My opinion of this week(624):
A good chance in an hundred year
The budget for Physical year 2009 passed at the diet last week. Although there
are several problems involved in the budget plan, the main road to lead the
total nation has been completed. The budget plan was prepared to take several
measures necessary to encounter world wide economic crisis started last fall.
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Taro Aso, insisted the necessity to make a
supplementary measures to encounter a number of difficulties which are observed
as most serious crisis in a hundred years. He instructed his staffs to start
working to make supplemental budget for the annual budget which has been passed
at the diet. Several additional measures and some concrete measure will be
included and the process is now underway. The supplementary budget will be
submitted to the diet quite soon in next two weeks or so.
Prime Minister Taro Aso is said to dissolve the House of Representative if this
supplementary budget plan will not be corporate by opposition party, DPJ (
Democratic Party of Japan) to pass the diet by a certain period of time.
Although DPJ does not agree with the idea to prepare supplementary budget
itself, they could not take any strong stance to it for they are now in a
difficult position for the arrest of secretary of President Ichiro Ozawa for
the illegal contribution of political money which occurred a month ago.
So it is possible that this supplementary budget will be passed again at the
diet by the end of April or so.
Since the birth of Aso Cabinet in last September, Prime Minister Aso has worked
out so many supplementary economic measures plus to physical year budget plan
as stated above. The first and second supplementary plans for the budget were
worked out last year. And now for the supplementary plans are underway for the
new budget which has just been passed at the diet at the end of last month.
Prime Minister Taro Aso said such continuous on going economic measures are
quite necessary to overcome serious economic difficulties which we face today.
"It is a most serious economic condition once in an hundred year." That the
word and the reason why Taro Aso insists the necessity to take such measures
one after another.
I have a big question on his reasoning. There is no doubt about the fact that
economy is in a bad condition. All indices such as GDP, unemployment rate,etc.
justified it. A lot of people lost their jobs and even lost their place to live.
Several social and economic measure to save those people are absolutely necessary
for sure. No body will deny that necessity.
But I have one big and important question. Are all people in general are facing
so serious difficulties as Taro Aso says in his word "the most serious
difficulties in an hundred year." ? I don't think so. 95% of people seems to
live alright without so much difficulties in a hundred years. It is sure that
income of people go down to some extent. But price indices go down as well
and they will tend to go down further due to economic recession. It seems that
people can live without so much difficulties. The day will surely come back
again for people to buy a lot more cars and home electronic devices in
addition to a number of daily life commodities.
I do not deny the necessity of some of such supplemental measures by the
government.Some may contribute to recover economic recession to some extent.
But many of them do not seem to be necessary at all at this time.
What I want to say is that Taro Aso should pay more attention to reconstruct
this country in longer range rather than just in short range. All of his
economic plan are too short sighted and too small in scale.
The conference of G20 was held at London Thursday this week. The importance
of financial spending by those G20 countries has been discussed. Some
countries such as Germany and France do not necessarily agree with the idea
that financial spending is almighty to overcome this world wide economomic
crisis. How does Taro Aso understand this situation?
When it comes to financial spending plan of Obama US, does Taro Aso understand
some basic difference between budget plan of US and the budget plan of his
nation? It is obvious that Obama's plan include many more long range and
fundamental structural change of economy and industries including green
new deal plans. Aso's budget plans is more like just a extension of
conventional public construction of roads and railways. There exists some plans
for environment related projects but they are not necessarily a major projects
at all.
Facing to a serious pinch in an hundred year, Taro Aso should construct a basic
grand design which is more long range to make basic change the structure of
economy and society of this country including economic,social,and environmental
measures for this country to live in new era.
Any more supplementary measures are necessary for this country. What is
necessary now is the fundamental grand design for the country to live in this
pinch in an hundred year. This is not the pinch as a matter of fact but it is
the chance to create such grand design for this country.
2009/4/4
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(625):
Let's send Japanese cherry tree to all over the world
There are a famous tanka(old short poem in Japan) written by Arihira
Narihira in tenth century. 'Yononakani taete sakurano nakariseba haruno
kokoroha nodokekaramashi.'
The literal translation of the poem is something like this:'If there
were no cherry tree in this world, people could be happier and more
comfortable.'
But it is very clear that Arihira Narihira tried to send his message
just paradoxically. He tried to say : "People can enjoy all sorts of
feelings about cherry blossoms thanks to the existence of cherry trees
in this world. People can become happy by watching such a beautiful
blossoms or may become very sentimental by watching graceful dying of
blossoms. That's the meaning of cherry blossoms in spring.'
Without hearing directly from Narihira concerning meaning of the poem, we
cannot understand his poem very exactly. But that is not really important.
It is sure that people living in this country at this time can enjoy cherry
trees in spring as people living in 10th century.
After a kind of long and cold winter, people are now enjoying the visit
of spring. TV weather reports add cherry blossom front as well as high-low
pressure front at this time of the year. People make schedules to visit
several good places to watch cherry blossom and/or to prepare holding hanami
party (flower watching party ) under blossoms. It's a kind of additional
worry concerning cherry blossom season. Such hanami party have been a kind of
traditional annual events for Japanese people since very old days.
Selection of the date and place for hanami party is one of the most important
and difficult thing for party organizers. The timing should be exactly right.
The date of the party should be fine and warm.
There were hanami party of our PC club held in April 2 at the park nearby at
our club meeting place. All arrangements of the party, weather and blossom
were perfect as far as this year's party is concerned.
After a couple days of this party, our family held another small hanami in
cherry tree street in our city not so far from our house. Five year old grand
daughter requested the event. She remembered a pleasant hanami to which two
of our grand parents took her at around the same time last year by bringing
some simple picnic lunch. We agreed with her proposal and enjoyed again a
good hanami at the same place. The grand daughter will remember these pleasant
events throughout her life.
By the way, I would like to start saying something entirely different topics.
At UN, Japan is now trying very eagerly to pass the resolution to denounce
North Korea for their launching of missiles. I personally agree with such move
made by Japanese government. North Korea is such a country which provides the
danger to our country. Japan is, I believe, one of the most peaceful country in
the world today. To appeal this to world, I propose this to Japanese government
in addition to such lobbying activities at UN.
I would like to propose the government to present cherry trees all major cities
in the worlds including the headquarter of UN in New York. A few days age, TV
news was reporting full blossom of cherry trees in Washington DC. A number if
citizens visit there to see blossom. An old couples commented how beautiful the
blossom is and appreciated such big presents made by a Japanese government a
long time ago.
Japan should do now the same thing against many more cities in the world. It
may cost much less compared with a huge amount of ODA money but the effects of
such spending will be much greater compared with huge ordinal foreign
assistance money such as ODA. It takes time but lasts much longer than short
time foreign assistance money.
Cherry trees presented to any more cities of the world should carry the poem of
Narihira as stated above attaching a good translation plate. It is very
pleasant to watch people in many places of the world enjoy beautiful blossom of
cherry trees at every spring seasons. People visit to watch blossom will
remind the fact that cherry trees had come from Japan and learn the meaning of
the poem of Narihira, some key essencials of Japanese culture every year when the
season is come.
2009/4/11
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(626):
Restriction of hereditary lawmakers
Out of 17 Aso cabinet members, 12 members are so called hereditary lawmakers.
They became lawmakers elected from their electoral districts which they
succeeded from their parents or grand parents by succession. It is quite
abnormal political situation only seen in this country. Regardless the fact
that there are so many hereditary lawmakers in Liberal Democratic Party,
Aso Cabinet consists too many hereditary lawmakers. That is probably a part
of reason why Aso cabinet has encountered such low popular rate since their
birth last September.
Yoshihide Suga, Deputy Chairman of Election Committee of Liberal Democratic
Party, proposed to set some restrictions against the selection of candidates
from hereditary positions. It is obvious that he tried to avoid increasing
criticism against the fact that there exists so many hereditary lawmakers
in LDP. It is reported that Prime Minister Taro Aso is against such move
proposed by Yoshihide Suga, one of the most close confidant man for him.
In connection with this move, Katuya Okada, the former Representative of
Democratic Party of Japan, criticized recently Junichiro Koizumi, the former
Prime Minister about the fact that he announced his retirement from political
world appointing one of his son as his successor at his electorate in Kanagawa.
I can personally understand what Katuya Okada intend to say. But he must
explain the reason why succession of electorate itself is no good from
political point of view. The point is not clear at all. It is not against any
laws as far as Koizumi's action is concerned.
By the way, Junichiro Koizumi was the LDP president who advised to retire
two former Prime Ministers of LDP, Yasuhiro Nakasone and Kiichi Miyazawa
from political world for their ages by saying that the party could not
admit them as official party candidates any more in their electorates. That
was a big decision indeed at that time. I could not agree with this decision
too. Whether candidates are young or not is not a big question at all when
it comes to the qualification as to good lawmakers. There is no law as such
which restricts to become candidates for any public elections.
Such move to set restriction for candidacy by ages and heredities is just
a rule or a guide line of LDP. The party tries to appeal fairness or freshness
to people by setting such restrictive rules. That's fine. I have no reason
to complain about it. That's only a rule in a political party.
But I have a big doubt about what LDP is going to do now. Regardless any
candidates are hereditary men or not, they must be elected as lawmakers by
election. The problem exists on the side of people who cast votes to such
hereditary candidates without any doubts for many years. There were no
problems if people had elected them after evaluating basic qualifications
as lawmakers regardless they are hereditary men or not. But if they had been
elected to lawmakers just for they are hereditary families, that's a problem
for sure.
I have a great doubt about such move by LDP to set such a rule about heredity.
I don't think it an issue. The issue is not really the quality candidate. The
issue is the quality of people who cast votes to select elites of
representatives who executes their political capacities as lawmakers at the
diet. Whether or not they are hereditary is not really a big question. The
issue is how to improve the political awareness of people in this country.
2009/4/18
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(627):
Ruling fronts should be destroyed once
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Wednesday in his speech in
Tokyo the general election should not be held around the time of the
Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly poll on July 12, for New Komeito will
concentrate all their efforts on the metro race.
Kawamura said :"New Komeito told us that they will be unable to back
the Liberal Democratic Party if the dissolution of the Lower House and
the general election come when they are devoting themselves to the
(metro) assembly election." "We cannot ignore what (New Komeito) says."
By saying this , Kawamura virtually indicated the possibility that the
general election will be made in early August as New Komei Party requested
Prime Minister Taro Aso in that way.
Asked by reporters on this issue, Prime Minister Taro Aso neither deny
nor admit that possibility adding dissolution of the Lower House will
be decided by himself.
All leaders of opposition parties including several key members of
Liberal Democratic Party criticized strongly this Kawamura's comments. All
expressed severe concerns about the fact that Kawamura is Secretary General
of Cabinet indicating that he is not in a position to mention anything
about coalition relation between two ruling parties although he is a
member of LDP by himself.
Is dissolution of the House of Representative to be made just from
their interest of ruling fronts? That was an amazing comment as a matter
of fact. He is a spokesman for the government. He should stand neutral
in every sense of a word. But he spoke like a spokesman as ruling parties.
I was quite surprised with his comments and agreed with all criticism
made by opposition fronts. I was also quite disappointed with the fact
that almost no mass media criticized such stance of Kawamura although he
made such unfair comments in his speech. Why not? He should be blamed much
more for that as a Aso Cabinet member and a statesman.
On last Sunday morning, I was watching political debating time made at
NHK between 9:00am and 10:00am. The modulator questioned panelists
representing ruling and opposition parties. Yosuke Takagi of New Komei Party
mentioned very arrogantly that election will be made in early August after
metro elections is over in July based on the reason stated above. All
panelists from oppositions parties criticized how ruling fronts pursue
their dog-eat-dog interests for their own without considering the
interest of general voters.
All we can do is to wait for the general election. And when the time comes,
we should hit a hard blow on those arrogant and selfish ruling fronts in
general election. Both LDP and New Komei Party should be destroyed once in
order to resume a democracy in this country.
2009/4/25
Tadashi HAYASE
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