It is no secret that the tectonic plates of the American empire are slipping dramatically, though the vast majority of Americans are blissfully unaware or in denial of what may soon occur.
British historian Niall Ferguson recently described the American empire as "fragile," and likened its state to that of a forest before a fire — one of "self-organized criticality" in which, though the dry woods appear peaceful, savage fire can erupt at any moment.
Pick your metaphor as you will, but the empire itself is overextended, overleveraged and, speaking from a Japanese perspective, over here. And if that empire were to tumble off its imperial pillars, Japan would be sure to suffer some serious consequences.