One moment, he sounded perfectly sane, alerting the world to the dangerous tensions that could potentially tear East Asia apart.

The next, he appeared the very opposite, convincing a global audience there is no way to undo the knot he has tied. Or at least he is not in the mood to undo it.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ravings in Davos showed he is desperate for a way out. Yet his behavior leaves him no chance of finding one.