"WALL STREET" (1987, USA)

 Sábado, 29 de noviembre de 2025: 

 Evening, Japanese-style room (Washitsu, Tatami). Recorded on a USB HDD connected to a DIGA (2017 model). Broadcast on TV Tokyo from 1:43 PM on April 8, 2024. 

 Afternoon Roadshow: "WALL STREET" (1987, USA). 

 A famous film that's now a classic. Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor. As expected.

 I can't remember how many times I've watched it.

 The sushi rice machine makes me laugh every time I see it. It's hygienic, but unthinkable in Japan. So American. 

 In the 1980s, when sushi was just starting to become popular, there was a debate in the US about the hygienic issue of making sushi rice (Syari) with bare hands.

In American sushi restaurants, chefs began wearing gloves to make sushi rice. This sparked controversy in Japan. Food poisoning bacteria grow quickly in living organisms, and even the slightest cut on a fingertip can transfer the bacteria to the rice (Syari) or toppings (Neta). To thoroughly prevent food poisoning, it's best to wear gloves and a mask.

 However, this is unthinkable in Japan.

 So an American invented a machine that makes rice using the same kind of machine that makes soft-serve ice cream. What a great idea!

 In Japan, footage of a young President Trump criticizing Japan in a television interview in the 1980s is often shown. Watching this film now, you can see the strong resemblance between the protagonist and the current US president.

 I am concerned that President Trump will extend his relentlessly pragmatic, profit-first attitude to the issue of Taiwan's defense. I worry that the US president is trying to balance tariff negotiations with China against the issue of Taiwan's defense.

 This attitude is also reflected in the peace terms he presented to the Ukrainian president. Recently, he dismissed peace proposals from European countries, calling them "unrealistic."

 In the United States, the Republican-controlled Congress is working hard to enact Taiwan-related legislation, accelerating efforts to engage in Taiwan's defense, provide economic assistance to Taiwan, sell arms to Taiwan, and move toward official recognition of Taiwan's sovereignty. President Trump recently signed the Taiwan Assurance Act.

 While it is unlikely that the amendment of this law, which is part of the Budget Act, will dramatically accelerate U.S. Taiwan defense policy, it certainly represents a small step forward under Congress's leadership.

 The Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian government is cunning, and it could potentially use President Trump's tariff war to its advantage. It could potentially be used to its advantage, implicitly saying, "If you speak out about invading Taiwan or side with Prime Minister Takaichi, we will not make concessions in tariff negotiations. If you want to quickly conclude the tariff negotiations, score points, and gain reelection, you must recognize the Chinese government's sovereignty over Taiwan."

 The Chinese authoritarian regime will do anything to invade its neighboring countries.

 President Trump's sense of balance is being tested.