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He makes several critical points:
Contrary to stereotyping the Japanese character is hardly militaristic.
The ultimate goal of their empire "was to eject the Western powers from East Asia"
Japan would "Be granted specially privileged access to the American market." Democracy revival was "largely cosmetic" and "Japan's elite bureaucrats quietly arrogated to themselves sweeping powers to set the rules for Japan's electoral system" creating a "fatally divided" and "utterly ineffectual" one party state.
Free speech is "highly attenuated".guided by Confucian ethics, they [the media] glory in a role as the Japanese system's propaganda department."
Finally:
"the reality of postwar Japan has been of an authoritarian society with a strongly nationalised agenda."
This system follows from their adventurism into Manchuria and the Koreas, and, after the war, is imitated in South Korea and Taiwan, two avowedly free market economies competing with the west. The latter is true, but even more importantly they are cooperating with China, and more importantly economically, hold significant amounts of U.S. debt, have a good balance of payments between themselves, and are controlling U.S. corporations for their own benefit.
Confucian America
Having recognized the extent of Chinese influence on U.S. corporations, or more correctly western corporations, Fingleton extends that in the surprising statement, "It is a reasonable inference that China's agenda is being supported at very high levels almost right across the board in corporate America." Several examples are explored demonstrating the control China has over U.S. corporations setting up business in China. From there the case is presented on how China has increasing influence within U.S. politics via various think tanks and lobbying groups, academia, university research, and the media.
The speed and ease with which this has happened returns back to Japan, which has "pursued trade policies deeply damaging to American interests but has consistently lied about these policies," and "have been equally well informed on China's strategy." Japan and China are working together and "in almost every area of policy, Japan has consistently helped China."
In closing - U.S. loses
The book ends on many disparaging notes for the U.S.
"there is no solution in sight to the American trade problem."
At its root "is an implosion in America's once world dominating manufacturing base."
In the last twenty years, total manufacturing jobs "have fallen by about two-thirds" remembering this was before the recent employment crash.
