(Tokyo Railroad Station: underground and on the ground)
"By Two and Two"
SECTION I: Congress/Parliament/Diet Members
Do we have now too many legislature members?
Do we need such a number of official representatives of the people in a national assembly?
What is the essence of the profession, a legislature?
(Click to enlarge.)Yet, it looks like Japan has a moderate number of national lawmakers.
But, the U.S. must have more legislature members in Washington D.C.
The U.S. must introduce a large-constituency system in its Congressional election, so that 100 more Congressmen will be elected from the west of the Rocky Mountains; 100 more between the the the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains; and 100 more from the east of the Appalachian Mountains. So, the total of 735-man Congress will reflect more appropriately and correctly voices of American citizens.
Consequently, Mr. Michael Moore and Mr. Ralph Nader will be surely elected to be more public figures with scores of future "Obamas." Ms. Paris Hilton can even try. And, some Native Americans will surely secure honorable seats in the Capitol Hill.
As for Japan, I have another idea.
SECTION II: The Third House
A national examination to choose a new type of Diet members must be introduced in Japan.
It must not be popular vote anymore, but ability obtained through hard work that promises a seat of the Third House in the National Assembly called Diet in Japan.
Everyone can take this examination to be held once a year. Most probably 100 men and women will be selected from exam takers among the 120 million population.
They shall form the Third House that will have competence, at least, to halt or suspend enforcement of any law.
The Lower and Upper Houses of Japan shall pass a new law as they do now; but any law shall be stopped before or while it is enforced if anything inappropriate is found by the Third House until a problem is solved.
The Third House members do not have to physically attend the Diet session in the Diet Building. They can use telecommunications systems, such as the Internet, from home to discuss an agenda and exercise voting rights.
They shall receive legal minimum wages, respectively, during their term of office, namely one year, though they can keep their jobs and business activities other than this special public mission.
If this political scheme is successful and effective, other nations in the world will surely follow suit.
(A sample question in the exam:
Question: Is it good or bad for a lawmaker to receive one yen as a fund for election from a private business(es)?
Right Answer: Criminal.)
SECTION III: Annual Allowance for Politicians
Country........Yearly Allowance for a National Lawmaker (2006)
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JAPAN........220,000 (US$)
USA..........173,000
UK...........99,000
City........Yearly Allowance for a Mayor (2006)
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SAITAMA, JAPAN........212,330 (US$)
New York, USA............195,000
San Francisco, USA.....161,538
Dallas, USA...............60,000
(http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/HATTORI-n/524.htm )
(Saitama City is almost adjacent to Tokyo Prefecture, with the city population of more than 1.2 million.)
Costs for democracy look higher in Japan than in the U.S. or the U.K.
Or, they are being requested more than in standard democracy. Japanese politicians must take a more important role as a leader in a community that consists of many other paradigms than simple democracy; I rather like to take a favorable view on them. For example, Japan is the only country that has an emperor today in the world.
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(To be continued...)
Mar 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
Mar 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
Mar 6:9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.