George H. Lesser “Lessons learned in Japan” http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071012/COMMENTARY/110120041
Washington PostTimesに掲載されたエッセイ。日本経済はいけてる。米国よりも「持続可能」だし、貧富の格差もうんと小さいという内容。これを引用するのは別に愛国心の発露というわけではないのだが。
ただ、”Japanese policemen don't carry guns.”とあるが、これは違うだろう。日本の警官もちゃんと拳銃を持っている。もしかしたら、米国人にとって、日本の警官が持っている拳銃は銃のうちに入らないのか。
But Japan is moving again. Japanese manufacturing grew by 3.3 percent in 2006 and is continuing at about the same pace this year. In many ways they are much better positioned than we are to continue to grow.For example, the Japanese save and invest, while we borrow and disinvest. The Japanese now invest about half again as much as we do in new plants and equipment. Their foreign direct investments in 2005 were more than double those of the United States (Incredibly, between 2004 and 2005, the latest year for which we have figures, U.S. foreign direct investments plummeted from $252 billion to $21.5 billion, while Japan's rose from $30 billion to $45 billion.)
The U.S. imports about two-thirds of its petroleum but is largely self-sufficient in other fuels — notably coal and natural gas. Japan imports about 99 percent of its fuel. Japan also imports about 60 percent of its food and virtually all other raw materials. Yet, in 2006, Japan sold $174 billion more in goods and services overseas than it bought. We bought $900 billion more than we sold.
Ironically, the Japanese are in a better position than Americans to deal with soaring energy prices, because they spend 50 percent less on energy to generate a dollar's worth of goods or services than we do. And with the coming crunch on greenhouse gas emissions, the advantage will swing even further in favor of the Japanese.
The Japanese economy is much more "sustainable" than ours given the energy and environmental problems we all face. It also is more sustainable politically and socially. The statistics are dramatic: In the United States, the poorest 10 percent of the population earn 1.8 percent of the income. The richest 10 percent earn 30.5 percent. In Japan, the poorest 10 percent earn 4.8 percent of the total. That means they get a 267 percent bigger piece of the pie than Americans in the same bracket, while the richest earn 21.7 percent.
The Central Intelligence Agency uses something called the "Gini Index" to compare distribution of income in different countries. In 2002, Japan scored a 38 on the index, comparable to many European countries, such as Italy and the Netherlands. The United States stood at 45, which means we had less equal distribution of income than any other industrial country — even worse than Russia with its Wild West economy.
In the United States, 12 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. In Japan, the number is statistically insignificant — well below 1 percent.
追記
うっかりWashington TimesをWashington Postと見誤ってしまった。Washington Timesは言わずと知れた統一協会系の新聞である*1。とすれば、統一協会系新聞が今になって、日本礼賛或いは新自由主義批判の記事を掲載するのかというその意味を考えるべきなのだろうか。2004年のWashington Postの記事、David Ignatius “Tension of the Times”*2は、Washington Timesの紙面にリベラル化の兆しが見られるが、それは統一協会内部の権力闘争とその結果としての統一協会それ自体の（少なくとも米国国内における）方針転換を反映したものではないかと論じている。
*1:Cf. Fred Clarkson “Behind the Times” http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1569 (originally published in September 1987)
*2:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50909-2004Jun17.html
