As Tokyo Loses Luster, Foreign Media Move On

[cstaylor]

As Tokyo Loses Luster, Foreign Media Move On

"In Stockholm, editors feel the story has moved from `Is Japan going to beat the U.S.?' to `Will Japan break or not?' "

"Japan may still the No. 2 economy, but it is completely forgotten," said Mr. Sciutto, who has not been able to get on the air in his fleeting trips here. "Americans tend to notice countries when they become a threat. Japan became a story when they threatened to eat us up economically."

[Crispy]

You sound surprised...that's exactly how I see it. Right now China is the economy that might someday overtake the US, and China is in the news.

[cstaylor]

I wasn't thinking economic threat... I was loosely following what was happening with the Taliban in Afghanistan before the terrorist attack on New York because of what they were doing to some of the beautiful Buddhist works of art in the country (blowing them up with tanks)... but other than a second-page article in the NY Times International section, no one in the U.S. had even heard of the Taliban until September of last year...

I'm surprised that the U.S. is short sighted when it comes to potential adversaries, military or otherwise.