Here is a man that I really admire. He tells the truth. This has nothing really to do with Japan directly, but in a way, it does. Because it has to do with you, dear reader. Here's a man who is telling the truth about the west and the mass media.
Minister Farrakhan exposed the U.S. and NATO's criminal War Libya and Africa during a June 15, 2011 Press Conference at the UN Plaza Hotel. Also presenting were former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Human Rights Activist Viola Plummer and International Actitivst Cynthia McKinney.
A regular reader chimes in on how the USA has become a police state and now we cannot send any packages from Japan that weigh more than one pound:
Hi Mike,
My wife told me this was posted in Japanese last Friday, but today is the first day I have seen it in English. Truly, this is terrible and it is further proof that America is a totalitarian police state. Check it out..no more mail to America weighing more than 1 pound.
Japan Post Services Co. said it will stop accepting airmail packages bound for the United States weighing 453 grams (1 pound) or more starting Wednesday because airlines will stop such delivery at the request of U.S. aviation authorities as part of antiterrorism measures.
The postal services arm of Japan Post Holdings Co. handles 16 million letters and packages by air and sea to the U.S. annually, and "15 percent of that will be affected," a Japan Post spokesman said. That means about 200,000 packages a month will be affected.
The company said it will accept packages from senders that use a service enabling them to pay after delivery instead of beforehand, a service designated for regular customers, even if a package weighs 453 grams or more. The company will notify the public of any changes in the situation, the spokesman said.
The Transportation Security Administration of the U.S. has informed air carriers of the 453-gram rule, and carriers notified Japan Post Services, the spokesman said. The rule applies not only to packages from Japan but from other countries.
Firstly, Obama and his gang make a draconian rule in secret. Absolute sign of a dictatorial government. Secondly, there has been no mention of this whatsoever on the internet or other media. Believe me, I have searched for several days. The media bosses exist merely to trumpet the propaganda for the party elites. How could they ignore this?
Finally, for the ruling party bosses to wave a hand and dictate that no one can receive mail weighing more than 1 pound from outside of the country is conclusive proof, its a police state. No debate, no announcement, no nothing. The people are cut off from receiving much anything from the outside world, other than papers. Just stroke of a pen, make a law, kind totalitarian.
Best wishes and hope you weren't planning on sending any Christmas gifts weighing more than a pound to America, because its verboten. Also, if you are like me, an ex-pat American who has to file tax forms that weigh more than 1 pound, you will not be able to mail them to the IRS.
When it comes to public debt and the coming economic turmoil, who is better off Japan, or the USA?
I received a letter from a friend who asked me this question. It read;
Just a quick question. When it comes to debt, I wonder which is really worse off. I read somewhere that Japan's debt basically comes from the Japanese public, where as the US debt is from various countries. Therefore, when analyzed who is worse off?(Sic)
My answer: Thanks for the question. But, please do not get the debt issue confused. Japan's debt is not "from" the Japanese public. Nor is USA debt "from" various countries. The debt is Japanese or USA government created. The governments created this debt through public spending on projects, war and social welfare with money they do not have.
Remember that the government does not have any money. The government can only take money from business and the public by borrowing it or taxing the people (they can also print and debase the currency which is a backdoor tax on the public)... Later, someone has to pay back this debt.. In the case of Japan, the public bought the debt as investments... In the case of the USA, foreign governments have bought the debt as investments...
Regardless of the confusion as to who created this debt, I understand the basic question and think it is a great one. Instead of me just making my remarks I decided to ask someone who I definitely look up to for advice when it comes to this kind of subject and that is my friend, Mike "Mish" Shedlock. Mish Shedlock runs one of the most-read economic blogs in the world and is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management.
I slightly rewrote the question to Mike:
When it comes to debt, I wonder which is really worse off; the USA or Japan? Japan's debt is basically held by the Japanese public, where as the US debt is owned by China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, etc... (various countries). Therefore, when analyzed, who are worse off? The average Japanese or the average American?
Mike's answer:
Japan is worse off - Their problem hits first (Japan already has debt at 190% of GDP - USA debt 87.6% as of May 15, 2010). Also Japan is much worse off because of demographics – a much older population... Timing is the key! The USA actually has some time to do something (even if we know they won’t)
Me: To sum up; the USA is better off than Japan, for now, because Japan's debt percentage to GDP NOW is larger and because the percentage of the Japanese population that is no longer in the workforce is larger.
Another person wrote and asked me "What should we do?" Now, that's a great question too! (realize that most people still, to this day, are not thinking about one or two years into the future when this entire situation is really going to start hitting home).
I answered:
So, what do I recommend? Get out of debt, live within your means... Fight anyway that you can government spending and increased taxation. Get the government warfare and welfare state off our backs. Allow the free market to shake out the sick parts of our economy...
This just came across my desk and I thought it was a gas. It's a collection of TV commercials from the 1960's made by John Behrens and it is called, "Batteries Not Included."
I thoroughly enjoyed this film and was especially pleased that I am allowed to embed this on this site for your viewing pleasure. I remember some of these toys from the 1960's and wish I hadn't of bashed them up. Some of them are worth a fortune now! Especially the made in Japan cars that, when you examined them closely, you could see that they were fashioned out of aluminum beer cans I saw some of those in mint condition selling at a toy show a few years ago and they were going for $500 ~ $900 each!
Here are John Behrens comments:
Batteries Not Included a Film by John Behrens:
Batteries Not Included is a film that I put together early this year, after I made the film I did not know what to do with it because it is so much different than the Experimental art films that I am most known for doing. I decided to release this film on the internet and I thought the best place to do this would be right here on the Internet Archives. About the Film: Almost as long as I have been a filmmaker I have also been a film collector. I have for many years wanted to assemble a collection of vintage toy commercials into a flowing little feature length film, that feature all of these wonderful toys from 1950's 1960's and 1970's all of the major toy companies are represented in this film. Matel, Ideal, Hasbro, Marx, Aurora and many many others. So strap your self in and take a trip back through your childhood and you may discover a commercial for a toy that had a kid and my hope is that it will spark pleasant memory's from those days.
Enjoy and Best Regards Jon Behrens
I greatly enjoyed this film and wish that you can see it now (or come back later when you have the chance). Wow! What a time trip!
This is a wonderful film and will take you back to a better time. For those of us born in the mid-1950's, it is a reminder that we were so lucky to have been born and lived in the most golden time that the USA ever had or probably ever will have.
Grab some popcorn, get your girl and watch this movie. Enjoy!
To go to the original link, click here.... Tell them I sent you!
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Keywords:
Toys, Marketing Japan, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, movie, TV commercials, 1950's, 1960's, USA, John Behrens, made in Japan
