I think communism would be great in Japan, and a lot of other places.
However, you are completely wrong about the USA not defending Japan. Unlike taiwain there are several large american military bases in Japan, and actually Japan is not allowed to have a large military of its own through its constitution (I edited this, corrected)
Okinawa is one base a lot of people have heard of, but there’s like 20 american military bases there. Japan depends on the USA for its foreign defense.
Since Japan is the largest foreign holder of american government debt (bonds) it might be appropriate to call them a vassal state.
Yeah their whole shtick has been mimicking American corporatism et al since before the 80s. Aint working out for them.
There absolutely was an effort in Japanese businesses to imitate American businesses in the 1980s, but it was also very much a two-way street and it’s important to keep this in mind. Some of the toxic work culture elements that exist in the US corporate world today were imported. Also keep in mind that learning about other businesses was more difficult at the time because the Internet wasn’t a thing yet. Computers were barely getting local proprietary networks in very few, leading-edge businesses. If you wanted to learn about business operarions in another country you’d have to buy physical media (newspapers, industry journals, commentary books) or visit in person. It was slow and expensive.
Ultimately a lot of what you’re referring to tracks back to Theory Z which was also called “Japanese Management”.
In fact there has been a lot of cultural crosstalk between Japan and the US, going back a long time. For instance, baseball
Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1859 and is Japan’s most popular participatory and spectator sport. […]
The Japanese government appointed American oyatoi in order to start a state-inspired modernization process. This involved the education ministry, who made baseball accessible to children by integrating the sport into the physical education curriculum. Japanese students, who returned from studying in the United States captivated by the sport, took government positions. Clubs and private teams such as the Shinbashi Athletic Club, along with high school and college teams, commenced the baseball infrastructure.
When the digital electronics revolution came in the 1970s, Japan was both a competitor and a partner for the US. In the 1980s Japan’s economy rivaled the US. Frankly, a lot of it did in fact “work out” for them, though it’s difficult to separate the economic success from the electronics industry boom (how much of the rapid development of electronics was dependent on the corporate culture that had developed during the previous decade? how much of the business success was a result of the demand for the electronics products? how much of the demand was created internally by the businesses themselves? how would you even go about drawing lines between them?). The exploding popularity of video games (a side effect of the electronics revolution) resulted in a massive cultural export from Japan to the rest of the world, including the US.
So what you said is true, technically, but it is really a half-truth which projects the idea that the relationship was somehow one-sided, when in reality it was very much not.
Now that you mention it, the lunatic fringe right wing that calls every social benefit or progress “communism” is a little bit correct.
The state, and private ownership of the means of production, withers away the more we have things like retirement benefits and weekends and universal healthcare and livable welfare payments.
Each increase in public services reduces the profits of the owner class. As we deal with the oligarchic stages of late capitalism there will probably have to be a lot of nationalizing, or monopoly breakups. Eventually, as governments take on more and more ‘essential’ services, including housing, public ownership becomes normalized.
So, assuming continuing “progress” in economics away from capital worship, and that we survive both energy overshoot and rapid A.I. development:
Co-operatives etc. will eventually take over as the most common economic organization, globally. Co-ownership in many variants. Nationalized industries and assets will likely devolve into more local control. Traded and private companies will have to adapt to less opportunity to skim surplus labour, and innovate more. Fewer rentier activities for passive income will likely be a common policy in many regions. Many will do just fine as gig workers with automated administrative systems, and that time freedom will come to be normalized.
U.B.I. in some forms will be a bridge in a lot of regions, I expect.
[note: this scenario does not appear to be the current timeline for much of the world… work to be done]
We definitely do let in immigrants. My wife, for example, is one. But I have to say, it’s really difficult to integrate into the culture, especially for work unless you’re very well versed in Japanese or don’t mind working in low wage positions.
We’ve tried everything but moving away from a capitalist system or allowing immigrants into our country and we’re all out of ideas
We tried something? They barely tried anything
thatsthejoke.jpg
I’m really interested on how you think they should move away from a capitalist system, what the actual steps are. If you’re saying that they should treat their employees better and make the work culture more accommodating for families, I get your point.
Yeah their whole shtick has been mimicking American corporatism et al since before the 80s. Aint working out for them.
Actual steps? We have books about that since the 1800s. Usually involves overthrowing the bourgeoisie, arming the proletariat, and dismantling their networks of propaganda
Finally looked it up recently. Et al is for names of people. Etc for everything else.
They haven’t been mimicking American corporatism, they were set up that way after the war. You could almost call them a commonwealth since we have military bases there and protect them.
Edit: Compare them to Puerto Rico except the part about being an American citizen that can’t vote, and you’ll see that they’re very similar.
Key aspects of American influence on Japanese capitalism:
Breaking up Zaibatsu: Attempting to dismantle the large, powerful business conglomerates (Zaibatsu) to promote free market competition. Promoting Free Market Capitalism: Shifting the Japanese economy towards a more free market model, inspired by American ideals.
And they’re not a commonwealth of ours. If you think the US would defend Japan or Taiwan in the next few years, you’re as big of a fool as those that doubted a lying populist like Trump would win.
I won’t be arguing any further. You do you chief. Sorry that the facts dont add up and you wanna squabble over things neither of us can change. You seem to have found a good home on shitjustworks, the vibe suits you
I think we’re agreeing, we set up the Japanese markets. Not sure why you’re getting so antsy about this.
I didn’t say they were one, I said they’re almost like one. Do you think the trump administration would defend Puerto Rico? He threw paper towels at them when they had a disaster. Again, not saying Japan is a commonwealth, but trump sticking up for them isn’t a guide either.
I’m not coming to argue you on your main point. As a Communist, I think communism would be great in Japan, and a lot of other places.
However, you are completely wrong about the USA not defending Japan. Unlike taiwain there are several large american military bases in Japan, and actually Japan is not allowed to have a large military of its own through its constitution (I edited this, corrected)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Mutual_Cooperation_and_Security_between_the_United_States_and_Japan
article 9 of Japanese constitution involving its military
Okinawa is one base a lot of people have heard of, but there’s like 20 american military bases there. Japan depends on the USA for its foreign defense.
Since Japan is the largest foreign holder of american government debt (bonds) it might be appropriate to call them a vassal state.
There absolutely was an effort in Japanese businesses to imitate American businesses in the 1980s, but it was also very much a two-way street and it’s important to keep this in mind. Some of the toxic work culture elements that exist in the US corporate world today were imported. Also keep in mind that learning about other businesses was more difficult at the time because the Internet wasn’t a thing yet. Computers were barely getting local proprietary networks in very few, leading-edge businesses. If you wanted to learn about business operarions in another country you’d have to buy physical media (newspapers, industry journals, commentary books) or visit in person. It was slow and expensive.
Ultimately a lot of what you’re referring to tracks back to Theory Z which was also called “Japanese Management”.
In fact there has been a lot of cultural crosstalk between Japan and the US, going back a long time. For instance, baseball
When the digital electronics revolution came in the 1970s, Japan was both a competitor and a partner for the US. In the 1980s Japan’s economy rivaled the US. Frankly, a lot of it did in fact “work out” for them, though it’s difficult to separate the economic success from the electronics industry boom (how much of the rapid development of electronics was dependent on the corporate culture that had developed during the previous decade? how much of the business success was a result of the demand for the electronics products? how much of the demand was created internally by the businesses themselves? how would you even go about drawing lines between them?). The exploding popularity of video games (a side effect of the electronics revolution) resulted in a massive cultural export from Japan to the rest of the world, including the US.
And really the rabit hole goes way deeper. I highly recommend this video: Kawaii: Anime, Propaganda, and Soft Power Politics. by Moon Channel
So what you said is true, technically, but it is really a half-truth which projects the idea that the relationship was somehow one-sided, when in reality it was very much not.
Not working out: Going from being completely flattened to the 4th largest economy in the world. Fucking failures.
You know that the American corporations took a ton of lessons from Japanese companies in the 1980s, right?
Now that you mention it, the lunatic fringe right wing that calls every social benefit or progress “communism” is a little bit correct.
The state, and private ownership of the means of production, withers away the more we have things like retirement benefits and weekends and universal healthcare and livable welfare payments.
Each increase in public services reduces the profits of the owner class. As we deal with the oligarchic stages of late capitalism there will probably have to be a lot of nationalizing, or monopoly breakups. Eventually, as governments take on more and more ‘essential’ services, including housing, public ownership becomes normalized.
So, assuming continuing “progress” in economics away from capital worship, and that we survive both energy overshoot and rapid A.I. development:
Co-operatives etc. will eventually take over as the most common economic organization, globally. Co-ownership in many variants. Nationalized industries and assets will likely devolve into more local control. Traded and private companies will have to adapt to less opportunity to skim surplus labour, and innovate more. Fewer rentier activities for passive income will likely be a common policy in many regions. Many will do just fine as gig workers with automated administrative systems, and that time freedom will come to be normalized.
U.B.I. in some forms will be a bridge in a lot of regions, I expect.
[note: this scenario does not appear to be the current timeline for much of the world… work to be done]
We definitely do let in immigrants. My wife, for example, is one. But I have to say, it’s really difficult to integrate into the culture, especially for work unless you’re very well versed in Japanese or don’t mind working in low wage positions.
Ban anime.
Surely the solution to Japan’s population crisis is to introduce American style prudish protestantism.