Japan is a "Bug looking for a windshield?" I think we just found it.

I've been writing for months that Japan's situation is past desperate (well, me and many others who follow the markets)... I've written several times over the last year that we are heading for the cliff. I've actually stuck my foot in my mouth (gambling man and all, you know?) and called for another major crisis to hit Japan this summer because I believe that Europe will be the trigger for the next massive crisis and I believe it is coming this summer. Please refer to: Here's Comes Europe's and Japan's Debt Crisis - Just in Time for Summer: 

This debt crisis has terrible repercussions for the world economy and Japan. Reuters has a good article on it entitled: Europe Poses Global Recession Threat: IMF. The article is a good rundown of the debt problem but the solutions they offer of throwing money at the problem are completely wrong (Been there, done that. Didn't work)... For proof of that, just look at how well throwing good money after bad has done for Greece.

Looks bad. These things have a way of getting out of control. But Japan is OK, right? Because these European countries can't print their way out. Japan can. Let's look at a few charts there. Here's a chart that shows the world ratio of debt to GDP:

Here's one to show Japan's debt mountain in yen:

As an important note, as of 2009, the Japanese national public debt, according to my handy-dandy calculations equaled over ¥6 million yen per man, woman and child in the country (about $72,000 USD). That means that if every single one of us coughed up ¥6 million yen and paid off our total debt today, we'd still be back in massive debt tomorrow as the costs of running the Japanese government, social security and health care, etc., etc. are completely out of control.

...

But wait! Things are getting better, right? Wrong! Here's an article you might want to read from a the New York Times that asks the laughable question: "Could Japan's Debt Lead to a Crisis?" (Let me ask you: "Could the next Pope be Catholic?") But, like I said, that article is a year old. I add it because it is a typical example of the confused reporting emanating out of the MSM... "Everything will be alright as long as government's keep printing money! We have to save the system!"

Well, no. We don't have to save the system. We can't save the system. The system is a wreck.

.......

I think, as I've said many times before.... The summer of 2012 is going to be a very hot one for Japan - as well as all around the world.

Of course, making predictions on when exactly the sh*t hits the fan is difficult. But, as famous American baseball player Yogi Berra said, "Making predictions is difficult. Especially about the future." 


Well folks, it looks, unfortunately, like these predictions might come true. The chances of the fan getting blasted by the crap and the reverberations slamming the Japanese economy just jumped up a hundred-fold.


Socialists won the presidency in France... I predict that will seriously damage the power of the bailout and pro-austerity crowd in the EU and I believe this is the beginning of the end for the Euro. And, as Mish Shedlock has successfully predicted when he said that someday, a right-wing nationalist is going to go before the electorate in his European country with a copy of the EU charter and while tearing it up, he tell people to, "Vote for me and I will exit the EU!" 

Now it has happened! Neo-nazi groups won enough power in Greece to be recognized in parliament and now the rumbling is for an exit of the Euro and no deal to any bailout of the bankers.


These events are going to affect Europe and the USA and Japan in so many ways..The unforeseen consequences of so many years of massive debt and money printing are coming to a head. 


What cannot go on... Stops. Japan is going the have to hottest summer in decades this year and, no, I don't mean Global Warming either.

Is Japan Heading For A Massive Economic Hit? All of Japan's Nuclear Power Plants About to Go Offline!

Here is an excellent report that was sent to me by my friend Aaron Egon Moser. I've written before about how it is possible that these events could seriously damage the Japanese (then world?) economy in Japan's Double-Edged Sword: What Happens When the Nuclear Power Plants Turn Off? 

To think that Japan can go on from here, into the next fews decades, in an era of declining oil production and rising oil costs and public debt coupled with an aging population problem without a cheap energy source is foolish and completely unrealistic....

In other words, it's not economical. The Center for Global Energy Studies says:

Despite high oil prices, fossil fuels will continue to trump renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power without massive government subsidies, a new investment bank says.

A report by Calgary-based AltaCorp Capital says the “economic realities” of oil and natural gas mean that the world will remain largely dependent on non-renewable energy sources for the foreseeable future.

Japan's government already has the highest debt to GDP levels in the world, it cannot afford to subsidize new industries like solar or wind farms... People will misunderstand what I have written here and say I'm pro-nuclear power. I am not. I am pro-business. I wish we didn't need nuclear power at all. My motivations are purely economical. I wish I could say it were true that Japan didn't need nuclear power to survive but it seems to me, that if I had to put it into a black and white perspective, it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" sort of problem for Japan.

Or could this be an opportunity for Japan to, once again, rise from the ashes of disaster? Watch this thought-provoking interview:

Let's hope that this summer is cool and geo-political problems give Japan breathing room and oil and natural gas prices remain at a relatively low cost. One can hope, right?... Not that "hope" has ever been a very good business plan... 

Fukushima News Reports from Japan? Brief Explanation of Japanese News Sources and Why Some are More Sensationalist Than Others

Recently there is lots of reporting about how "if there is another massive earthquake, even a small one like a 5 or 6, the spent rod fuel pool at Fukushima could collapse and destroy the country and cause 40 million people to be evacuated from Japan." I seriously think people need to relax and get a bit more realistic. Worrying about this is worrying about something that is conjecture or speculation...

There's lots of things to worry about, folks, but the support system of the spent fuel rods pool building wasn't destroyed by a 9.0 earthquake, the sixth biggest earthquake in history, the plant and the building was damaged by a tsunami. A 9.0 earthquake is about 8000 times more powerful than a 6.0 earthquake. If the steel structure at Fukushima stood up to a 9.0 quake - and has since been reinforced - then I wonder what the chances are of a 6.0 quake destroying it? 


What are the chances of another 9.0 quake? An event that happens about once in one-thousand years? 


The walls of the building were damaged by an explosion, for sure. But the current state of having no walls around the spent fuel pools building is because the walls that were damaged by the explosion have been removed on purpose. They were removed because a new covering wall is in the process of being constructed and damaged walls are not stable.


The construction of the new walls started yesterday.


The last four paragraphs above are facts. That is what "news" is supposed to be; facts. Let me say an opinion, that, it is possible, that the world will end because of Fukushima. In fact, I'd give the odds of that happening, perhaps, a bit higher percent than the odds of life on this world getting extinguished by a massive asteroid blasting the earth to smithereens in the next year; or the sign of the Apocalypse when the Beirut river runs red with blood; or the sun suddenly exploding; or me winning the year-end lottery (and not giving a toss about any of this anyhow while I'm sipping wine on a yacht in the Carribbean). 


Folks, serious people in Japan are not following this story about Fukushima being the end of Japan or life on this planet as we know it. It's certainly not because the government is suppressing the story, either. I reckon people have their reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that the news services that are reporting this doomsday scenario are not credible news sources regardless of how many times they are repeated in the western press.

I love this headline!

I don't believe anything the press says anyway, but my reasons for not paying too much attention to this story about Fukushima, "ending life on the earth as we know it," is that there's many other things that are much more likely to kill me and I don't spend all day worrying about those either and, two, if it is the end of the earth, there's not another place I could move to that I know of. Is there?


But allow me to explain to the foreign audience the why's and what-fors as to why, in Japan's case, you need to consider the source about any news you hear... I'd like to just to put things in perspective for foreigners about Japan's news media....


In Japan, the TV networks are all affiliated with old school newspapers, so that explains editorial issues. Here are the five biggest news sources in Japan along with their political and business policy/slant. They are:


Sankei Shimbun (The most right wing of the major news sources. Pro-American, Anti-Chinese.)


Nikkei Shimbun (Pro business, pro market similar to Wall Street Journal. Affiliated with TV Tokyo)


Mainichi Shimbun (Liberal, often sensationalist)


Yomiuri Shimbun (Conservative. Most read newspaper in Japan. Populist positions. Affiliated with Nippon Television.)


Asahi Shimbun (The most left wing of the major news sources. Affiliated with TV Asahi)


Today, if we are talking about sensationalist reporting on Fukushima, then I'd like to talk about - must talk about - TV Asahi.

Asahi Newspaper

The news source that is reporting and running with this "Fukushima could be the end of the earth" scenario is TV Asahi. As stated, TV Asahi is affiliated with Asahi Shimbun but is a different company. Asahi news is Japan's oldest and second most circulated newspaper. Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) is second in circulation with about 8 million, but TV Asahi is one of the lowest rated national TV networks in Japan. If you realize that then it might make sense to you why they resort to really sensationalist reporting...


In TV Asahi's case, I suppose it's a chicken and the egg problem. Which came first? The sensationalist reporting or the bad ratings? So, now you know. There's a reason why TV Asahi's ratings are so bad. They've, for years, been guilty of sensationalist news reporting (if you can call it "news").

If it were Japan, Nancy Grace would be on TV Asahi

Another point that should make thinking people suspicious of anything Asahi news reports is that before the war (starting from the 1930s or so) Asahi news was an extremely right-wing publication and strongly supported the militarist  then prime minister of Fumimaro Konoe and was an ardent supporter of the war as well as harshly anti-captialist. After the war ended, they went 180 degrees the other way and are now the far left wing. They've been anti-business (pro-socialism and pro-statism) and anti-nuclear power since. 


If there is any news source in Japan who will be out in front first complaining about industry and these sorts of issues, it will be a leftist publication like Asahi Shimbun or TV Asahi. It is their audience.

That being said, TV Asahi's news is above and probably better than news sources like News of the World. So, if you like gossip and scandals, then they are the station for you...


If you want to watch "news" shows about the end of the world, then they have that everyday at about 9 am ~ 11:00 am as that's "Golden time" for housewives to watch TV...


People interested in serious news and economic reports do not tune to TV Asahi. They are not credible. In fact, to think that any TV news source is credible in this day and age is pure nonsense.




NOTE FROM A READER:


I have been living and working in Japan with the Navy since before the earthquake. The Navy has gone way overboard with radiation control measures and the only problem we have is that work gets stopped when we find radiation measurements that are about as high as you would find in a bunch of bananas. We have had a lot of nuclear trained officers and testing equipment on site since day one because we operate our own nuclear power plant on USS George Washington and the impact has been totally overblown. An "unprecedented" level of radiation can still be insignificantly low but just higher than normal.


- Fireman_Timmy

Today's Economic and Social Titanic?

Nod to Zerohedge for this interesting artwork (and warning to stay away from any Facebook IPO!):

See more at: Zerohedge

I agree about the commentary about the financial problems (with symptoms like Facebook IPO and suspect that Facebook hasn't a good future... I mean, Facebook isn't cool at all anymore, especially since advertisements started showing up on their pages).  But, in this artwork, where is Groupon? Oh? That's right; Groupon isn't even important anymore. It's just at $13 right now... Losing over 46% of its value in six months... as I predicted.

Though, with all the recent hoopla about "Fukushima being the end of civilization as we know it," I wonder why it gets a third rate billing under Peak Oil, News Corporation, the Katrina disaster and Lehman...

Worrying Too Much About the Worse-Case Scenario is a Sign of Serious Mental Illness and Paranoia

I wonder if extreme paranoia can be linked to junk and processed foods?


I've said many times that things are bad enough at Fukushima and Tohoku after the 311 disaster for those poor folks, they don't need people spreading unfounded rumors. But recently the shrill voices of terror, gloom and doom have really gotten out of control with their reporting of "worse case scenarios" as being factual occurrences signed, sealed and delivered finished deals.

Worse-case scenario: Oil spill 

I just reported on one article I read at Sh*t Hits The Fan (SHTF) website that was chocked full of foaming at the mouth reporting about secret plans to evacuate Tokyo and how there was "no way to control the radiation" at Fukushima. Please refer to Sensationalism, Scare-Mongering and the Nanny State: 

There is still way too much sensationalism and frankly speaking piss poor writing going on about Fukushima. I found one of the worst examples I've seen in a long time today. This article's title is suitable for a gossip weekly magazine on some US supermarket check out counter along with the Hillary Clinton Adopts Alien Baby story. The title lays bare to the low quality of writing held within: It's Not Over: Government Plans for the Worst - Forced Evacuation of Tokyo. The article goes on stating that the nuclear problem is out of control, cannot be controlled and the Japanese government has plans to evacuate ten million people from Tokyo.

Worse-case scenario: Flesh Eating virus on your face

Interestingly enough, one guy wrote a comment to me that showed just how foolish and insane this subject makes people. He wrote how wrong I was and insisted that I, "Come out right now and admit that you (I) work for TEPCO!" and then actually wrote, "The radioactivity levels in Tokyo have spiked way higher than those in even Fukushima!"

I asked for proof of that claim and no proof was forthcoming or will be. It can't be.

Think about the nuttiness of that bizarre claim! Where did he get such an outrageous idea? That, "The radioactivity levels in Tokyo have spiked way higher than those in even Fukushima"!? Extraordinary! How could Fukushima be such a problem that it is claimed that it is a danger so bad that the radiation is going to end life on this planet as we know it, yet (he claims that) Tokyo has higher radiation levels already than Fukushima? How did this radiation get to Tokyo? Where did it come from? There are no nuclear power plants in Tokyo. Did the radiation jump over the mountains here or did it skip over? 

Or was it transported from Fukushima like James T. Kirk would be in Star Trek? ... Anyway....

"Beam me up, Scotty!"

The point is that there are a lot of nutty people running around. 


Whatever an organization like SHTF writes can be taken with a grain of salt as they are a company that makes their living selling survival gear and foodstuffs for the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI). They want people to buy their stuff. They sell fear... (And, they do a good job of it too!) 


Now, far be it from me to tell you that you shouldn't be prepared for all sorts of disasters, you definitely should. I think you need to have at least two months of food and water and as much gold and silver as you can get your hands on. I wrote about that in: Be Prepared! A Better Investment Than Gold?

Worse-case scenario: The sun won't explode in 5 billion years, 

it will only take 500,000 million years! 

So, on the point of being prepared for natural (or man-made) disasters or economic calamities up to a point, SHTF and I agree... But, unlike SHTF, I don't sell full body radioactivity armor or underground air and water filters, no guns and artillery pieces and ammo for use in the case of a nuclear holocaust.


Perhaps we will have one of those. 


I'm hoping that I can get away to New Zealand or South America before the time that happens. If not, I wonder what good is the quality of life if our entire environment is so radioactive that we have to wear protective suits all the time? Would anyone want to live that way? That's like being old and dying and kept alive by machines. That's not living. That's being alive and living in hell. 

Worse-case scenario: Alien Invasion

No matter what, if I'm lucky and smart enough, my wife and kids will be gone well before anything bad happens. Those arrangements were made way back in 2008 because I fear the economic turmoil I know that one is coming (and people think I over-react!)

But, how everyone handles a disaster and what's best for themselves and their families? That's a practical and philosophical question, perhaps, that I think everyone must have considered. If they haven't they should have. 


For now, I am of the thinking that things in Fukushima are bad enough as it is without people spreading irrational rumors. There are radioactive spent fuel pools in the United States that are ten times higher in radiation than Fukushima, Chernobyl and Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined and have no protection against natural disasters like earthquakes at all, yet you don't hear about them. You do, though, hear about "worse case scenarios" involving Fukushima, though, and "Nuclear Experts claiming that "an earthquake in the vicinity of Fukushima could spell the end of civilization as we know it." 


(Psst! Don't look now, but Japan has always had lots of earthquakes. In fact, we just had seven earthquakes in the area of Fukushima and, as far as I can see from my window, the earth and the rest of us are still here!)


Anyhow, even if there is another huge earthquake and it does cause so much damage that it ends civilization as we know it, what are you going to do about it? Huh? As the leader of the "Good Ol Boys" said to Jake in the Blues Brothers, "What are you going to do about it, huh, Stein? You're going to look pretty good eating corn on the cob with no f*cking teeth!" 

Are you going to run over to Fukushima and hold up collapsing structures like Atlas?

Worse-case scenario: Heavy manual labor and the pay is less than minimum wage

What are you going to do if we are hit by another killer asteroid that destroys life on earth as we know it? What are you going to do if nuclear war breaks out and that ends life on this earth as we know it? What are you going to do when the next ice-age hits? What are you going to do if the next bird flu really is a massive killer and wipes out you and your family? What are you going to do? What are all these Chicken Little's going to do?


Well, I have an idea, you can spend the rest of your life worrying about all sorts of things and stay hidden indoors or you can go outside and realize that danger is a part of life and always has been ("Don't leave the cave, Saber-Toothed tigers might eat you!") and live your short time on this earth to its fullest. 

Our society has a lot of mentally ill people running around. The mere fact that they wish to claim the end of the world and the end of our civilization (as if we have the power to stop earthquakes and natural disasters) due to man's folly (folly that will never end)... Is a true sign of this modern-day mental illness.


I've got my own quirks and mental problems too. We all do. But fearing the end of the world in a situation that is completely out of my control is not one of them. Ninety-nine percent of all deadly car accidents occur within 50 miles from home; Over three-hundred and fifty-three thousand people died from cancer in Japan in 2010 alone and that number is increasing annually; In 2010 cardio-vascular disease killed over 10.8 million people in Japan and the rate is going up! These are known killers. I know they are going to happen. I eat healthy and don't drink or smoke.


These people freaking out about Fukushima and the end of the world? I'll bet you half a donut that 99% of them eat junk and processed foods all the time... And they worry about the end of the world? Ha!


Do you think you or I should spend our time biting our nails and worrying about something that "might" happen in a "worse-case scenario"? I don't.

Be very worried... Indeed.

This is not to belittle a serious problem but I have a life to live and time to enjoy on this planet. I hope you feel the same way too. 


It's a wonderful weekend. Go out and enjoy it with your family and friends... Oh and try to stay away from paranoid people and junk food... They seem to hang in same circles...

Tokyo: Giant Radioactive Mutant Bed Bugs Spawned From Fukushima Disaster! Bed-Bugs Discovered the Size of Rats!

"Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats" - "Future Legend" by David Bowie 

"Giant Mutant Bed Bugs!?" Ewww! I was shocked as I read the headlines... I think one of the most absolutely disgusting things in the world are Bed Bugs. Huge ones!? That's just sickening and makes my skin crawl... 

"Tokyo: Giant Radioactive Mutant Bed Bugs Spawned From Fukushima Disaster! Bed-Bugs Discovered the Size of Rats!" Scary... And misleading... This sort of headline is fitting for Japanese 1950s Science Fiction movies ala Mothra versus Godzilla or a Gigantor cartoon. And why not? The Fukushima disaster is a real disaster and it's certainly capturing the imaginations of people all around the world including advertising agencies, survival goods suppliers, political organizations and, of course, said science fiction writers.


Some of those science fiction writers - whether for publications, mass media or retailers - are doing all they can in cashing in on Fukushima... They are cashing in on it to sell their sensationalist scribblings, video reports or just plain to peddle goods.


That's what this post is about: Selling goods using misleading headlines... What used to be called "False Advertising." One of the most dispicable things about the world of advertising is misleading headlines; the old "bait and switch." 


This post has it all! It is about misleading headlines, bait and switch and disgusting Bed Bugs. 


This morning, over my coffee, I found one advertiser that has really gone too far. There is an ad on Yahoo that, in my book, insinuates something sinister going on related to Fukushima but it is nothing of the sort. Take a lookie at this ad:

This is the ad. Now, you tell me, with all the news about Fukushima, what does this image and the text suggest to you?

Some advertisers will stoop to any level in order cash in on other peoples misery and troubles and use scare tactics to sell product... Unfortunately, most people are too brain dead from too much TV that they fail to see it for what it is.


This advertiser has really gone too far. I've said many times that things are bad enough at Fukushima for those poor folks but recently, the shrill voices of terror, gloom and doom have really gotten out of control with their reporting of "worse case scenarios" as being signed, sealed and delivered finished deals. I wrote about that in Sensationalism, Scare-Mongering and the Nanny State.


The sensationalism really has dropped to tabloid level. Just like something you'd see at the check out like at your local super market, this madness has stooped to new lows. Here's a new bait and switch that gets folks in Tokyo and the world over who are panicking about Fukushima to click their banner because it looks like it portends to news about radiation...


On the top page of Yahoo Finance, the bait and switch ad appears on the right. It says, "New Plague in Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, you'd better read this..."

In fact, these guys are really going for it, I see where their ad is a revoling ad along with a credit card company and also appears with a different image as this, "New Bug in Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, you'd better read this..." 

The ads are by a probable fly-by-night company named Guru Media. This poor excuse for an advertising agency claims:


Guru Media International was founded by a team of marketing and advertising professional who understand that today’s world requires a customized suite of solutions to help companies succeed. (sic)


Bwa! Ha! Ha! Terrible! "...founded by a team of marketing and advertising professional"!? Really? Guys, there's supposed to be an "s" at the end of professional, as in "professionals."


Maybe professionals at marketing and advertising but not professionals at spelling, copy-writing or editing... And these clowns are getting contracts from someone? 


Wow! A lead in suggesting Fukushima radiation problems in Tokyo that take me to an ad for Bed Bug remedies in Minnesota? There really must be a sucker born every minute! (Pun intended!)


Anyway, back to the misleading banner ad. I live in Tokyo and when I saw it this morning, I clicked it. I clicked it because I thought, "What kind of nonsense is this now? Another company selling fear and survival gear?" But no! It's worse than that! I clicked the link and found... A full page ad selling products to fight Bed Bug infestations in the United States!


This ad has zero to do with Japan! It is an ad for products to fight the Bed Bug infestation that is spreading across the United States today. There's not one single mention of anything that has to do with Japan excepting the byline at the start that claims this "news" is from Tokyo (probably an algorythm that helps the advertisers decide where the results are best). When you click the banner, it takes you to this paid advertisement. Here's the ad at the top of the page:

It reads: 

Tokyo: Remember when "sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite" was just a cute bedtime expression that didn't mean anything? Well, those days are over. After 6 decades of living largely bed bug-free, the US is facing a national infestation.

In fact, the incidence of bed bug infestation has risen 500% in the last few years alone, and they're not just in dirty hotels - they're at the 5-star ones as well and swarming the public places you visit every day. Bed bugs are shutting down businesses and being found at your local movie theaters and clothing stores as they inch closer and closer to your home..

Nothing to dow with Japan at all... Now, that's some mighty fine bait and switch there! I'll bet they catch some pretty good sized fish with that too! Maybe this works for people nowadays. Maybe people are so drugged out or have such a problem with ADD or short attention spans that they've become like pigeons. You know, 1.5 seconds later they can't remember what they were doing.


What's the point of my rant? Well, I think it's pretty obvious that sensationalism sells. It sells newspapers and advertisers for TV and radio... Heck, selling by using fear and sensationalism isn't even hidden anymore. It is blatant and they have no reservations about using dishonest methods to make a buck.


You'd have hoped that, after all the lies of the mass media concerning Saddam Hussein, SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Global Warming, ad nauseum, that people advertising on the internet would be a bit more sophisticated along with the audience...


I guess I hope for too much. Alas....

-----

Now, I often complain in this blog and sometimes people take me to task for only complaining and not offering solutions. I stand guilty as charged! But not today! Today, I am going to put my money where my mouth is. Today I am going to show you just how a company can be honest and still do a great business. We don't need misleading sensationalism to sell a product where a need actually exists... Where a need does not exist, sensationalism is a good way to take advantage of suckers.


So, without further ado, may I show you folks a good way on how to sell product against Bed Bugs? First off, find a person with a need (Read: someone with Bed Bugs). Secondly, have them watch the following video. This is a 6 minute long Emmy Award winning documentary called,

WHEN BED BUGS ATTACK! 

Ewwwww!!!!! This gives me the chills every time I see it. Is that creepy, or what? Can there be anything more horrible than something that bites you will you're sleeping? The vampire Bed Bugs!... That there's an infestation of these creepies all over America just gives me one more good reason why I'm staying here in Japan all safe and snug as a bug in a rug in Tokyo...


Fukushima radiation? Compared to these bed bugs, I'll stay here and take my chances.

How Do Japan's Radiation Safety Standards Stack UP Against USA or Europe?

There has been much fuss concerning the plans to incinerate debris from the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster. In spite of this, to date, only about 6% of the total debris has been incinerated. There seems to be much fear about burning this debris as many people think the debris is radioactive.

No matter how hard I search, I cannot find any verification on that subject either way though I have requested to one of the major TV news stations here in Tokyo to see if they could find that information. I suspect that most of this debris has little, if any radioactive isotopes present. But even a little is too much for most people - though please understand that zero radioactivity is a physical impossibility. For more on that please refer to: Radiation and Reason - the Impact of Science on a Culture of Fear. That being said, it is completely understandable that people fear this plan to incinerate the debris in their neighborhoods far away from the disaster zone. Logically, as with smoking cigarettes (which do contain radiation when burned themselves), it can't do people any good to be inhaling any extra fumes from burning refuse if they don't have to... Extra radiation or not!

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW

This burning of the debris has sparked a major controversy in Japan. Many people are against the plan of disposal and the majority seem ambivalent... The only people for the plan seem to be politicians.


One guy asked about a comparison of the safety standards between Japan and the west when it comes to radioactivity. Well, folks, hate to break this to you if you are a foreigner, but Japan's safety standards are far and away much stricter than the west.


From Japan Communications Foundation, I found this information for you:

Japan’s Safety Standards Stricter than IAEA and EU Requirements*

Human beings in every corner of the globe are exposed to radiation from space, from the ground, and from the food they consume. Medical devices like CT scanners and X-ray machines use radiation to diagnose medical conditions. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has set 1 millisievert as the upper limit for annual radiological exposure, not including radiation from natural sources and medical devices.

Radiation is more dangerous if a person is exposed to a large dose all at once, which increases the risk of cancer and other diseases. Ill-effects start to appear after exposure to radiation levels of around 100 millisieverts; and exposure to 7,000 millisieverts or more is invariably fatal.

In Japan, the normal upper limit for radiation exposure for workers at nuclear power stations is 100 millisieverts, but this was raised to 250 millisieverts following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Workers are issued with a radiation dose monitoring notebook in which to record their levels of exposure, the results of health checkups, and other information. Workers are not allowed to enter a radiation management zone such as the areas around a nuclear power station without this book.

There are two types of radiation exposure: external radiation exposure through contact on the body, and internal radiation exposure caused by ingestion of radioactive foods or liquids. Internal radiation exposure is of particular concern because until the radioactive substance disappears or is expelled, it will continue to expose the person to radiation.

In order to prevent internal radiation exposure, the Japanese government has stipulated provisional regulation values for radioactivity levels in food products. These ensure safety by preventing radioactive food and drinking water from entering the food chain. The regulations are extremely strict to ensure that radiation exposure will not approach the harmful level of 100 millisieverts even if the vegetables, milk, or other items in question are consumed every day for a year. Japan’s safety standards are even stricter than those set by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by EU countries in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster.

Shipments of spinach and other vegetables were halted when radiation levels exceeding these standards were detected on March 21. Most of the radiation was from radioactive iodine, which has a half life of just eight days. By the end of April, the ban on shipments had been lifted from all agricultural products from Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, and Chiba Prefectures. 

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW

This may come as a surprise to most westerners that rules on the safe level of radiation in Japan are much stricter and far lower than the west, but it makes sense if you consider the history of this country and its government. The twin atomic bombings at the end of World War Two have had a great effect on the Japanese psyche and since Japan has a parliamentary government with many political parties, it is often a compromise with left-leaning or socialist parties that majority parties need to have to create a coalition government. 

*From Japan Communications Foundation is a subsidiary of Jiji Press a news wire service established in 1945.

Japan's Collapse Will Be Absolute and it Cannot be Stopped - Here's Some BIG Reasons Why

Truly this country is in a position whereby there will be no way out. The government has dragged us into a cesspool of debt and there will be no fix. The nuclear disaster has put the nation is a position whereby political populism has taken the driver's seat over cool-headed reasoning. 


Japan can't last like this for much longer. I hope I'm wrong about this but I think it looks like our situation is impossible to fix. And I do not exaggerate when I say "impossible to fix." Some will scoff at this but I ask you to read on and see what conclusions you come to. Let me know if you disagree. 


Please keep in mind these three important points as you read on. I think these three make a poisonous cocktail:


*Japan's debt to GDP is too high
*The energy crisis will much further ruin the employment and the economic situation here
*The energy crisis will also cause a hollowing out of Japanese industry


The only good news is that there will be no sales tax increase as prime minister Noda will be, as I've already predicted, out by September 1st at the latest. I seriously doubt that he can last that long. The other good news is that more Japanese fathers will be spending time with their kids as they will be out of jobs.


But first up, about that sales tax problem and our soon-to-be ex-prime minister. From an article that ran at Testosterone Pit in Feb: Unpopularity Contest at the Edge of the Japanese Abyss:  

In a Kyodo News telephone poll over the weekend, Noda’s approval rating dropped to 29%, down 6.8 points from January, and down a dizzying 50 points in less than six months. The disapproval rating jumped to 55.2%. Only Taro Aso fell faster. But at the current trajectory in the prime-ministerial unpopularity contest, Noda might beat his records soon:

Looking at the graph above, you'd see how Noda's popularity was just crashing in his first 5 months in office. Interestingly though, he got a minimal reprieve last month in March 2012. His popularity actually went up 2.5%!:

While not in the least bit scientific, I have projected Noda's popularity with the black arrow. I think this is being quite generous considering the fact that his cabinet actually publicly presented their plan to increase the public tax burden. Please refer to: Japan's Noda Government Passes 200% Tax Increase - Look For Noda to Be Out by July, September at the Latest. Either way, if my guess is correct, Noda will hit the 20% area in late June or early July. Then it's curtains for his administration. If he can survive until September it will be a miracle.

But that's not the whole story here folks. We're not talking about getting rid of another prime minister.... Actually, it won't matter who prime minister is. Japan's political situation is much like the United States: There is no one who even has the hope of repairing the situation. At least the USA has Ron Paul. In Japan, we have no one.  

We're talking about several factors combined to make a political situation that cannot be fixed. The whole story involves the bleak future this country is heading for. Raising taxes will not remedy our debt burden. I've mentioned before that we need massive cuts in government spending - cuts which we will never receive.. Throw on top of this the energy situation in Japan and how that will lead to absolute disaster on our horizon.

Folks, this summer could be the beginning of the end for Japan as a modern day economic powerhouse. I do not make this statement lightly. Like I said, read on and see what conclusions you come to...

Japan has no natural resources and energy. We are on a course to shutdown all of our nuclear power plants this summer. Great! You say? Really? How great will it be when industry finds that it is no longer economical to do business and run their factories and plants in Japan? What's going to happen to your rosy life and happy existence when the Japanese economy hollows out and industry leaves for greener pastures in other countries?

People are going to criticize me for writing this and saying that I am hysterical but all I can say is that I have seen this happen with my own eyes in another country before. It happened in my country. The causes of the hollowing out of the economy were different, but the end result was the same: In the United States, industry left for better shores in the 1980s (they all went to China and India) and we are seeing the results of that today... 

All one needs to do to see what that hollowing out has done to the middle class in America is to get on an airplane and fly to, say, Detroit to see what is left of industry there. It's not rocket science, but where's there's no industry, there are no jobs.

That is the future we are heading for in this country and I see no way out. Zerohedge writes in: A New Beginning in Japan: Glimmers of False Hope:

TEPCO, the bailed out owner of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, is trying to shove rate increases of 17% down the throats of its commercial customers—while rationing power at the same time. Power shortages will spread across most of Japan this summer as the last of 54 nuclear power plants will be taken off line in a few weeks. While pressure is building to restart some of them, public distrust and resistance run high, particularly after revelations seeped out about the nuclear industry’s controlling relationship with its regulators. Japan Inc. at work. The conspiracy had squashed stiffer regulations for nuclear emergencies. Five years later, the people of Fukushima paid the price. For that fiasco, the emails that documented it, its deadly and ongoing impact, and the anger it caused, read... A Revolt, the Quiet Japanese Way.

But it’s a two-edged sword. Shortages of up to 20% this summer are expected to strangle the highly industrialized Osaka area, and companies are shifting production overseas. Now a panel of the Osaka municipal and prefectural governments floated a plan for the city of Osaka to demand that Kansai Electric Power shut down its nuclear power plants permanently. Mayor Toru Hashimoto has come out in support.

Catch that part about a 17% rate increase for commercial customers? Are these people nuts? Japan Inc. is losing money left and right as it it without a massive increase in costs. Please refer to Times of India Sony, Panasonic forecast deeper losses:

Japan's biggest makers of phones, televisions and chips say they'll lose about $17 billion this year, about three-quarters of what Samsung Electronics Co will spend on research to lengthen the lead over its competitors.

Sony Corp more than doubled its annual loss forecast for the year ending March 31 as it announced a new chief executive officer, while Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp predicted the worst losses in their histories. Their combined losses compare with the $22 billion that Samsung, Asia's largest consumer- electronics company, said it will invest in capital expenditures.

These two Japanese giants are going to lose nearly what one Korea competitor will spend on R&D? Folks, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going to happen to these entities when they are hit with a 17% increase in costs; two things. One, they will make you pay for those costs and; two, they will move factories overseas where it is cheaper to operate.

I am a bit surprised at Osaka mayor Hashimoto supporting an idea that's going to wind up putting a large part of his constituency in the unemployment line. I thought he wasn't too interested in populism.... Guess I was wrong.

I think he'll be singing a different tune around autumn of this year. In fact, I predict that he'll be changing his mind real quick and getting off his populist duff when people are out of work. Funny that. Politicians seem to want to talk about jobs and getting people back to work is usually a very populist issue when everyone is broke... Testosterone Pit reports in A Revolt, the Quiet Japanese Way:

...people are opposing the almighty nuclear industry at a local level. Every time a nuclear power plant shuts down for scheduled maintenance, people in the area come out against restarting it. Thus, of Japan’s 54 reactors, only two are still generating electricity. And both are scheduled to be off line by April. With harsh consequences for industry and manufacturers.

And another setback for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the sixth ineffectual prime minister in six years. Like his predecessors, he is stumbling down a steep slope in approval ratings. When they drop into the low twenties, he will be axed, and a new sacrificial lamb will be stuffed into that slot. For the fiasco that is sending Noda to replacement hell while the economic and fiscal fundamentals are falling apart, read.... Unpopularity Contest at the Edge of the Abyss.

Under pressure from Japan Inc., Noda suggested that some of the reactors should be restarted. And the arm-twisting with the resisting public got a little tougher on Friday, when METI Minister Yukio Edano predicted that Japan would face a power shortage this summer of 9.3%. Last summer, power shortages were largely limited to the Tokyo area and northwestern Japan. This summer, they would hit Kansai, the huge and highly industrialized Osaka area, where shortfalls could peak at 20%.

Industry and households would have to cut back drastically—a Third-World problem that will send more manufacturers overseas. 

It seems to me that there are no good options at this point for Japan. The people are so against nuclear power that they might be able to close the nuke plants for a while, maybe even permanently. I figure that's going to be one of those good examples of "Be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it."

Japan's financial and energy situation is a wreck... It's not even a slow motion train-wreck anymore... If Japan can make it to the New Year (2013) without some sort of devastating financial chaos, it would be a total and complete miracle.... I don't think that can happen.

Even if Clark Kent were the next Japanese prime minister, he couldn't fix this mess.