Japan Goes For Growth
The message was clear – deflation was the fault of Japan’s inadequately fertile womenfolk, not the elite officials of the central bank

The message was clear – deflation was the fault of Japan’s inadequately fertile womenfolk, not the elite officials of the central bank
They walk in cool and confident, armed with their PowerPoint presentations. They leave town horizontal, soaked in red ink.
Amidst all this activity, the position of Japan is absolutely, well, pivotal. From the US point of view, a wealthy, confident and committed ally is a vital asset in what it is likely to be a long drawn out strategic game
Gold did not rise to these giddy heights by accident. A bull market of this scale requires widespread distrust of other financial assets, of the banking system, of capitalism itself
Only right-wing nationalists, communists and neo-pagans dare propose the time-honoured method of regaining lost competitiveness
The Greeks could do us all a favour by voting Trotskyite and neo-pagan and thus ending a saga that could go on for decades.
The bond market vigilantes appear to have gone as quiet as the sound of one hand clapping.
“Would you rather be the world’s best lover but have everyone think you’re the world’s worst? Or would you rather be the world’s worst…”
The Bank of Japan’s decision to adopt an inflation target and double its bond purchases completes the global flight to soft money.
The road to fiscal hell is sometimes paved with the best intentions. As Europe’s politicians seek to win electorates round to brutal budget cuts, they would do well to look to the experience of Japan.