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Simon Johnson

For Simon Johnson's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Dec 8, 2011

Defense official deserves respect

Regarding the Dec. 2 editorial “Abominable remark over Futenma“: Perhaps the comment of the now former Okinawa Defense Bureau chief, Satoshi Tanaka, should be taken with a translation of “screwed over” rather than “raped”. In which case his comment would suggest that the Japanese ...

Oct 18, 2011

Economic trouble in China

The decision of China’s sovereign wealth fund to buy shares of four of the country’s biggest banks is a warning signal. The move to prop up the plummeting value of those institutions is intended to boost confidence; instead, it has highlighted the many unknowns ...

Sep 2, 2011

Protection of cyberspace

Countering attacks on computer networks has become an important security issue for governments. On July 15, the U.S. Defense Department announced a strategy to harden American computer systems against cyberattacks. The Pentagon established U.S. Cyber Command in 2010 for daily operation and defense of ...

Jun 23, 2011

Is there an Afghan solution?

The war in Afghanistan has now lasted almost 10 years. It has cost many billions of dollars and the lives of thousands of soldiers from the United States, Britain, Canada and other NATO countries. Many more have been injured. The loss of life among ...

Jun 19, 2011

How will having dosimeters help?

The June 15 Kyodo article “34,000 children in Fukushima to get dosimeters” is absurd. What facilities does the prefecture have available to read these 34,000 dosimeters? None. What plans does the prefecture have in place to respond to high readings from the children’s high ...

Apr 24, 2011

Renminbi conversion still strict

Barry Eichengreen’s April 15 opinion article, “Safer alternative bears on dollar,” was a very interesting take on the potential replacements for the dollar. I agree that the most frequently discussed alternatives are not viable, but my question is about China’s renminbi currency. The article ...

Apr 6, 2011

Fukushima disaster holds lessons for future

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The Japanese people have demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to respond to both natural and human-made disasters with remarkable resilience. Our sympathies and thoughts are with them as they face the aftermath of this disaster. It is far too early to know the ...

Dec 26, 2010

New START to arms control

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) has won ratification in the U.S. Senate, passing by a 71-26 vote. Ratification is a victory for President Barack Obama, those who seek a world with fewer nuclear threats as well as proponents of a constructive U.S.-Russia ...

Sep 22, 2010

Lay judges and the celebrity

The trial of actor Manabu Oshio, charged with aggravated abandonment leading to death in a case in which a 30-year-old woman died after taking the illegal drug MDMA or Ecstasy, was the first trial involving a celebrity under the 1-year-old lay judge system. The ...

Feb 24, 2010

The IMF to Greece's rescue?

WASHINGTON — Traditionally “you should go to the IMF” was not something you would say to friendly neighbors and close allies. Over the past few decades, the International Monetary Fund became associated with excessive fiscal austerity, extreme political insensitivity, and — since the Asian ...

Jan 28, 2009

China's ambitious defense plan

China has made public a white paper titled “China’s National Defense in 2008.” For the first time, China has acknowledged its policy of improving the operational capabilities of its navy on the open seas, although its move in this direction has been obvious in ...