JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

WilliB's past comments

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  -1

  WilliBDec. 16, 2011 - 12:59AM JST

  OssanAmerica:

  Yes, obviously. But the J-government caved in to the hard sell.

  Posted in: More headaches with F-35; Japan delays announcement

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  -1

  WilliBDec. 16, 2011 - 12:12AM JST

  ExportExpert:

  " Strong yen is most definitely killing it and has for some time. "

  Simplistic view. Strong yen also means cheap raw materials and cheap semi-finished products. In effect, a strong currency is the reward for a strong economy and a natural relief valve against one-sided trade patterns.

  Keeping your currency articially cheap leads to fake booms of the sort that Germany now experiences with the Euro which is way too weak for Germany (and way too strong for Greece). You really don´t want to go there.

  Posted in: Strong yen batters business confidence in Japan

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  -1

  WilliBDec. 16, 2011 - 12:04AM JST

  Fadamor:

  " Even if we take inflation into account, however, I guess this really IS the most expensive aircraft contract in history but if we wanted "cheap", we'd still be buying F-16 Falcons. "

  They could have bought the other US plane under consideration, which costs a fraction of this (still rising) price tag, is flying and proven now, and is available now.

  But of course, the White House is pushing for more orders for this expensive bondoogle, which keeps being "developed". Hillary has been all over the globe, arm-twisting "partners" to buy this thing, even if they are not happy about it.

  Posted in: More headaches with F-35; Japan delays announcement

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  -2

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 10:15PM JST

  just a guy:

  " Wasnt those western leaders have had enough 'naive and stupid' lesson back in 1970s when they 'Sympathy' Grand Ayatollah Koemini back in Paris he was exile? History repeats always! "

  Yep. Khomeini got asylum in France, and was helped to power by Jimmy Carter. The same demented French-USA cooperation that brought us the disasters in Egypt, Tunesia, and Lebanon.

  Posted in: U.S.: Assad's Syria a 'dead man walking'

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  -3

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 10:12PM JST

  lostrune2:

  " Yeah, like the U.S. is gonna help someone who wants to destroy Israel and sides with Iran and Hezbollah. "

  The Syrian "democratic opposition" aka Muslim Brotherhood wants to destroy Israel too, and unlike the secular Assad, they actually mean it.

  Posted in: U.S.: Assad's Syria a 'dead man walking'

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  1

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 09:59PM JST

  I doubt there was any les majeste at all. The redshirts are overwhelmingly from the countryside where the king is highly respected. It is pretty clear that the les majeste laws are used for political purposes by the Thai government, much like the infamous blasphemy laws are used in Pakistan.

  Posted in: Thai activist jailed for 15 years for royal slur

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  0

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 05:59PM JST

  Al Stewart:

  " wow, looks like Lockhead may need to go back to the drawing board on these. "

  I think this is typically what happens when you try to design one product that is to replace many different products. There have been many engineering disasters like this. They want this baby to be good at everything, and in the end it will be good at at nothing, except at reaching a record price tag.

  Posted in: More headaches with F-35; Japan delays announcement

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  1

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 03:38PM JST

  That is just sick.

  Posted in: British woman jailed for microwaving kitten

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  0

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 03:31PM JST

  Just extend endless guarantees to Greece, and you can enjoy a trashed currency like the Eurozone :-)

  Posted in: Strong yen batters business confidence in Japan

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  0

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 02:11PM JST

  Hawkeye:

  " her lawyer is named Kaufman which sounds very Jewish to me and why would a Jew be defending a Muslim. "

  Well, I am glad that we don´t have racist bigots on this board, otherwise your comments might raise some eye brows.

  Posted in: Gadhafi's daughter demands ICC probe into father's death

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  -3

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 02:08PM JST

  Of course he was tortured by the heroes of "democracy" that the West supported. However, don´t expect any interest in this from Western politicians or media.

  Posted in: Gadhafi's daughter demands ICC probe into father's death

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  -4

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 02:06PM JST

  Bebert61:

  The Shariah will not even be so creeping. It will be slapped on the country like a giant burkha. Remember how Assads dad dealt with the Muslim Brotherhood back then in the town of Hama?

  Those days are gone. Today, the US sides with the Muslim Brothers and will reap the results. My heart goes out to the Christians, Jews, Druzes, and Alevites in Syria.

  Posted in: U.S.: Assad's Syria a 'dead man walking'

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  -4

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 02:03PM JST

  Yes, the White House just can´t wait to see the relatively secular, modern Aletive-dominated dictatorship run by the Assad replaced by yet another islamist regime with a Muslim Brotherhood candidate in charge and Shariah in the consttitution.

  Way to go, Obama! It is like the Western leaders have a collective suicide wish.

  Posted in: U.S.: Assad's Syria a 'dead man walking'

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  -1

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 01:57PM JST

  Nandakamanda:

  Belgium has a large German speaking population, and 3 national languages: French, Flamish, and German.

  Posted in: Belgian city after deadly rampage asks 'Why?'

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  2

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 01:55PM JST

  Eurofighter does not have a chance for political reasons.

  Posted in: More headaches with F-35; Japan delays announcement

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  2

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 01:17PM JST

  Told ya so.

  The problems with this clunker have been widely reported -- this was purely political decision, relenting to sales pressure from the White House.

  Posted in: More headaches with F-35; Japan delays announcement

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  -1

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 12:01PM JST

  " Yes, Europe is promising a great leap forward with policies that correct at last the flaws in the design of monetary, without fiscal, economic and ultimately political union. "

  I had to laugh when I read this sentence. Kind of the absurd political logic of the Eurocrats in a nutshell.

  The "design of monetary, without fiscal, economic and ultimately political union" IS the flaw. This is the contradiction in terms, which creates the mess we are in. The only way to solve it is to end it -- i.e. dismantle the Euro currency.

  Posted in: 2012 will be year of truth for the euro

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  -2

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 11:52AM JST

  NeverSubmit:

  You are right. However, I think this time the Eurocrat politbureau have overreached. The meek, permanently ashamed German electorate might accept the yoke, however there is no way the Southerners will. It is a safe bet that Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal will exit the Euro in 2012.

  Posted in: 2012 will be year of truth for the euro

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  -1

  WilliBDec. 15, 2011 - 01:28AM JST

  " Tunisia’s new assembly chose a veteran rights activist "

  "Veteran rights activist? He is an islamist activist. Why these stupid euphemisms?

  Posted in: Tunisia assembly elects rights activist president

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  -2

  WilliBDec. 14, 2011 - 03:35PM JST

  " The scale of the bloodshed, the military weapons used, and the fact that the robberies often involved relatively small amounts of money sparked suspicions that right-wing terrorists may have been behind the attacks. "

  Typical mainstream media spin. In fact, looking at the scale of the bloodshed and the fact it was at a Christmas market would suggest that islamist extremist were involved. The fact is, at this point we do not know either, so I find it irresponsible that the biased media are already assigning blame. Not surprising though.

  Posted in: 5 dead, 122 wounded after man with grenades, rifle attacks holiday shoppers in Belgium

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