Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	6/15/2004

economisthiroko Career Paths

Machiko's friend owns with her husband a small office supply store in Tokyo. She also has two college age kids. She explained that "kids these days" all want to go into governement service jobs because, "they pay the best" and "and they offer the most job security." Her daughter though who just graduated hasn't found a government job yet though, "because the competition is so fierce."

I give credit to young people who have figured out that you follow the money. A decade of massive government spending to keep the economy going and the yen from rising against the US dollar does have an impact on people's choices.

10:58:07 AM

comment []

Weight Loss the Japanese way.

The advertising liberty with the English language doesn't quite work in this one.

10:45:41 AM

comment []

Nearly Honest History

Official Japanese historians take a lot of flack for their spin on history, but I was impressed with how if you go back at least a couple hundred years the honesty gets better. From Sunday's stop at the Edo Tokyo Museum, I pulled this simple description of how the Bakufu (Shogunate/Federal Government) gained from being in control of the country's money supply.

Of course most American's today are taught that prices go up because greedy people raise them, while never discussing the obvious affect on prices caused by debasing a country's money --- or what passes for money. Take today's current oil cost --- priced in US dollars ---, subtract a little for instablity in the Middle East and voracios Chinese demand and the rest is the effect of our Federal Govt. "monetizing" its ballooning debt with fiat dollars.

More from the Japanese Government looking back:

Rice for Cash, Exchange Rates, Prices in the Marketplace

10:32:44 AM

comment []