[p2p-research] Japanese revolution over Peak Population, basic income, and p2p :-)

[Paul D. Fernhout]

OK, that subject line is little strong, :-) but consider:

"Japan Vote Points to Political Upheaval"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/world/asia/31japan.html

Excerpts from there:

Basic Income related:

"Analysts also expect the Democrats to focus in the first months on domestic 
issues. The party has pledged to change Japan’s postwar paradigm here by 
handing more money and social benefits directly to consumers, and not to 
industry or other interest groups."

Peak Population related:

"It has promised to slash Japan’s traditionally hefty public works spending 
in favor of strengthening the social safety net and trying to raise graying 
Japan’s low birth rate by giving families cash handouts of $270 per month 
per child."

Which is a tiny bit of my plan here: :-)
http://www.pdfernhout.net/towards-a-post-scarcity-new-york-state-of-mind.html

And from:
"Next Japan PM talks of "fraternity" and love"
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE57T0S720090830

Peer-to-Peer related:
"""
Democratic Party leader Yukio Hatoyama has put the fuzzy notion of "yuai," 
or fraternity, at the core of his political philosophy, puzzling many voters 
and raising eyebrows abroad when he twins it with criticism of global 
capitalism. ... Though seen by some analysts as vague, Hatoyama uses the 
word to advocate his goals for closer-knit communities at home and better 
relations with countries abroad, especially East Asia.
"""

In defense of this email's subject line, :-) from an Australian commentator:
   "Pivotal moment in Japan's history"
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26004520-5013460,00.html
"""
Hatoyama and his Democratic Party of Japan promise to break down the 
influence of Japan's all-powerful bureaucracy and put power into the hands 
of politicians. They also promise to reverse the crippling fertility 
decline, which has led to Japan's population starting to decrease, to seek a 
more independent foreign policy, to redistribute money and spending power to 
the consumer and most of all to normalise Japanese politics - to create a 
competitive two-party system. It's a grand sweep of history, to wipe away 
the post-war settlement under which Japan has changed government just once 
since the mid-1950s. It could be as big and bold and thunderingly 
significant as the last two great Japanese pivots - the Meiji Restoration in 
the late 1800s and the post-war economic revival.
"""

Japan's a world leader in solar electric power, too: :-)
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Japan#Renewable_energy

And, soon, maybe robot nurses:
   "Japanese create teddy bear robot nurse"
   http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10320851-1.html

My point: there are lots of ways to spin the news. :-)

So, not only won't the revolution be televised,
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised
frankly, it mostly won't even be noticed or understood. :-)

--Paul Fernhout
http://www.pdfernhout.net/