This article examines U.S. fiscal principles, Germany’s so-called structural reforms, and the distorted narratives of Japanese media during the G7.
A media that mocks its own nation’s leadership and hopes for failure betrays its fundamental responsibility.

May 28, 2016

The United States believes that countries with trade surpluses should engage in fiscal stimulus. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this is a traditional American way of thinking. The United States is a country that has supported the world economy, a country that has helped global growth by purchasing goods from around the world. After the war, it provided massive aid, largely free of charge, to Germany and Italy, laying the foundation for their prosperity. Even during the European crisis, the United States took an extremely strict stance toward Germany, bluntly stating that Germany, which was winning alone within the EU, bore responsibility for rescuing European countries that had fallen into economic difficulty.
Last night, NHK aired a special feature on what might be called the behind-the-scenes exchanges of the G7, and many Japanese citizens probably learned for the first time that the United States, which had strongly demanded fiscal stimulus, rejected Japan’s initial proposal as chair country, saying it was too weak.
However, I was truly appalled by Makoto Hara, described as the chief economic editor of the Asahi Shimbun, on the Report Station broadcast the night before last. Indeed, my reaction went beyond astonishment and turned into unforgivable anger.
If such a man is called a chief economic editor, then it is hardly surprising that “Japan’s lost 20 years” were created, bringing enormous—indeed massive—damage to Japan.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Asahi Shimbun is, in reality, a gathering of Marxists.
Therefore, Asahi is essentially anti-American. It is curious that this Asahi is strangely in tune with Germany.
Germany speaks plausibly of structural reform as the best solution, but in Europe its true practice has been to import cheap labor from Eastern Europe, Central Europe, or the Middle East and Africa, and to sell aggressively while enjoying a winner-take-all position within the EU.
The moment the EU began to face crisis, what did Germany do? Casting aside all ethics—such as China’s human rights and freedom of expression issues—and perhaps possessing the same cunning as Asahi, it pretended outwardly to protest human rights issues, while in reality Angela Merkel, paying no attention to Japan at all, visited China eight times. She repeatedly traveled with large delegations of top executives from industries in which Germany has strengths, such as automobiles. As a result, for example, Volkswagen closed in on Toyota.
In other words, Germany’s structural reform once meant continuing to win alone in Europe; now it means currying favor with China. They would likely remain indifferent even if the world collapsed because of China. (Of course, when the world falls into catastrophe, Germany itself would hardly remain intact.)
To keep saying such foolish and lamentable things as “learn from Germany,” to now mock the efforts of one’s own prime minister, to praise Germany that emboldens China, and likewise to praise Britain, which even allowed the Queen to review matters in order to recycle enormous amounts of Chinese officials’ black money through the City—
to not only denigrate Prime Minister Abe, who demonstrated remarkable leadership unseen in previous prime ministers, but also to label as “nonsensical remarks” the cards Abe played to deliver a final reckoning to Germany and Britain, with the utmost and unforgivable arrogance—Makoto Hara is nothing less than a traitor and an enemy of the nation.
For example, in the United States, which has a two-party system, there would be no media that, on the very day of the G7, would disparage its own president for exercising the leadership that the United States ought to show as chair. There may be media that wish for success, but there should not be a single traitor who wishes for failure.