A wise man once told me not to place too much faith in MSM sensational headlines, but in any case –

No?!?! Banks looking after their own interests? IMPOSSIBLE! They're charitable organizations, the lot of them…aren't they???

And from that very same opinion piece –

Japan's Economy Grows, Surplus Doubles

Why the tendency to scream out "the sky is falling" every time someone has an opinion, Freckle? I understand the contrarian approach, but if anything, it seems as if the majority of analysts aren't too thrilled about Japan's prospects – shouldn't your philosophy dictate the opposite approach? Japan's Economy Continues Turnaround

Wow. Encouraging immigration…incorporating women into the workforce…amazing, it's almost what that delusional bloke from that forum was saying for the past 7 months or so…but no, that can't be. I KNOW all there is to know about the Japanese people and their mentality. No way this'll ever work!!!!! Or will it?…(can't say I'm too thrilled about his pro-nuclear policy though…hope the massive amounts of money Mitsubishi, Nippon Steel, Softbank and the rest of the Japanese giants have already poured into renewable initiatives will pose a strong-enough alternative – time will tell, as usual)

Why, Freckle, darling, I thought you'd never ask >blush< Personally, our "family fortunes" (that's a lot less than it sounds) are spread in various RE (B&M/Notes of various structures/REITs etc) in various countries and continents, with smaller amounts in various interest bearing funds/term deposits etc – also in several currencies world-wide. Nothing too fancy or crazy/risky, although we sometimes take a chance or two with various properties in lower areas and higher yields – but again, smaller parts of the portfolio. The majority are good spots with medium returns. Business generates income, which is channelled into investment, which is diversified, to the best of our limited understanding, as much as we can. No genius here, but reasonable and reliable income, with enough flexibility to make shifts possible, in accordance with global ups and downs, which is how we like to be positioned.

From what I’ve gathered in conversations with almost all of our new clients in the last year, the profile joining us seems to be very similar.

We’re now spreading our wings to higher net-worth and institutional client profiles (been mostly smaller family type investors so far, profile similar to my own) – so will be able to tell you about how they’re hedged over the coming year or so.

Here are some more of the idiots who have faith in Japan – Soros and GS Give Bass the Three Fingered Salute 

On the upside, though, the live tenants are far better than the dead ones…got one now who's been in the same unit 19 years…another client just settled on one that's been there for 15…average 4.5 per tenant – not too shabby, even if you have to conduct the occasional exorcism when they go.

That all depends on the nature of the apparition…poltergeists, shades and class 3 spooks are covered by the "spectral" clauses of most insurance policies. But general moans, groans, clanking chains, spirits of dead ancestors and samurais are usually not. To be on the safe side, its always good to get an independent, objective analysis from your friendly neighbourhood ghostbusters.

A ridiculous and extreme simplification of policies so varied and dynamic, with surrounding economic climates so complex and unique to their time, and implemented to so different extents and with such different measures, that it’s completely impossible to even begin to address this statement (but you know this of course, as most of your rhetoric is based on the assumption that if you pretend X corresponds with Y long enough and find a graph to illustrate your point, it’ll actually become true somehow – doesn’t quite work that way).

Sorry, maybe I was being too polite, so you somehow misunderstood the statement. Let me repeat it in clearer terms –

I believe that neither the mighty Freckle, nor I, nor Abe, nor the flying spaghetti monster of planet X have any idea ON WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR GLOBAL AND LOCAL ECONOMIES – as a result, all that any of us can do (whether we’re running a family budget, a business budget, or a national budget) is to try and prepare the most adaptable, potentially beneficial and flexible plan that we can for an uncertain future.

The main difference between us is that you try to pretend you do know what the future holds, and that if, again, you scream it loudly enough and paste enough pretty graphics into it, it’ll somehow make you an authority on the future.

It doesn’t. You know squat beyond what you’re speculating (exactly the same as all of the above-mentioned individuals and a “few” others like them). It’s one thing to present information that supposedly points to a current event and try to claim it’s a result of a past one – not as clear-cut as you try to make it seem, but potentially doable, if debatable – but when you take that extra stretch and try to project into the future, you become ludicrous (not in the least because, your visions of the future are somehow always the same, in both their trends and their extremity, regardless of where or who in the world you happen to be criticizing at the time).

Yada, yada, yada, my numbers are bigger than yours, I don't think it'll end we'll therefore it won't, and anybody who doesn't agree with me is krugmans mother.

I have several words in several languages to describe your rhetoric, freckle, but they're all slowly gyrating towards something akin to a sandfly – this déjà vu is too much for me, you're right, I give up on playing with your jock strap it's just oh so mighty (but Abe's, and the Japanese peoples' spirit's, are mightier still, in an awesome ninjaish/yodaish kinda way )

You're confusing "sook" with "tired of re-typing the same arguments six months consecutively".

Its all in here – https://www.propertyinvesting.com/forums/overseas-deals/4346966

enough.

I'm serious, man – it's impossible to debate with someone who cancels out every potential solution to every challenge, every number or statistic that doesn't sit well with his world view as "unconvincing", "shallow", "meaningless in the long run" etc – as smart as these words all sound, they're as meaningless as the point they're trying to make – which is, as much as you try to hide it – "I think a disaster is coming, and no one will convince me otherwise". It's cool, you're entitled to your opinion, enjoy it!