The downsizing of Japan’s ambitions can be seen on the streets of Tokyo, where concrete “microhouses” have become popular among younger Japanese who cannot afford even the famously cramped housing of their parents, or lack the job security to take out a traditional multidecade loan.

These matchbox-size homes stand on plots of land barely large enough to park a sport utility vehicle, yet have three stories of closet-size bedrooms, suitcase-size closets and a tiny kitchen that properly belongs on a submarine….

But in Japan, nearly a generation of deflation has had a much deeper effect, subconsciously coloring how the Japanese view the world. It has bred a deep pessimism about the future and a fear of taking risks that make people instinctively reluctant to spend or invest, driving down demand “” and prices “” even further.”

A new common sense appears, in which consumers see it as irrational or even foolish to buy or borrow,” said Kazuhisa Takemura, a professor at Waseda University in Tokyo who has studied the psychology of deflation.

The NY Times has a fascinating front-page story, “Japan Goes From Dynamic to Disheartened.”  It explains how, for many Japanese, “living standards slowly crumbled along with Japan’s overall economy,” thanks in large part to two decades of failed economic policies.

Voters in this country who seem poised to put the people who got us in our current economic mess back in charge, at least of the US House of Representatives, may think grid-lock is good, yet I’m sure they also believe such a future is impossible for this country.

The NYT‘s explanation for why it can’t happen here isn’t reassuring:

Read more

Plus his must-see interview by Glenn Beck who says, “I think there are too many stupid people”

Okay, this post is mostly my chance to blog about William Shatner, the iconic figure of 1960s science fiction techno-optimism, who has shown that one can build a career around almost absurdist self-parody (much like Glenn Beck).

Star Trek helped launch the optimistic futuristic vision of science fiction, in contrast to the apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic vision that is more commonplace today.  Shatner has been widely parodied for his thespian style — to make the clich© meta, if you look up overacting in Wikipedia, there is a picture of Shatner.  He defends his style in a hysterical Beck interview (excerpted below):

He is an advocate of global warming action, as in this Sierra Club video :

Read more

Pat Toomey, climate zombie is the GOP Senate candidate in Pennsylvania.  When he’s not denying basic climate science, he is sharing equally fanciful views on economics.  He apparently thinks bills that don’t even become laws can harm the economy, as TP reports:

Read more

The northeastern United States remains a bastion of the clean energy economy, though global warming deniers are vying to take over leadership of the state governments.  Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson has the story.

Read more

La Opinion denounced Proposition 23 earlier this week, recommending that voters vote no on the dangerous proposition in November.  This follows a long list of newspapers that have joined with California’s leading businesses and environmental leaders to reject Proposition 23.

The newspaper cited the fact that only oil companies would benefit from Prop 23, whereas other industries, including green tech would lose.  “Many would suffer for the financial gain of a few,” and not just in a business sense.  La Opinion also cited the health benefits that come along with restricting greenhouse gas emissions – because of the correlation between reducing carbon emissions and other forms of air pollution.

Read more