27 May 1999 - consensus

Jay Scott : Daily Whale : archive : 1999 : 27 May 1999

Government by democratic consensus works great; ask the Japanese in 1987. Dictatorship is also super; ask Khrushchev in 1957. But for the best idea of all, ask Francisco Franco in 1937.

clue:

In 1987 Japan was at the height of a long economic boom. Now Japan is in the depths of a long stagnation, worsened by the indecisive government.

Sputnik I was launched on 4 October 1957. Since then Soviet Union has, as a few of you may have noticed, followed the dodo.

In 1937 Franco was busy fighting the Spanish Civil War.

take oh take this clue away