DM your facts seem to be out a lot. The unemployment rate in...

DM your facts seem to be out a lot. The unemployment rate in Japan in NOV 2010 was 5.10%. In Australia at that time it was 5.2%. In Dec 2010 Australia dropped to 5.10% the same as Japan. As you well know most other advanced economies have an even higher unemployment rate as per the USA and the UK. So best to get facts right otherwise readers wasting their time being misled.

Australia also has homeless people as some of you on this forum love to point out so no point in pretending Japan is a lot worse. Yes it is experiencing some decline but it is coming off a very high base. Japan still has one of the highest standards of living in the world whether you like it or not. Maybe if you could afford to go it might enlighten your perspective. I plan to do that intending to try my hand at skiing for the first time while I am there. It should be fantastic. Their safety nets(wefare) may not be that great just like in the USA but you conservatives on this forum would applaud that, as you are always complaining about excessive welfare in this country.

Japan remember sustains 128million people with much less arable land than Australia and without the mineral wealth and is still way up in the top 10 high standard of living wealthy countries. Whether you like it or not.