As Irish as Paddy's pig

[Haihao]

O that's very interesting, Jamie. You have soooo many ethnic groups in your country, contrary to Japan. That's why I like her for her never fading vigorousness which would keep her from aging. Japan is getting old or tired after less than 60 years of the postwar days. Many European countries too, IMO. China would be as well either for her very long or for her very short history. To me, America is not only a country but a small world as well. Succeeding England, she is now ever expanding English through every means with Internet as its starring role to such a language as spoken by more non-native speakers than the native ones, a phenomena neither other languages nor human history has ever experienced. I also suppose, in the near future, US Congress or UN or G8 or whatever summit would propose some non-English language protecting bills like Washington Treaty. :)

[Jamie (K)]

I think Japan and the European countries are aging because excessive socialism has made people so risk averse, and great prosperity has given people such high expectations for material comfort, that they don't want to have children. Having children involves risk and material sacrifice, and they apparently don't want this.

[Haihao]

You are so hitting the nail on the head, IMO, Jamie. We have too much socialism..., and we are lack of immigrants to create a society abundant in both diversity and juvenescence, or actually we don't have the generosity so far to welcome the immigrants at all. One more thing I have found in the European concept of values, on the other hand, is 'golden mean' and 'understatement', as we could taste it from many literary works such as Cervantes', which has also become a Japanese esthetics in the process of modernization as well as of historical culture permeation of Confucianism. BTW, it's odd but I am myself nevertheless comfortable with 'golden mean' and enjoy it very much even though I have been aware of its negative function to go-aheadism. (a kind of 'I am getting on nicely in the dark' :) )