Ron Paul to US Steel: beware the 'Golden Share'

President Trump will allow the Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel, but wants a "Golden Share" that will let him dictate company policy when national security is at stake. In fact, as Ron Paul notes, "there is almost no decision US Steel’s management could make that cannot be labeled as involving 'national security.'" 

A Golden Share Will Not Make America Great Again | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Jun 2, 2025 - "Japanese company Nippon Steel’s plan to purchase US Steel was bound to provoke a strong reaction from left- and right-wing economic nationalists. After all, US Steel was once the world’s largest company, and it was the first company to be valued at over a billion dollars. US Steel was thus a symbol of America’s economic dominance. So it was not surprising that Nippon Steel’s purchase of US Steel was blocked by both the Biden and Trump administrations. This was disappointing — especially since Nippon Steel planned to invest billions in modernizing US Steel’s facilities.

"Last week, President Trump praised the deal with some added conditions. One major condition is that the US government will receive a 'golden share' in US Steel. This will enable the government to overrule any business decision made by the company’s management if the government determines the business decision threatens 'national security.' This power could be used to prevent US Steel from exporting steel to certain countries, as well as to require US Steel to prioritize production for the military and other government agencies. It could also be used to interfere with labor-management relations based on the idea that a labor dispute can disrupt production and thus harm national security. In fact, there is almost no decision US Steel’s management could make that cannot be labeled as involving 'national security.'

"Supporters of the 'golden share' have forgotten (or never learned) the lessons from the failures of allowing politicians and bureaucrats to run private businesses. When government takes a full or partial ownership interest in a business, the result is decisions made based on political considerations rather than on seeking to improve the company’s productivity and profits. This causes the company to lose money, resulting in laid off workers unless the government tries to cover up failures with subsidies. It also distorts the signals sent to other market actors via the price system because the government-run company is allocating resources based on considerations other than their most efficient use.

"This is not the only case where the Trump administration is harming the economy by interfering with businesses. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsored enterprises created to support the housing market, may soon go public. President Trump has stated that the government would nonetheless continue to guarantee Fannie and Freddie backed mortgage loans. This will cause over-investment in housing as investors see only an upside from investing in Fannie and Freddie since the government will bail out Fannie and Freddie if they lose money while investors will keep the profits. The result will be a housing bubble, followed by a housing crash that may be worse than the one Fannie and Freddie — along with the Federal Reserve — helped cause in 2008. Once again, President Trump and his advisors have failed to learn from history.

"Government involvement with businesses may be promoted as intended to protect national security, or to protect 'great American companies' from being taken over by foreign companies, or to make the American dream of homeownership possible for every American, or to accomplish a myriad of other goals that may sound good in sound bites on the campaign trail. However, the result will be economic stagnation, recessions, or even depressions. To ensure a strong economy, government can get out of the way. A policy of limited government, free markets, free trade, peace, and sound money is the path to prosperity."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/a-golden-share-will-not-make-america-great-again/

Early closings had no impact on Covid spread, Japanese study finds

Early Closure of Bars and Restaurants Had No Impact on the Spread of Covid in Japan | The Daily Sceptic - Noah Carl:

November 2, 2021 - "When comparing the impact of Covid in different countries, Japan is a clear outlier. In 2020, the country had zero days of mandatory business closures and zero days of mandatory stay-at-home orders. Despite seeing less change in mobility than major European countries, Japan has not had any excess mortality since the pandemic began....

"In January of this year, Japan introduced restrictions on businesses for the first time. Specifically, 11 prefectures (including the capital, Tokyo) prohibited bars and restaurants from selling alcohol after 7pm, and forced them to close at 8pm.

"In a recent preprint, Reo Takaku and colleagues investigated the impact of these measures on the spread of Covid. They began by checking whether the measures had their intended effect – of reducing the number of people frequenting bars and restaurants. This cannot be taken for granted: the night curfew in Greece had virtually no impact on mobility.

"The researchers analysed survey data collected in the autumn of 2020 (when there were no restrictions in place) and the winter of 2021 (when there were restrictions in place). As the chart below indicates, the measures do appear to have had their intended effects.

"The x-axis represents how far respondents lived from the border of a prefecture that introduced restrictions. The blue and green lines (corresponding to the right-hand y-axis) show the fraction of people who went to a bar or restaurant at least once in the relevant month. The blue line corresponds to the autumn of 2020, and the green line corresponds to the winter of 2021. Notice that the green line is substantially flatter than the blue line, but only on the right-hand side of the chart. This suggests that restrictions did reduce the number of people frequenting bars and restaurants.

"Next, the researchers examined whether the measures actually reduced the spread of Covid. To do this, they compared self-reported symptoms among individuals living either side of the border of a prefecture that introduced restrictions. They also controlled for a number of characteristics, such as age, marital status and household income....

"[T]hey found no evidence that the measures reduced the spread of Covid. Individuals living under restrictions were no less likely to report Covid symptoms than their counterparts on the other side of the border. This was true even for young people, and those who regularly used pubs and restaurants....

"'Given the large detrimental effects on employment,' the authors write, 'alternative measures for full-service restaurants and bars should be considered'."

Read more: https://dailysceptic.org/2021/11/02/early-closure-of-bars-and-restaurants-had-no-impact-on-the-spread-of-covid-in-japan/

Read study: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.07.21261741v1

Japan ends Covid state of emergency

Japan To Lift All Coronavirus Emergency Steps Nationwide | NPR - Associate Press:

September 28, 2021 - "Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks to reporters about lifting of a state of emergency at his official residence in Tokyo Monday, Sept. 27. Suga announced Tuesday a lifting of the ongoing coronavirus state of emergency and less-stringent measures in all 27 prefectures including Tokyo when they expire at the end of September.

"With the lifting, Japan will be entirely free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months. Government officials are preparing for the relaxed restrictions by instituting other plans such as vaccine passports and virus tests.

"Japan's current state of emergency, declared in April, was repeatedly extended and expanded. Despite public weariness and frustration over the measures, Japan has managed to avoid the more restrictive lockdowns imposed elsewhere while recording about 1.69 million cases and 17,500 deaths from COVID-19.

"The emergency and other measures in all 27 prefectures expire at the end of September. Some experts want the state of emergency in 19 areas to be eased to a quasi-emergency first to ensure infections don't quickly rebound, and the government is reportedly considering the strategy.

"The emergency has mainly been in the form of requests for restaurants and bars to open for shorter hours and not serve alcohol. Governors in Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto have said they plan to keep those requests in place while closely monitoring the virus situations.... Eateries and other commercial establishments currently required to close early should return to normal hours gradually while the authorities reinforce health care systems to prepare for the next outbreak, officials said.

"Japan's ongoing and fifth state of emergency declared in April was ... the longest since the pandemic began last year. Despite public weariness and frustration over the measures, Japan has managed to avoid the more restrictive lockdowns imposed elsewhere while recording about 1.69 million cases of infection and 17,500 deaths from COVID-19."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/28/1041086891/japan-to-lift-all-coronavirus-emergency-steps-nationwide

Japan combats Delta Covid without a lockdown

Lockdowns or vaccines? 3 Pacific nations try diverging paths | CTV News - Nick Perry, Mari Yamaguchi & Rod Mcguirk:

August 22, 2021 - "The discovery of a single local COVID-19 case in New Zealand was enough for the government to put the entire country into strict lockdown this past week.... Elsewhere around the Pacific, though, Japan is resisting such measures in the face of a record-breaking surge, instead emphasizing its accelerating vaccine program. And Australia has fallen somewhere in the middle. 

"All three countries got through the first year of the pandemic in relatively good shape but are now taking diverging paths in dealing with outbreaks of the Delta variant, the highly contagious form that has contributed to a growing sense that the coronavirus cannot be stamped out, just managed.... The differing emphasis on lockdowns versus vaccines -- and how effective such strategies prove to be in beating back the Delta variant -- could have far-reaching consequences for the three countries' economies and the health of their citizens.

"Japan has never imposed lockdowns against the coronavirus. The public is wary of government overreach after the country's fascist period before and during the Second World War, and Japan's postwar constitution lays out strict protections for civil liberties.

"Before the Delta variant, the country managed to keep a lid on coronavirus outbreaks in part because many people in Japan were already used to wearing surgical masks for protection from spring allergies or when they caught colds. Now, almost everyone on public transportation wears a mask during commuting hours. But late at night, people tend to uncover in restaurants and bars, which has allowed the variant to spread. 

"Hosting the Tokyo Olympic Games didn't help either. While strict protocols kept infections inside the games to a minimum, experts such as Dr. Shigeru Omi, a key medical adviser to the government, say the Olympics created a festive air that led people in Japan to lower their guard. New cases in Japan have this month leaped to 25,000 each day, more than triple the highest previous peak. Omi considers that a disaster.

"Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday expanded and extended a state of emergency covering Tokyo and other areas until at least mid-September, though most of the restrictions aren't legally enforceable. Many governors are urging the prime minister to consider much tougher restrictions. But Suga said lockdowns have been flouted around the world, and vaccines are 'the way to go.'

"Daily vaccinations in Japan increased tenfold from May to June as thousands of worksites and colleges began offering shots, but a slow start has left the nation playing catch-up. Only about 40% of people are fully vaccinated."

Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/lockdowns-or-vaccines-3-pacific-nations-try-diverging-paths-1.5556996

Tokyo may have reached herd immunity to COVID

Tokyo citizens may have developed COVID-19 herd immunity, say researchers | News-Medical.net - Sally Robertson, B.Sc.:

September 24, 2020 - "Researchers in Japan and the United States have conducted a study showing that herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may have developed among the citizens of Tokyo during the summer. SARS-CoV-2 is the viral agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that is continuing to sweep the globe, posing significant threats to human health.

"Yasutaka Hayashida (Medical Corporation Koshikai, Tokyo) and colleagues from Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical School, Boston, say their study suggests that seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 rose to almost 50% at around the same time cases of COVID-19 waned in the city. 'With the rise in SPR [seropositivity rate] nearing 50% within our cohort, matching the time when COVID-19 cases waned, the possibility of herd immunity should be considered, particularly in the highly-dense urban scenario like Tokyo,' writes the team. A pre-print version of the paper is available in the server medRxiv, while the article undergoes peer review.

"Compared with the United States and European countries, COVID-19-related mortality has been low in Japan, and the death rate has fallen despite the absence of a lockdown. The reasons for the low fatality rate are not yet known. They may be related to a low SARS-CoV-2 prevalence across the general population or decreased rates of fatality among infected cases....

"To estimate seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 throughout the summer, the team enrolled 1,877 healthy, asymptomatic employees of large company from 11 disparate locations across Tokyo. Across the company, serology tests for SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies were performed weekly between May 26th and August 25th, 2020. This time window incorporated the well-documented 'second wave' of COVID-19 that occurred in Japan.

"To estimate seroconversion and seroreversion among the general population in Tokyo over time, the tests were offered to each participant twice, separated by around a month. The seropositivity rate was calculated by pooling data from each two-week window across the cohort. Changes in immunological status against SARS-CoV-2 were determined by comparing results between two test results obtained from the same participant. Six hundred fifteen individuals, aged a mean of 40.8 years, underwent one test, and 350 of those (aged a mean of 42.5 years) underwent two tests.

"The seropositivity rate increased from 5.8% at the beginning of the study to an unexpectedly high 46.8 % by the end of the summer.... Of the 350 individuals who underwent both tests, 54 (21.4 %) of 252 who were initially seronegative were seropositive by the time they completed the second test. Of the remaining 98 individuals who were seropositive on initial testing, 12 (12.2%) became seronegative. 'Seroreversion was not infrequent, seen in 12% of participants over the one-month span between tests,' says the team. 'This suggests that serological testing may significantly underestimate past COVID-19 infections, particularly when applied to an asymptomatic population.' 

"The researchers say that ... the findings can ... be generalized to the greater metropolitan area for a number of reasons, including the multiple disparate locations participants were from and the limited physical contact they had with each other. Furthermore, the exclusion of symptomatic individuals could potentially have led to an underestimation of the overall seropositivity rate. 'COVID-19 infection may have spread widely across the general population of Tokyo despite the very low fatality rate,' say Hayashida and team. 

"Although Japan took the atypical step of not implementing a mandatory lockdown, the second wave peaked and subsided nevertheless, they add. 'Given the temporal correlation between the rise in seropositivity and the decrease in reported COVID-19 cases that occurred without a shut-down, herd immunity may be implicated,' suggest the researchers. 'Future studies may consider evaluating whether lifestyle/habits, viral strain, the widespread use of masks, or host factors such as immunological memory are responsible for the observed low fatality,' they conclude."

Read more: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200924/Tokyo-citizens-may-have-developed-COVID-19-herd-immunity-say-researchers.aspx

Coronavirus returns to countries that suppressed it

2nd wave of coronavirus in countries around Asia prompts fresh lockdowns | Global News - Stephen Coates, Reuters:

July 27, 2020 - "Countries around Asia are confronting a second wave of coronavirus infections and are clamping down again to try to contain the disease....

"Hong Kong is expected to announce further restrictions on Monday including a ban on restaurant dining and mandated face masks outdoors, local media reported. The measures, which are expected to take effect from Wednesday, would be the first time the city has completely banned dining in restaurants.

"Australian authorities warned a six-week lockdown in parts of the southeastern Victoria state may last longer after the country registered its highest daily increase in infections. Most of Australia is effectively virus-free but flare-ups in the two most populous southeastern states have authorities scrambling to prevent a wider national outbreak.

"In Japan, the government said it would urge business leaders to ramp up anti-virus measures such as staggered shifts, and aimed to see rates of telecommuting achieved during an earlier state of emergency. 'At one point, commuter numbers were down by 70 to 80 per cent, but now it’s only about 30 per cent,' Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said late on Sunday.... Japan has avoided mass infections but a record surge in cases during the past week in Tokyo and other urban centers has experts worried....

"Vietnam is evacuating 80,000 people, mostly local tourists, from the central city of Danang after three residents tested positive for the coronavirus at the weekend, the government said on Monday. The Southeast Asian country is back on high alert after the government on Saturday confirmed its first community infections since April, and another three cases on Sunday, all in Danang.

"In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte is ... weighing whether to re-impose stricter lockdown measures after easing them saw a dramatic surge in infections and deaths, with 62,326 cases reported since the first lockdown was relaxed June 1....

"North Korean state media reported on the weekend that the border town of Kaesong was in lockdown after a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned this month with symptoms of COVID-19. If confirmed, it would be the first case officially acknowledged by North Korean authorities.... [In] South Korea ... Saturday’s 113 infections were the highest on a single day since March 31.

"Papua New Guinea halted entry for travelers from Monday, except those arriving by air, as it tightens curbs against infections that have more than doubled over the past week. Traditional border crossing were suspended from July 23, police chief David Manning said in a statement distributed on Monday. PNG has fluid borders with Indonesia, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Solomon Islands with people regularly crossing on foot or in small boats."

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/7220628/asia-second-wave-coronavirus-lockdowns/

Common sense on masks

by George J. Dance

For a month the coronavirus crisis brought us all together, united against an unknown, unseen killer. Within a month, though, the virus, and the 'social distancing' policies used to deal with it, had been thoroughly politicized in the United States. The same political virus is beginning to spread to Canada, as well, though far fewer of us have been infected. South of the border, though, it seems almost everyone has caught the political bug. What Republicans or Democrats think about their states' shutdowns or stay-at-home orders has less to do each day with questions of fact about their effects or their ethics; increasingly it depends solely on political allegiance.

Even the question of whether to wear a mask or not has been politicized, after some state governors have made their use in public compulsory. Wearing a mask is no longer a matter of taking care of one's own health, but of "obeying" or "complying" with what the government and its "experts" tell us to do. Forget that they were telling us, in February, to not wear masks; now they've always believed in wearing masks (just like the government in 1984 was always at war with Eastasia). Either you wear a mask, or you're with the granny-killers.

I don't see it that way at all. Wearing a mask should be a common sense health decision, not a political one. That is why I masked up in January, three months before the government started telling me to, back when all the health authorities were saying there was no evidence that masks were effective (something the World Health Organization is still saying).

When the health authorities told me there is 'no evidence' that masks are effective, I knew that does not mean they were ineffective, but that the authorities don't know whether they are; that there are no studies conclusive enough for them to claim knowledge. Which means only that I cannot rely on the experts, but have to use my own common sense (my background knowledge) instead.

By 'common sense', I mean the intuitive picture of the world we all pick up through our life experiences, beginning with our own senses, but also the including the information we've learned consistent with that picture - all of the facts kicking around in our head, which we use to make personal decisions every day. Wearing a mask is a personal decision, which I can and have to make for myself by using my own judgement.

I think COVID-19 is a potentially deadly disease, particularly for a senior like myself. I know it is spread mainly by people breathing on or talking to others, and that it is especially dangerous when those others breathe it in. Two people talking can cut the risk of transmission by turning their heads – still more by wearing masks – and even more by staying farther apart. My wearing a mask reduces what I breathe on others, and also what they breathe near my mouth and nose. I can still get the virus on my mask, hands, and face, but that is less likely and far safer than breathing it into my lungs without one. As well, my wearing a mask tells others I am serious about the disease and encourages them to stay back, further reducing the risk. This may make little difference – I've done no scientific studies of my own – but whatever difference it makes can only be beneficial, for both parties.

As for statistical evidence, I can look at the death-tolls in the countries where mask-wearing during flu and cold season is common, and compare them with ours. Three of those are Communist-controlled, and may not be reliable: China reported less than 1,500 dead outside of Hubei, while North Korea and Vietnam both claim to have no deaths. (North Korea claims to have no cases.) But the non-Communist countries also show low death totals: 900 dead in Japan, 270 in South Korea, 7 in Taiwan, and just 4 in Hong Kong. Those totals are clearly better than Canada's 7,000 deaths and America's 107,000.

On the other hand, I realize that a mask causes one to breathe in more CO2, which is not good for people like me with breathing problems. So I wear mine pulled down around my chin, and only cover my mouth and nose with it when I get within 10 or so feet of someone.

Wearing a mask should be an individual decision. Those who think others are making the wrong decision can also decide for themselves how to act toward those others, whether avoiding them or becoming a woke scold on social media. Owners of property – stores, government offices, or private homes – may make rules for those who wish to use the property, just as they may make rules around wearing shoes; this violates no freedom, as long as those who dislike those rules can simply avoid those stores, offices, or homes.

However, no one has the right to order anyone (under threat of fine and imprisonment) to wear a mask. The only people who should be ordered to do anything in response to coronavirus are the contagious (who should be ordered to isolate, not to mask up). If a government thinks someone is contagious, they can compel him to be tested. If a government is unable to test someone, four months after a disease outbreak, that is solely due to the government's incompetence. Government incompetence should never be an excuse to violate the rights of innocent people.

Japan contains coronavirus without lockdown

Japan May Have Beaten Coronavirus Without Lockdowns or Mass Testing. But How? | TIME - Lisa Du & Grace Huang:

May 22, 2020 - "Japan’s state of emergency is set to end with new cases of the coronavirus dwindling to mere dozens. It got there despite largely ignoring the default playbook. No restrictions were placed on residents’ movements, and businesses from restaurants to hairdressers stayed open. No high-tech apps that tracked people’s movements were deployed. The country doesn’t have a center for disease control. And even as nations were exhorted to 'test, test, test,' Japan has tested just 0.2% of its population — one of the lowest rates among developed countries.

"Yet the curve has been flattened, with deaths well below 1,000, by far the fewest among the Group of Seven developed nations. In Tokyo, its dense center, cases have dropped to single digits on most days. While the possibility of a more severe second wave of infection is ever-present, Japan has entered and is set to leave its emergency in just weeks, with the status lifted already for most of the country and Tokyo and the remaining four other regions set to exit Monday.

"Analyzing just how Japan defied the odds and contained the virus while disregarding the playbook used by other successful countries has become a national conversation. Only one thing is agreed upon: that there was no silver bullet, no one factor that made the difference.... Experts consulted by Bloomberg News also suggested a myriad of factors that contributed to the outcome, and none could point to a singular policy package that could be replicated in other countries. Nonetheless, these measures still offer long-term lessons for countries in the middle of pandemic that may yet last for years.

"An early grassroots response to rising infections was crucial.... [E]xperts praise the role of Japan’s contact tracers, which swung into action after the first infections were found in January. The fast response was enabled by one of Japan’s inbuilt advantages — its public health centers, which in 2018 employed more than half of 50,000 public health nurses who are experienced in infection tracing. In normal times, these nurses would be tracking down more common infections such as influenza and tuberculosis. 'It’s very analog — it’s not an app-based system like Singapore,' said Kazuto Suzuki, a professor of public policy at Hokkaido University who has written about Japan’s response. 'But nevertheless, it has been very useful.'

"While countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. are just beginning to hire and train contact tracers as they attempt to reopen their economies, Japan has been tracking the movement of the disease since the first handful of cases were found. These local experts focused on tackling so-called clusters, or groups of infections from a single location such as clubs or hospitals, to contain cases before they got out of control....

"The early response was also boosted by an unlikely happening. Japan’s battle with the virus first came to mainstream international attention with its much-criticized response to the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February that led to hundreds of infections.... Still, the experience of the ship is credited with providing Japanese experts with invaluable data early in the crisis on how the virus spread, as well as catapulting it into the public consciousness....

"Experts are also credited with creating an easy-to-understand message of avoiding what are called the 'Three C’s' — closed spaces, crowded spaces and close-contact settings — rather than keeping away from others entirely.... “Social distancing may work, but it doesn’t really help to continue normal social life,' said Hokkaido University’s Suzuki. 'The "Three C’s" are a much more pragmatic approach and very effective, while having a similar effect'....

"Even with the state of emergency about to end, authorities are warning that life will not return to normal.... If a deadlier second wave does follow, the risk factor in Japan, which has the world’s oldest population, remains high. The country has speedily approved Gilead Sciences Inc.’s remdesivir and is now scrambling to allow the use of still unproven Fujifilm Holdings Corp.’s antiviral Avigan.... Officials have begun to speak of a phase in which people 'live with the virus,' with a recognition that Japan’s approach has no possibility of wiping out the pathogen."

Read more: https://time.com/5842139/japan-beat-coronavirus-testing-lockdowns/

Bitcoin recognized as legal tender in Japan

Japan Officially Recognises Bitcoin as Currency Starting April 2017 - NEWSBTC - Gautham:

April 2, 2017 - "Bitcoin has finally gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat currencies. The privilege follows the implementation of a new law in Japan which categorizes Bitcoin as a legal payment option within the country. The much-awaited law went into effect on April 1, 2017 (beginning of a new fiscal year in many countries).

"With the new law’s implementation, Bitcoin exchanges will also come under additional regulatory scrutiny. The recognition of cryptocurrency as a legal tender also means the applicability of regulations governing banks and financial institutions to cryptocurrency exchange platforms. They will be required to comply with strict anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, along with annual audits. Other requirements include meeting the stated capital and cyber security requirements to ensure consumer protection.....

"However, reports indicate that the cryptocurrency platforms are still trying to figure out ways to achieve compliance with the new regulations. Recognizing the exchanges’ needs, the Accounting Standards Board of Japan has announced that it has started working on creating an accounting framework for both user and businesses dealing with cryptocurrencies.

"It might take a while before companies and individuals get acquainted with the accounting practices, which has raised concerns about legal implications of inaccurate reporting’s/filings due to lack of understanding. Also, few publications have raised concerns about the volatility of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and how it might impact those making cryptocurrency transactions.

"The new developments are expected to drive the cryptocurrency usage in Japan to over $9 billion in the next three years (2020), which is more than five times the 2015’s $1.7 billion worth of cryptocurrencies in circulation."

Read more: http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/04/02/japan-officially-recognises-bitcoin-currency-starting-april-2017/
'via Blog this'

Okinawans reject planned new U.S. airbase

Close America’s Bases on Okinawa: Okinawans Again Say No | Cato @ Liberty - Doug Bandow:

November 26, 2014 - "The United States is over-burdened militarily and effectively bankrupt financially, but Washington is determined to preserve every base and deployment, no matter how archaic. Case in point: the many military facilities in Okinawa. No wonder the Okinawan people again voted against being conscripted as one of Washington’s most important military hubs.

"The United States held on to the island after World War II, finally returning the territory to Japan in 1972. Even now, the Pentagon controls roughly one-fifth of the land.... The bases remain because no one else in Japan wants to host American military forces.

"After a decade of negotiation, Tokyo and Washington agreed in 2006 to shift Futenma airbase to the less populated Henoko district of Nago city. Few Okinawans were satisfied.

"Three years later, the Democratic Party of Japan took power and promised to address Okinawans’ concerns. But the Obama administration proved to be as intransigent as its predecessor, thwarting the efforts of then-Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

"Tokyo has since attempted to implement the relocation agreement, despite strong local opposition. However, earlier this month Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga defeated Kirokazu Nakaima on an anti-base platform.

"Onaga’s victory demonstrates the depth of popular feeling. Nakaima had flip-flopped in favor of the relocation plan in return for $2.6 billion in economic aid from Tokyo and enjoyed strong support from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"Onaga campaigned against Tokyo’s attempt to buy off islanders and won handily.

The Abe government promised to move forward with its relocation plan, but faces early elections on December 14. Although the Liberal Democrats are expected to win, they likely will possess a smaller majority and will have a correspondingly harder time overriding local opinion against the bases.

"'Okinawa has suffered a lot. Why do we have to suffer more?' Onaga asked before his election. There’s no good answer."

Read more: http://www.cato.org/blog/close-americas-bases-okinawa-okinawans-again-say-no
'via Blog this'

'Tea Party mayor' elected in Nagoya, Japan

Nagoya Tea Party mayor brews trouble for Japan PM | Reuters - Linda Sieg, Mar. 3, 2011:

"'I want to make it a battle of ideologies,' said Takashi Kawamura, whose U.S. Tea Party-like pledge to cut taxes and slash legislators' salaries swept him to victory as mayor of Nagoya, a city of two million and capital of a prefecture that is home to Toyota Motor and other major Japanese manufacturers whose workers have been an important support base for the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

"'I want to make Japanese politics a battle between Tax Cut Japan and Tax Hike Japan, between the socialist idea of raising taxes and the idea of cutting taxes and small government,' Kawamura told Reuters in an interview in his slightly shabby private office, where a poster proclaims 'Japan Tax Cuts and Democracy Start from Nagoya.'...

"Kawamura, who won almost 70 percent of the vote in the Nagoya mayor race, has tapped a deep well of dissatisfaction.... 'We wanted things to change but it seems like the two main parties have become just the same,' said 72-year-old Yasuo Kitagawa, who voted for Kawamura in the February mayoral race."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/us-japan-politics-tea-party-idUSTRE7221SK20110303