The Pacific Rim and the Western World: Strategic, Economic, and Cultural Perspectives by Philip West & Frans A M Alting von Geusau

Author:Philip West & Frans A M Alting von Geusau [West, Philip & Geusau, Frans A M Alting von]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnic Studies, American, Asian American Studies, Social Science, Political Science, World, Asian, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781000268270
Google: hAaiDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 49788515
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

The CDS and the Outside World

The main obstacles to relatively high growth over the long term appear to be not so much purely economic factors, but political ones. Efficient management of national resources requires the formulation of new priorities. The internally divided bureaucracy appears to be incapable of doing this. Some recent cases in which strategically placed big-name politicians have been called in to set up armistices in territorial wars between various ministries (caused by promising new industries), indicate the need for more input from the side of the politicians. When Yasuhiro Nakasone formed a commission for Administrative Reforms (Rincho), he cited the need for a drastic revision of government institutions, the revolutionary possibilities of information technology, and the fact that the urge to catch up with the West no longer stimulates Japan. Since then Nakasone, by becoming prime minister, had an opportunity to add other organizations to the Rincho as part of an attempt to increase political influence over the bureaucrats.

The effect of Nakasone’s efforts has been marginal, as would surprise no one acquainted with the power relationships of the Japanese System. In the 1950’s a major political decision was made to make industrial expansion the national goal. Since then politicians have not interfered with the bureaucratic elite assigned to carry out that policy. The de-facto one party system of Japan guaranteed that there would be no disturbing confusion from messy parliamentary and democratic processes. But it also meant that politicians were abdicated from responsibilities which in Western democracies are crucial for major policy adjustments. Japan’s political world is an anachronism when viewed against the apparent needs of the System today. Parliamentary representatives are largely chosen for their pork-barrelling skills, and leave the introduction of bills and arguments on the budget almost entirely to the bureaucrats, except if one or the other affects their own constituency.

The area in which political mediation is most needed and where it has most glaringly fallen far short of being effective is in the area of international relations. In its dealings with the outside world the Japanese Capitalist Development State faces probably its biggest future challenge. Most discussions about the future of the Japanese economy with intelligent observers of the current situation end up with the major question as to whether there will be a continued acceptance of Japanese exports.

The lion’s share of Japanese economic growth since the second oil crisis has come from exports. The friction this has caused with its trading partners is generally known. By far the most important relationship is with the United States. There the idea has recently been gaining ground that the Japanese economy is growing only because of an upturn in the American economy and that the relationship has become parasitic. Notwithstanding its achievement of economic development, Japan appears to systematically block American products from its markets.

Many categories of Japanese exports are already under some form of curtailment, and further arrangements to protect threatened industries in the West can be negotiated relatively easily. Cartelization is, after all, a familiar method of the Japanese CDS.

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