rapidly becoming more open.
Nice to hear, I was there 18 years ago. I dealt with many fine Japanese customer engineers in the 80’s as an employee in a robotics co, and tried sushi way before there were many US restaurants and it was widely available and a “trend” food as it is now. I was amazed at many things with seafood in the selection in stores there, that and the vending machines celling D cell batteries and Whisky side by side. Lots of Kyoto temple trekking and Kodaiji in Nara.
Gaijin is a tradition, tradition dies hard. Not sure if that is disappearing, but if it is trending would be nice. Perhaps the westernization and younger generation is changing rapidly there, if so great.
Regarding imported cars, I had a friend who exported muscle cars on 60-70’s classics he could not sell in the states like a 72 Chevelle Wagon. The Japanese loved Classics. But like Americans, the European Luxury cars are higher status. There is no longer a Cadillac to my knowledge. Over the years, I owned 9 Japanese cars btw, couple built in Kentucky. Would not buy American or German after bad experiences with quality in 70’s. I believe the same quality stigma and ugly designs of the 80’s haunt the exports to japan and manufacturers gave up.
Japanese steel btw was purchased back in the 70’s for nuclear reactor tubesheets instead of using US since it was “cleaner” without getting into details. Another quality issue.
No argument with the entitlement mentality, thats one reason I left years back. And thats worse now than ever fanned by Bernie Sanders Free-Everything for all bullshit.
Things get rough = quasi civil war or martial law, great reason to be armed.
Over regulation and laws is a huge problem, with EU laws effecting privacy in the GDRP and whois thing to me is being handled incorrectly, a stand alone EU problem, not anywhere else, yet its being imposed now everywhere it seems as May approaches, even whois on Icann is name only.
Same with free speech, seems to be something because being challenged by EU hate laws against EU citizens could apply outside of the EU to some website on line. The internet is like the TV, change the channel. But no, stupid governments want to stick their nose across countries both directions. Ludicrous nanny states, if you ask me. Like for example, if I were to have some “special entitlement” and be offended if you calied me a gaijin, and I could somehow be heard in some stupid international court. Or vice versa. Ridiculous.
This whole globalization thing is disgusting in some ways and all about control, and govt/bankers/cronies don’t like things they cannot can control. I have seen the word “Trump effect” in EU articles, as politicians in Italy, Austria, Germany are really worried about “populism” there.
The fiddling by the FED in the US interest rates is going to come back to realistic rates, then the parties over. Stock market, housing defaults where Americans overspent, etc. interest needs to be back at 6% minimum for home loans. Nobody wants to hear that.
Interesting points you make, appreciate the feedback.