(September Raining around Tokyo)Misconception on Japanese Politics
PART 1: China’s Concern on Mr. Fukuda’s Resignation
Yesterday, Mr. Koichi Kato, one of the notable and veteran politicians of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, met with Chinese President Mr. Hu Jintao in Beijing.
A few years ago, when the then Japan’s Prime Minister Mr. Jyunichiro Koizumi dared to visit the Yasukuni "Fallen Soldiers’" Shrine despite the strong concerns from China and Korea, Chinese President Mr. Hu Jintao also invited the then Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr. Yasuo Fukuda.
In both the cases, Chinese leaders wanted to get the insider information directly from a friendly LDP politician in Tokyo.
It also tells how Japan is important to China and how much Chinese leaders trust in conservative party politicians rather than “liberal” politicians and journalists in Japan.
But, of course, conservative politicians and journalists in Japan mean those who support Taiwan for virtual independence, in my definition.
PART 2: Another Thought on Mr. Fukuda’s Resignation
Put simply, Prime Minister Mr. Fukuda of LDP has decided to step down to keep the allied party NKP in the incumbent coalition administration, since NKP virtually wants Mr. Fukuda to resign at the latest before the next general election.
( http://blog.kajika.net/?eid=868316 )
The ruling parties in Japan are the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito Party (NKP), though the former is almost ten times larger than the latter in terms of the number of national lawmakers each party holds.
As Prime Minister Mr. Yasuo Fukuda has not been unable to boost his approval rating due to his reluctance in adopting drastic policies, such as abolition of the gasoline tax, NKP wants a more popular politician of LDP to replace Mr. Fukuda as prime minister.
This NKP’s covert wish was almost made public when various research results started to suggest, since a few months ago, inevitable defeat of the ruling parties in the coming general election due to the low support ratings of the Fukuda Cabinet.
NKP did not, of course, say, “Mr. Fukuda should resign as soon as possible.” Instead, they virtually claimed that the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election was more important for NKP than the coming national general election.
As the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is scheduled next summer, NKP has requested that the general election must be carried out at the latest early next year, which Mr. Fukuda cannot conduct due to his low approval rate among the general public.
Responding to the hidden message from the allied party so as to maintain the coalition government, Japan’s Prime Minister Mr. Yasuo Fukuda reportedly decided on August 31, 2008 or so to step down from the premiership as soon as a new Prime Ministers is elected in the Diet.
Though NKP is a controversial political party since it is based on a very special Buddhist sect, without NKP’s support 20% to 30% of LDP lawmakers are said to lose election against the largest opposition party the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).
If president of LDP Mr. Yasuo Fukuda loves his party so much, he must sacrifice himself to keep NKP on the LDP’s side, maintain the coalition administration, and at the same time issue an alert to NKP for its very political movements in these days, such as joining the DPJ with reluctance in continued free supply of fuels for U.S. naval ships in the Indian Ocean, according to some analysis.
Indeed, it is a strategic resignation you must so find, especially if you can notice a difference based on wisdom the Heaven gives you.
PART 3: Replacement of the Top Leader of a Nation
Some Japanese critics say that now Japan has become a second-class country or a kind of emerging country with so many replacements of its prime ministers in these years.
Since 1995, Japan has seven prime ministers. Their average term of office is less than two years. That is why Japan cannot be regarded as the first class nation in the world, according to their claim.
However, I think it is opposite.
Look at North Korea, Cuba, Libya, and all the other nations left in the progress of the world! Look at also Russia and China; there is no real power shift in them!
Look at Saudi Arabia! Look at Pakistan! Only terror or revolution would allow for a regime change in those countries.
Otherwise, look at the United States of America! They have no effective means to force their President to step down while a majority of the U.S. voters want him to leave the White House as soon as possible since 2005.
If you have hundreds of eligible elites who are qualified to serve the nation as a prime minister or a president in a democratic political system, you had better replace your prime ministers or presidents as often as possible, say once a year like Japan, the most democratic and advanced large nation in the world, does.
Besides, the Japanese national budget is based on the one-fiscal year scheme by law.
Ideally, after having approval of his budget plan, a Japanese Prime Minister should step down to give his fellow politician a chance to lead the nation, since there are hundreds of qualified elites in the Japanese society.
But my concern is on the fact that there are so many irresponsible critics and journalists in Japan who are earning money by selling stupid criticism on their own government and society to foreign media and money market.
If Japan is doing something similar to what North Korea, China, or Russia is doing, the underlying conditions, significance, and contexts are usually utterly different.
Besides, every prime minister and president in the world should step down from his or her position within a year after his or her budget plan is passed in the congress.
Then paradoxically, North Korean, Cuba, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the U.K., France, and the United States will be truly democratic country as Japan is.
The U.S. president should be ideally replaced every year just like the Japanese Prime Minister is as a matter of fact in these years, in order to be a truly advanced democratic nation.
Do not be fooled by those anti-Christ critics and journalists in Japan!
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If you change the U.S. President every two year, the subprime loan crisis must have been more reasonably disposed at an earlier stage by the U.S. Government.
Those anti-Christ Japanese critics and journalists must say that the U.S. has become a second-class country or a kind of emerging country as “U.S. Takes Over Mortgage Finance Titans in Rescue”:
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The bailout plan for the companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a seismic event in a year of repeated financial crises followed by aggressive federal intervention, places the companies in a government conservatorship, much like a bankruptcy reorganization. The plan also replaces the management of the companies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/08fannie.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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For your reference, the next Japan's Prime Minister hopeful is still Mr. Taro Aso, though Mr. Kaoru Yosano and Ms. Yuriko Koike are going to enter the election for the president of LDP, a de facto prime minister, to be voted for mainly by LDP's national lawmakers on Sept. 22, 2008.
Gen 9:8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Gen 9:9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
Gen 9:10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
Gen 9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
Gen 9:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
Gen 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.