But you know something?  Yes, their real estate bubble crashing was a serious matter.  But those incredibly low interest rates did allow Japanese industry to spend a lot of money to get VERY sophisticated.

Shows what culture can do.  WE get low interest rates and we get a real estate bubble.  After all, real estate speculation is what settled the USA.  Japan has the lowest interest rates on the planet and they get global industrial leadership.  To use just one example--who can ever catch Toyota?  Obviously, this is a culture that really wants to be best at building difficult things.  It's the reason I put them on the cover of my book.

As a known car buff in my circle of friends, I often get asked about car purchases.  I discovered that friends get really cranky if they take my advice and then have problems with the car.  So these days, I only recommend Toyota because I want them to STAY my friends--especially with women who are just terrified by the prospect of being stranded by the road in a strange place.  And now Toyota has the most experience with hybrids.  First they make something as complex as a car so reliable it is the first choice for your girlfriend, and now they are going green.  This is one hell of an industrial lead!

"Remember the I35W bridge--who needs terrorists when there are Republicans"