New York Times (April 6)
“In reality, slower population growth creates enormous possibilities for human flourishing.” Japan may be at the forefront of graying societies, but the nation is hardly alone. Most developed countries are already shrinking. Many developing countries, like China, are soon forecast to contract. This is fueling “dark prophecies” and causing alarm over the future. It shouldn’t. “Population doom of one kind or another is a recurring fad. Like most fads, this one can be safely ignored. Humanity has many legitimate problems to worry about. Falling fertility is not one of them.”
Tags: Alarm, China, Dark prophecies, Developing countries, Doom, Fad, Fertility, Future, Graying, Humanity, Japan, Population growth, Possibilities, Reality
Washington Post (January 11, 2014)
China’s ambassador to the U.S., who served as ambassador to Japan from 2007 to 2009, writes “Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent homage at the Yasukuni war shrine deeply disturbed people in China and much of Asia. The dispute surrounding his actions is about more than symbolism; it goes to the heart of his intentions for Japan’s future and his willingness to build an atmosphere of trust, respect and equality in East Asia.”
Tags: Ambassador, Asia, China, Dispute, East Asia, Equality, Future, Intentions, Japan, Respect, Shinzo Abe, Shrine, Symbolism, Trust, U.S., War, Willingness, Yasukuni
Wall Street Journal (November 4)
By year end, the U.S. is likely to unseat Russia and become the second largest global producer of liquid fuels. The U.S. is now well positioned to escape the capricious yoke of OPEC and “even could surpass Saudi Arabia to become the leading global producer within the next decade.” Former Secretary of State George Schultz and FedEx CEO Fred Smith write, the nation’s leaders should “embrace both the supply revolution now well under way and the emerging demand revolution in oil-displacement technology that, together, promise a more secure and prosperous future.”
Tags: Demand, Energy security, FedEx, Fred Smith, Fuel, Future, George Schultz, Oil-displacement, OPEC, Producer, Revolution, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Supply, Technology, U.S.
USA Today (September 12)
“Five years ago this weekend, the world economy was in uncharted waters and sinking rapidly. The bankruptcy of Lehman Bros. on Sept. 15, 2008, touched off a horrifying financial crisis…. Far too much hasn’t been done, or hasn’t changed, since those scary days when it seemed the world financial system was unraveling.” Though the consensus in favor of urgent reform has long since faded, reform is nevertheless urgently needed. Today, “the shoring up of the financial system is no better than a work in progress, and another severe crisis in the not-too-distant future is hardly out of the question.”
Financial Times (February 8)
“At last Europe is moving forward.” Or rather might be, for “there is still much that could drive it into reverse.” Several unexpected breakthroughs are the latest cause for hope. “It is encouraging that even though Europe still struggles with questions that will determine its future, leaders have kept talking. As long as they do so there is still hope. And as this week shows, they might find agreement where they least expect it.”
Washington Post (July 12)
The Great Recession has been the most “egalitarian” of the 11 most recent recessions to strike the U.S., according to Post columnist Robert J. Samuelson. Recessions often strike the poor the hardest, but no social class—rich or poor, educated or uneducated, professional or working class—has been insulated from the current recession. Jobs have been lost across the spectrum. House and portfolio values have fallen. High earners have had wages cropped. A recent survey shows 71% of Americans are now buying less expensive brands, 57% have reduced their vacation budgets, and 11% have delayed getting married or having kids. Only 45% of Americans now think their children will enjoy higher living standards in the future.
Tags: Future, Great Recession, U.S., Wages
