> It is generally hard to take James Fallows' opinions seriously. To me it's exactly the opposite. Fallows isn't infallible, but his opinions are always meas

> It is generally hard to take James Fallows' opinions seriously. To me it's exactly the opposite. Fallows isn't infallible, but his opinions are always measured and carefully-considered. For probably 30 years now I've been interested in what he's had to say about any variety of issues (except his interest in beer, which strikes me as perhaps an affectation calculated to present an Everyman image). For example, Fallows moved to Japan in the 1980s, living and working there for several years if memory serves. His view on Japan's economic future was extremely widely held back then; many, many smart people have scratched their heads since then, wondering why things didn't go as predicted. (Who'd have thought it: History not unfolding as predicted; now there's something new, eh?) As to Fallows's views on China, he has been a voice of moderation --- again in part because he moved there to live and work for a few years.