Oh No!!

Seemed like there is a never-ending stream of bad news recently... from the Land of the Rising Sun... will it be "setting" in 2009? It sure doesn't look like it is "rising" or even "staying afloat" to me...

• Nikkei falls to almost 3-mth low, exporters sold
• It's enough to drive anyone to drink – even the Japanese finance minister
• Japan Economy Goes From Best to Worst on Export Slump, Yen Gain
• Japan’s politicians lose their way at a bad time
• Job cuts swell ranks of homeless in Japan
• Japan GDP data to show recession has deepened
• Toyota Will Cut Japan Output 54% in Current Quarter
• Global woe brings Japanese local pain
• Japan manufacturers stay gloomy as recession bites
• Future increasingly dim for jobless non-Japanese
• Kansai hit by string of armed robberies
• Are Japan's Emergency Rooms in Trouble?

Found these two interesting articles, Do Japanese yet realize that culture's acquired, not in the blood? and Lack-of-rage rage is all the rage in apathetically raging Japan..

If the government is unable to lead the way, show resolute and possess foresight, how would its citizens hope to weather this financial turmoil on their own???? Sometimes, a "dictatorial" or "authoritarian" government is the better alternative than a "people" government..

I really wonder where did the resilience of the Japanese people, who had braved the destruction and devastation of WWII to emerge as the economic superpower in the 1970s-80s, had gone to??? Why is everything seemed to be falling apart?? Is it really true that the new generations are soft and do not have the right stuff, as some referred them as "the strawberry generation"??? For the sake of the country, I really hope that they can dig deep and persevere through this..