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Strategies & Market Trends : World Outlook -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: EPS who wrote (482)	6/14/1998 12:43:00 PM
From: PitBull	Respond to of 49110

These are some raw and random thoughts: 1. Money systems are based on the competition of other money systems. 2. When Japan was at it's best in the 80's, that's when the United States was in massive debt. 3. The United States is basically not in debt anymore, how did America BS it's way out of debt? 4. Things like the unification of Germany, the forming of the Czech Republic, makes their monetary systems stronger. Some one in the economy has to hit the deck. 5. The United States has prospered financially because of software and its commercialization, and the impact of the internet..selling everywhere for many products. Consumer awareness. Consumer buying. The United States is good at hawking products. United States is better at selling BS and entertainment to the masses. 6. Japanese pop culture worships American pop icons. What Japanese sitcoms do we watch on television here? What Japanese pop artists do we worship in the United States? 7. fear radiates fear. If people are afraid of the market, of banks rationing money because of Y2K, and a host of other things, this fear spreads additional fear. Just look at all the survivalists and survivalist threads popping up out of the woodwork. Just look at all the American companies jumping on the Y2K ready bandwagon touting how they are prepared..even with as silly products as surge protectors. Capitalists want to capitalize. Natural. 8. Despite the concerns of what is happening in Japan, why not look at a company like Yamaha which is clearly doing a great job penetrating the market globally. Bottom line, the unfortunate reality is, that while one country propsers , another suffers, that's why we are always told to balance our portfolios. 9. Does anyone think a world currency, every country using the same unit of money would have any positive impact for ALL countries? What problems would be created? What problems would be erased? These are just random thoughts. Don't hold my naivete against me. I just discovered this thread and find it very interesting discussion.

To: EPS who wrote (482)	6/15/1998 1:07:00 AM
From: Joe Wagner	Respond to of 49110

Is it possible that Japan's stategy of outcompeting US companies through devaluation of its currency over a long period of time, has back fired on them by gradually forcing the US economy to become more competitive and efficient and more information intensive. The open markets of the US have forced the economy to evolve to a more information intensive environment, that can buy offshore cheaply what it needs to create the value added products its citizens dream up. The Japanese economy on the other hand, has had closed markets that act like crutches for their companies, which over time has sheltered them from the real world economy that is now catching up with them. Where the US has Home Depots, Price Clubs etc. efficient distribution systems and a mulitfaceted economy, Japan just has exporting machine that has gotten weak. I think Japan should have opened up its economy fully and developed more two way trade and this problem would not have been as severe. The free hand of the market wants to keep things balanced but when its locked out from markets, it can't shine its light on bad decisions from well meaning politicians and board members until they have grown like malignant tumors ravaging their hosts. In addition the more trade that occurs both ways the healthier and more stable(more resilient to shifing currents) the economy. I hope Japan stimulates its economy, opens its markets and tries to increase the consumer demand within its own economy.