(a balloon in the holy paddy field)
(a spider wort and holy rice plants)
(Something Blue; Click to enlarge.)Augmentation or Attenuation?
Jesus Christ did not teach everybody He met.
He apparently chose those He would teach.
Not randomly, He must have also selected His disciples.
Truly, an election is important, for voters have to choose a candidate(s).
But, of one of the worst types might be those ambitious, simply ambitious in politics.
SECTION I: Al Pacino
Yesterday, a cable TV station serving around Tokyo presented an interview program with Alfredo James "Al" Pacino by CBS.
(http://www.screenhead.com/reviews/al-pacino-interview-on-60-minutes/ )
I sometimes confuse Dustin Hoffman with Al Pacino. But, the former cannot play a Mafia member. Yet, I sometimes confuse Dustin Hoffman with Al Pacino.
Indeed, Godfather and All the President's Men were two big hits of an era for each, even in Japan decades ago.
Dustin Hoffman can access the White House, though Al Pacino might be rejected by the Vatican.
I suppose that a decade ago or so Dustin Hoffman made an appearance on the Larry King Live as I watched it on the PC screen connected to the Internet. It was not Al Pacino, I think now.
By the way, a Japanese female politician happened to claim that she had been once interviewed by Mr. Larry King. Ms. Yuriko Koike, a popular lawmaker (of the LDP presently) since 1992 and former Defence Minister of Japan, recently wrote on Twitter that she had appeared on the Larry King Live show with notable Japanese businessman Mr. Kenichi Omae around 1993.
(http://twitter.com/ecoyuri/status/17461232457 )
Incidentally, I did not know that Al Pacino had been worrying about his unstable position while Godfather was under production. He thought that he could have been fired at any moment if he had made a mistake in the play, though he thought Godfather was a trash. He did not act with confidence at all.
Anyway, Godfather, All the President's Men, and Apocalypse Now must have been very impressive to young people even in Japan in early 1970's, late 1970', and around 1980.
Those young Japanese are now in leading positions of the society, political parties, and the government as veteran players.
SECTION II: Japanese Political Parties at Glance
SECTION III: Consumption Tax Raise or China Handling?
A few weeks before the start of official campaign for the Upper House election this July, P.M. Mr. Naoto Kan suddenly proposed a consumption tax raise.
However, the opposition LDP had already included a consumption tax raise in its campaign pledge.
Of course, there is a big difference between a proposal by a prime minister and a pledge by an opposition party.
What's more, the way P.M. Mr. Kan took up this issue looked somehow unfair, since he had never discussed the issue in sessions of the National Diet. P.M. Mr. Naoto Kan did not show his respect for the National Diet as he closed the Diet session as early as possible without raising the tax increase.
So, this series of incidents concerning the proposal of a consumption tax raise had an influence on credibility of P.M. Mr. Naoto Kan.
But, this is not a decisive factor, since it was just a matter in a few weeks before the election. Prior to the premiership of Mr. Kan, former P.M. Mr. Yukio Hatoyama led the Japanese Government for eight months. If the Hatoyama Cabinet showed a great performance, a few mistakes by new P.M. Mr. Kan must have been overlooked.
For eight months after the regime change last summer, the Japanese voters watched how improperly then P.M. Mr. Hatoyama managed the Japan-U.S. relationship. He was almost insulted in an international conference held in America. He could not do anything with the Toyota's problem in the American market. On the other hand, Mr. Hatoyama did not show any resolute stance against China threatening Japan in terms of security and business relationships. This was the most frequently reported issue by the media to the Japanese audiences.
For months before the resignation of P.M. Mr. Hatoyama, Japanese voters watched how improperly Mr. Hatoyama managed the Japan-U.S. relationship as well as the Japan-China relationship.
And, now his successor first welcomed with a 60% approval rating started to fumble with a stupid tax increase proposal aided by a stupid economist, damaging his credibility, toward the 7-11-2010 election. P.M. Mr. Kan's approval rating is now about 36%.
How can P.M. Mr. Kan manage better the Japan-U.S. relationship as well as the Japan-China relationship, while prosperity of Japanese depends on trade with the U.S. and China but not on change in tax rates? Every company employee in Japan understands that their future will be critically influenced by the U.S. and China in terms of security and economy while China's GDP, accurate or window-dressing, is getting closer to Japan's.
Japanese voters came to think that P.M. Mr. Naoto Kan might lack ability to manage well the Japan-China relationship, since he foolishly proposed the 5% consumption tax increase.
In the 30-8-2009 Lower-House election, the DPJ led by Mr. Hatoyama garnered 29,844,799 votes in proportional-representation constituencies.
The Your Party established by ex-LDP lawmakers won 3,005,199 in the same election.
In the 11-07-2010 Upper-House election, the DPJ garnered 18,450,140 votes in the proportional-representation (national) constituency.
The Your Party established by ex-LDP lawmakers won 7,943,650 in the same election.
The LDP lost 11.4 million votes. The Your party added 4.9 million votes.
So, there are 10 million swing votes in Japan, or 5 million unaffiliated voters who could decide the case.
Indeed, the hegemony over the Government must be taken by lawmakers from bureaucrats. And, the hegemony over national elections must be taken by independent voters from political parties.
This is the first strategy for the revolution to enhance quality of Japan.
*** *** *** ***
This evening, the sky around the sunset was platinum, silver, then a kind of ghostly pale dark. It was only partly close to an ambiguous red.
Heavy rains are falling in West Japan, taking on a few precious lives and many valuable assets.
But, they say this season will be over next week.
We had better prepare for another season or a new miracle.
By the way, I never think I can be taken into a picture in a manner as I deserve. I am not suitable for a politician and an actor. Anyway, hence, only a few have my pictures, to your surprise in this era of a mobile phone equipped with two cameras.
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?