Re: [A-List] Sake may power Japanese cars in the future

[CeJ <jannuzi@xxxxxxxxx>]

> > Japan, which produces only forty percent of the calories, and thirty
percent of
the grain, needed to feed its people is thinking of converting part of its grain
to fuel autombiles?  That's as insane as Japan, with thirteen times more
population density than other G8 nations, and four times more population density
than when it could sustain itself, worrying about a slowing of
population growth.
Thinking like that got Japan into World War Two and keeps it colonized by the
United States and hated by its neighbors. This nation has been (mis)governed by
fools for a century and half. Bill>>

Well we need the fuel to drive to the fastfood drive-thru! (Actually
not that popular in Japan, outside of the McD's at or near shopping
centres).

Just as Japan is locked in to importing all of its fossil fuel, it is
also locked into importing most of its food. Much of that locked into
what are bilateral agreements with US, Canada and Australia (though
corporate Japan and even some of the trading companies go outside of
these to sources from China, New Zealand, Brazil, etc.). At least I
can get dates and pomegranite juice from Iran. And Cuban cigars can be
bought at the tobacco shop just outside the station (too bad I don't
like smoking cigars).

What is the solution Bill? Mass emigration (Japan already has had
that). Half the population agrees to off itself? It hasn't been
misgoverned by fools; it has been governed by a ruling class that
transitioned from a legalistically feudal one to a capitalist
development one. Even when Japan was 'self-sufficient' in food before
WW II, it suffered food shortages and historic famines.

After the Second World War, development in Japan not only meant
re-building the urban-industrial corridor of
Kanto-Aichi-Kansai-Chugoku-Kita-Kyushu, it meant extending the
development state and cooperatives (agriculture, banking etc.) to the
countryside. Interestingly enough there was a time after WW II before
Japan became a full-fledged developed country (actually, the world's
number two economy and Asia's only fully developed country, excluding
city states) that Japan had something close to food self-sufficiency,
in part, thanks to all that development in the countryside. I'm not
saying that was sustainable, but the biggest factor bringing that to
an end was Japan's integration into world trade regimes led by the
hegemon, the US.

Huge amounts of grain and legumes are imported, but this is also to
feed cattle and chickens (and fish farms). So the 40% figure you cite
is a bit misleading.
Still, even if Japan could opt out of the world trade regime
controlling food (which puts the US at a huge advantage in this sort
of production), it would still require fossil fuel inputs to produce
the extra 60% of calories now imported.

CJ