Question is - why didn't they and why haven't they? The Americans excuse themselves, claiming poverty and have so far invested barely a pittance. That's rich - although the American position is relatively less secure than it was during the late 1940's, the Marshall Plan was a huge boost to American Industry as well as a successful method to put Europe back on its feet. Future historians will marvel at the speed at which the United States Vilified and turned into enemies its former allies as well as almost simultaneously making allies of its former enemies. There is something in this switcheroo about indispensible enemies. Without enemies, what's there to compete against?

The Japanese failure is emotional and geographical. The have linked serious aid to Russia and some of the other countries of the old Soviet union to a return of the Northern territories. Sentiment should be damned in this instance, and the japanese - not famous for their diplomatic history, should make he first move. Not the least of which good serious reasons would be ones pointed out by Keniichi Ohamae that even if Japan had the Northern Territories back, they would be an economic sink, just as Hokkaido has been all these many years. So how about it. Now that all the ballots have been counted in Russia, isn't it time Japan got over its ancient enmity for Russia and invested some of their "liquidity crisis" where is has the potential to do great good for all of humanity.

Charles Potts