No. 120 – March 5, 2012

THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE MODERN WORLD

Having just returned from a three week business trip to Japan, I was struck with a lot of things.

But first, I want to make a quick comment on some of the private emails I got with regard to my first writing about Japan.

A lot of readers were very quick to point out that Japan is a “homogenous” society – and can therefore attain the miracles that it has – because they are all Japanese.

I have heard this old saw for so long that it is getting somewhat amusing to me that people even say it.  On the surface, it is an academic copout.  Deeper, it has a very racist tone.

If the Japanese have accomplished what they have done because they are a homogenous society – then what about the countries in Africa, Central and South America?  Why is this not said about Korea and the Korean people?

For the most part they are all homogenous – but you never hear this kind of statement about them.

Japan has a history of 2000 years of “clan” fighting.  So where does the “homogenous” excuse come into play here?

The simple answer is, it does not.

The real message here is – THE JAPANESE PEOPLE WORK THEIR ASSES OFF.

On this trip we had the occasion to visit Hiroshima, the Dome and also the Memorial Hall and Peace Park.

To see the TOTAL destruction by a NUCLEAR BOMB just a mere 67 years ago, to view the horrendous carnage inflicted upon that city was a real eye-opener.

But the magnificence of today’s Hiroshima is something to behold.

The streets are all in great shape, the people were laughing, shopping and enjoying themselves in the beautiful afternoon sunshine.

The buildings are gleaming, the stores sparkling, the bullet trains, subways, buses and taxis going in all different directions – in an orderly fashion.

The rivers, where once they were full of dead and charred bodies, now run clean – with fish in them.

The resurgence of Hiroshima, as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is remarkable, to say the least.

But to consider it in its present form in just 67 years after total and complete devastation is a true testament to the Japanese “can-do” spirit.

Other people mentioned that the Japanese can make such advances – because we, the United States of America – are taking up their slack in their own national defense.

This is pure nonsense.

The United States military is NOT in Japan to defend the Japanese.  It is there to defend America.

Nancy Polosi once said that, “California is our first line of defense against outside aggression.”

If any aggressor ever makes it to the California shoreline – we are sunk.

Japan is our FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.  Along with South Korea.

Then Guam, Wake Island, the Philippines, and Hawaii.

But even with this known military presence of the United States, very few people realize that Japan has one of the biggest, well-trained and well equipped military in the world – under the guise of the “Japanese Self-Defense Forces.”

So, to say that Japan does not pay for its own military protection is somewhat of a canard.

JAPAN’S NATURAL RESOURCES

Let me list them for you.

1.  Water

2.  People

3.  Money

That is basically it.  They have no OIL, GAS, GOLD, COAL or any other natural resources to speak of.

So how can they be the number three economy in the world?

By simple HARD WORK.

People have been saying for two DECADES that Japan has been in a recession.

I beg to differ.  What I saw were people shopping all over the place.  When we went to the markets they were jammed with people.  Everywhere I looked the Japanese were well-dressed, clean, extreme in their politeness, spending money, laughing, drinking – and enjoying life.

Please don’t get me wrong.

I am NOT blind to the undercurrents that surround that nation.  But with NO NATURAL RESOURCES you have to start looking elsewhere to explain their tremendous economic success.

A homogenous society and our military presence simply won’t cut it.

If Japan has truly been in a two decade recession – as all the pundits have stated – then we, in America, should be so lucky.  Please give me that kind of recession.

The biggest shock when I deplaned back here in America was the comparative “dirtiness” of Americans, their slovenly style of dress, their total lack of manners, their gross obesity, their laziness and their “know it all” attitude.

Yes, I was culturally jolted – and that was just after three weeks.  Imagine how I felt when I came back to America after spending 25 years in Japan.

And then there were the “normal” readers who suggested – again and again – that if I liked Japan so much to “go back and live there.”

And that is the point that I would like to address today.

It seems to me that America is getting an “America, Love It or Leave It” attitude again.  If this is the case, then that is very sad indeed.

“The true sign of a coward is the man who sees what is wrong with his own country but chooses to remain silent.”

I have often wondered what the world would look like if the Japanese would have “discovered” America – instead of the Europeans.

With their work ethic – and ALL THE NATURAL RESOURCES that America has to offer – it simply boggles the mind what this country might look like today.

My wife and I traveled from the northern tip of Honshu to the southern most part of Kyushu – and saw very few signs of poverty.

Yes, there were homeless, but not all that many – for a two decade long recession.

The streets were safe – all over Japan.  We sometimes walked in areas of a town that we were unfamiliar with, yet not once were worried about being shot, knifed, mugged or killed.  When we asked directions – at night – people would stop and point us in the right direction.  Try that in Chicago, in the dark, and see what happens.

No, I am not all “gushy” about Japan.  I am simply stating facts.

Why, here in America, with all our God-given natural resources, are we so far in debt?

Why are our streets and highways systems Third World status, with potholes big enough to cause serious traffic accidents?

Why is health insurance $1500 a month?  In Japan, you pay 10 bucks for a doctor’s visit.

Why did the United States government bail out GM – and build the VOLT.  How is that for a creative name for an automobile?

The damn car is a pile of shit with wheels on it.  It caught fire, they had to recall all of them – and now, just this morning, 1300 people have been laid off of their jobs.

And what about that despicable car company called Toyota?  Remember, how SUDDENLY, Toyotas were “dangerous” and causing accidents?  And the HEAD of Toyota actually came to America and was forced to testify in front of CONGRESS as to how bad the cars were.  And he was forced to APOLOGIZE!

Well, Toyota, has just been named the overall best car in seven out of 10 categories for 2012, according to the most recent edition of Forbes.  It even made the cover of the magazine.

We, here in America, are a fat, lazy, dumbed-down, ignorant – and increasingly arrogant – bunch of whiners and bitchers.

I, for one, am totally fed up with the constant demand for ever more government handouts.

The most important helping hand can be found at the end of your arm.

My, very strict, father taught me two valuable lessons early on in life.

Work hard – and to clean up my plate, because all the “starving Chinese have nothing to eat.”

Until America gets back to the basics of working hard we are going to stay in the rut that we have dug for ourselves.  If we keep going in the direction that we are now headed for, it will only get worse.

EUROPE’S LOVE OF DICTATORS

I have a lot of “foreign” friends, many of which are from Europe.  Nothing pisses them off more than the truth, with regard to America, and Europe’s relationship with the Yanks.

“The problem with the bloody Yanks is that they are overpaid, oversexed and over here!”

This was the complaint during World War I.  The war in which we helped our “allies” win.

This complaint was uttered again during World War II.  Another war in which we helped our “allies” win.

During the course of many decades Europe has given us Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin.

Between these three EUROPEAN leaders MILLIONS of people were killed in battle, murdered, raped and pillaged.

Quite a nice historical note when you consider the fact that, so far, America has not had a dictator of such capacity.

And now, Russia has done it agin, by choosing another “iron fist” to rule them, again Putin (who has already put his opponent in jail) – because they simply do not like the burden that freedom demands from it adherents.

President Obama keeps trying to force America down the path of Europe.

But the same problem that affects America has been ruining Europe, with the possible exception of Germany, and that is, again, straightforward hard work.

Germans work hard.  The French don’t.  Greece was, until very recently, a lazy man’s paradise, along with many other European countries.

The government will give you everything.  All you need to do in return – is give up your sovereign individuality.

What I wonder about is, who will come to Europe’s aid in the future – if America is so deep in debt that it cannot even pay for its own defenses – let alone that of Europe.

We are on the brink of another war in the Middle East.  I predicted this would happen over a year ago in an earlier American Telegraph.  I hope I am totally wrong on this call.  Time will tell.  But if politics is what I think it is we should know by summer, at the latest.

But if we DO go to war I think it will be a HUGE drain on our resources, not to mention even more good men and women dying in another mindless Middle East war.

But I am reminded by certain people that this could “never happen because Obama is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.”

I did mentioned dumbed-down, didn’t I?

In another earlier edition I predicted that if the economy starts to turn around – and if gas prices are dwon to about $3 per gallon by election day -Obama would win a second term.  The economy is picking up.  And gas prices will be down to the $3 level by October 2012 – just in time for the election.

I also said that homosexual rights and abortion would be tied to the GOP.  Again, this has happened – much to the delight of the Democrats.  Rush Limbugh stepped into it up to his neck – and the polls for Obama just keep inching up. It seems that these people simply do not get it in any way, shape or form.

The GOP of today is run by a bunch of underaged, amateur sycophants.

I will say it again.  Obama will win in November if Romney is “appointed” by the GOP – which I also predicted almost a year ago.

This prediction stuff is actually getting pretty easy – once you realize how really inept the Republicans are.

Our only hope is for a brokered convention – but that is looking like a long shot at this point.

And one of my most ardent readers wrote a few days ago to remind me that I also predicted that GM would go bankrupt.

If you care to recheck the back issues to see if this is true, then be my guest.  I simply don’t have time.

I have too much work to do.  I am fortunate that I am retired.

SOFT TOTALITARIANISM

In closing this edition I would like to posit one last thought.

I have heard a lot of people saying that “if I have to vote for any of the Republican candidates that are now running for president, then I will just sit this one out.”

This decision would be the worst of all actions.

Whether we realize it or not, President Obama is circumventing the Constitution on a daily basis.

His appointments of CZARS – and calling them by that name – is the first step to total control over the American people.

Obama is waiting for his chance to start campaigning ( I mean REALLY campaigning).

He has all the cards in the deck:

Free, unfettered travel.

1,000,000,000 – That is ONE BILLION DOLLARS ready for the campaign.

Free usage of all air time.

The economy IS getting better.

He can play the Iran card at any time.

Gas prices can be manipulated downward in October.

Unions support him, as does the total of the Democratic party.

The Republicans are killing each other, and their money is running out – and it is not even campaign time yet.

Obama is a terrific speaker – and an even more convincing liar, par excellence.

He is the incumbent.

I will state uncategorically, that I will vote for the GOP candidate – no matter what.

Please remember this – and don’t forget it.

WE THE PEOPLE have the one weapon that frightens the present status quo the most – FREEDOM.

But once we let that slip away it is extremely hard to get it back.

So I urge every reader to vote for FREEDOM.  If you split the vote, or don’t vote at all – it will be your fault if Obama is reelected.  No one else’s.

You have a choice:

FREEDOM or that slow, creeping feeling of SOFT TOTALITARIANISM.

THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU.

That is it for now.

Keep thinking positive.

Lawrence Klepinger
Editor/Publisher
THE AMERICAN TELEGRAPH