Free Republic

apan has often been portrayed in US media as a futuristic society: you know, robots and the like. But more and more, the story has been about the Japanese economy looking like what we'll look like in 10 years -- a land of endless cheap money, sub-1% rates on 10-year bonds, and a three-decade slump in stocks. The New York Times has a very worthwhile piece on the state of Japan, focusing on its economy, and its effect on the national psyche. It starts with a terrifying little anecdote: Like many members of Japan’s middle class, Masato Y. enjoyed a...

Sept. 12, 2005 — In an apparent Sept. 11 communiqué broadcast on ABC News, an al Qaeda operative threatens new attacks against cities in the U.S. and Australia. "Yesterday, London and Madrid. Tomorrow, Los Angeles and Melbourne, Allah willing. And this time, don't count on us demonstrating restraint or compassion," the tape warns. "We are Muslims. We love peace, but peace on our terms, peace as laid down by Islam, not the so-called peace of occupiers and dictators." American intelligence officials believe the man who appears on the tape to be Adam Gadahn of Orange County, Calif. Last year, Gadahn...