[Toddsterpatriot]

To demonstrate in a way compelling to you that Japanese policy was closer to the optimum than the alternative one is beyond human strength. Even designing an alternative economical policy for the mere sake of comparison is a PhD assignment.

Great, but you said:

Pragmatic (not ideological) national policy combining market and well calibrated government intervention usually worked very well.

Surely you can say how well Japan did since 1989. Don't need a PhD to gather the historical data, do you?

You said government intervention usually worked very well. Back that up with some data. If it's not too much trouble. Unless you're gonna admit you were wrong. That intervention doesn't work very well.

[A. Pole]

Surely you can say how well Japan did since 1989. Don't need a PhD to gather the historical data, do you?

OK, let me help you then. Japan before 1989 was doing spectaculary well. After 1989 it slowed down but still is doing OK. Let us compare the unemployment and trade deficit with USA:

USA trade deficit in 2004: $665.9 billion
Japan trade surplus in 2004: 18.59 trillion yen ($180 billion)

USA unemployment in 2004: 5.5%
Japan unemployment in 2004: 4.5%