My opinion this week(173):

Independent people in election

As a result of 42nd General Election conducted last Sunday, three ruling
parties, .i.e.. Liberal Democratic Party, New Komei Party and Conservative
Party shared majority seats at the Lower House. There already existed many
of such forecasts by researches made by various newspapers about a week ago.
So there was no surprise for the result as far as I am concerned.
 
Most newspapers and TV stations reported a great decreases in the seats 
of three ruling parties and a big increase for the seats of Democratic
Party. Two other opposition parties i.e Liberal Party and Social Democratic
Party also increased seats a little bit. Nevertheless, the ruling group
won in the election at any rate. I was quite sorry for the fact that
they shared the majority votes. I am one of a silent majority who do wish
some fundamental change in politics is really necessary. 

Mr.Ozawa , President of Liberal Party commented that they could have shared
a majority votes in the diet provided that those three opposition parties
could have cooperated each others in some ways. Democratic Parry is very
happy with the result saying that they have won  in the election. But
they virtually lost in the game. The only purpose of election for a major
party is to get the power. There is no win unless they can get the power. 

According to all newspapers' analysis, the last decision is to be done by
those independent group of people. The victory of Democratic Party surely
owes to their votes. But I would like to point out the fact that voting 
rate was only 62.49% , the second lowest in the post war period. About 40%
of voters did not vote at this time. They expressed indifference against
the election and politics.

They rather confirmed the present condition of their life and politics.
They admit status quo and express no special concern for their current
life. They may think that there would be no much change in politics 
regardless there are any transitions of power. They have such a sense
of reconciliation.

They just don't care any condition of economy and big financial debt to
be charged to their descendants paying only negative attention on their
daily life at the moment. I would like to warn them for such very
negative stance for politics. They should change such attitude.

Japanese people want to have stability rather than change. Well, that
is not stability  but just status quo. If they selected the one advocated
by ruling parties saying whether they rather choose a kind of unstable
condition of politics or not, that's fine. No, they just go ahead to choose
status quo.

I am quite disappointed with such negative mind for making change. We should
start changing such spirit at the beginning rather than talking about the
problems of contemporary political system and quality of politicians and
so forth.

2000/7/1
Tadashi HAYASE

 

My opinon this week(174)

Senseless for bribery

 The Second Mori Cabinet will start soon. There were transition of power
both at Mexico and Mongol as a result of election made recently. Both 
reflected a big dissatisfaction for policies and criticism against the 
corruption against the present governments. Yes, that is the meaning of
general election.

  What's  about a case in Japan? Mr, Nakao, Former Minister of Construction
was arrested by the Public Prosecutor's office due to a suspicion for
bribery by a contractor just after the general election. Provided that
the arrest was made before or during the election campaign, the result of
election would have been much different. It is said that the Prosecutor's
office avoided that intentionally. If that is true, that is not allowed.
If the arrest was made before or during election campaign , Liberal
Democratic Party might have accused the Prosecutor's office saying that
they are very autocratic. There should be no political consideration as
to exposure of crimes.

 Such briberies are not unusual any more in Japan. People of this country
just take them just another cases of briberies. Although the case was 
disclosed before the election, there was no big influence at any rate.
This is the country where two incumbent Diet members who got guilty
decision by districts courts for their bribery suspicion were elected 
again at this time.

  The bribery at this time was concerned with distribution of some huge
public fund for public investment. Every source of corruption of politicians
and bureaucrats are there. The cause is that they have such discretionary 
powers. In the past election, it became apparent that Liberal Democratic
Party was supported at local area where a huge amount of public fund 
had been injected and Democratic Party was supported at city area where
inhabitants do not accept such waste of public fund any more.

  It may be possible that Japanese people already have lost a law-abiding 
attitude to some extent. In order to correct that tendency it is now the
time that we must destroy such corruptive structure at an earliest
possible time. 

  The only possible way to correct such corruption is to make transition of
power at an election. We people of Japan could not make it at the
last election. I wish we could realize the object absolutely in next 
opportunity to come.

2000/7/8
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(175)

Leadership of Prime Minister

　Following to Former Prime Minister Obuchi, Prime Minister Mori has just
started some more councils including IT Strategic Councils, Development 
of New Industries Councils ,etc. IT Strategic Councils is chaired by
Mr. Idei of Sony Corporation.

  It is not a bad idea at all to hold such councils composed by so
many professiopnal people, but it seems that there are so many councils
and/or  advisory committee meetings for Prime Minister. It usually takes
long time to make reports themselves for any councils. By the time that
such reports are presented, there will be a change of Cabinet.

 What have happened to so many councuils created by Mr. Obuchi? What are
relationship with them each other on new ones and old ones? 

  Such subject as IT especially requires a speedy conclusion and action.
The leadership of top management is must. How much does Mr.Mori understand
the scope and contents of development of IT industries in Japan? The success 
of Councils on IT depends on the leadership of Prime Minister, the President
of Japan Corporation at any rate.

In Jaoan, Prime Minister and Ministers of each administrative offices 
are not necessarily verased in technical and professional issues in 
most cases. The time they are at top leaders are usually very short
and they could hardly exercise their leadership in each administrative
offices. 

Now is the time that the Government require some more professional
management leader who has more professional knowdledg and leadership
to pursue many of important policies. Prime Minister is one most
important position as such. Don't create any more councils and
advisory committees.

2000/7/15
Tadashi HAYASE 

My opinion this week(176):

How will our society change by Internet?

  The title is one of the theme of Shikoku Forum this year. It is a big
theme as a matter of fact. You can never discuss such a big theme in
a short term. How will the life of people change by it? How will our
society change by it? How will any local community such as Shikoku change
by it? How will country such as Japan change by it? How will the world 
will change by it? The common issue for all is how to live in this changing
world.

 In more concrete terms:

  ・The scope of change of politics, economy, business, and culture
  ・The change of lifestyle of people
  ・The change of sense of value of people

  What is distinct about this change is that the change will be much faster
in speed than our expectation. The change is already here now. People
talk about IT revolution, Digital Revolution, etc. but the most representative
phenomenon is Internet, of course. And the issue is the change of society 
and country under the influence of Internet.

  Those Japanese politicians who is slow in realizing recent trend of
world begin to talk about the importance of IT revolution these days. 
It was almost 10 years ago, when Clinton Government advocated "Information
Highway". During those days, so much conventional public investment in
such area as roads, railways,bridges, etc have been made in Japan. And
the difference in outcome for two countries is very obvious. 

 It seems that those politicians in Liberal Democratic Party and other
ruling parties lack the understanding about the change of consciousness,
sense of value, and lifestyle of people. This is the reason why LDP lost
the majority vote in city area.

  Such distinction is more obvious in business. While there are so many
business which are prospering, there are so many other business which
are declining. Why is this? This is because while the former react 
properly to the change of lifestyle and sense of value of people, the
latter fail to do so.

  Today is the time when every people and organization should reconsider
their basic stance and principles so that they could survive in this
changing world without standing loser side in digital divide.

2000/7/22
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(177):

Are ethics and moral to be flexible?

  I will write some points which became important issues at Shikoku
Forum this year in next a week or so. One of the important theme was
the one spoken by Prpf.Nakajima of Keio University under the title
named "Changing sense of value and ethics at fast developing Internet
world."

  The most of the time of the speech by Prof.Nakajima was spent to talk
about drastic change of business such as e-business , e-trade, etc. He
talked ethics and moral issues only for about last five mimutes, although
I believed that that is to be main topics by itself. 

  Although time was so limited, Mr. Nakajima clearly said that some kind
of generous ethics are the one that are applied in this net society. I have
no time to explain it in detail. But the basic idea is that there are
various rules and scales to judge what is ethics are all about.

　At the question and answer session, I asked him a question. "When it
comes to ethics or moral, are they really so flexble? Are scales about
value standard so various? Values are truth, goodhess, and beauty which
must have an absolute value in any ages. Such word as an applied ethics 
is self contradiction by itself, isn't it?"

　 Mr. Nakajima answered. "I learned ethics at the Graduate School of
Tokyo University. I expressed such concept as an appiled ethics and
I was expulsioned from the class by my Professor because of such 
assertion. " 

  This argument did not last any longer, but some attendants commented
to me that the argument was a very interesting one, after the session 
was over. But it seems that most poeple in the meeting did not understand
the meaning of this discussion as a matter of fact.

  According to my idea, the real cause for chaos of the contemporary
society is the lack of understanding about absolute value of moral and
ethics. Why are those chaos accelarated in Internet age?  This is because
people will admit some sort of big variation about value standard because
of so much big change of social environment. 

  Mr.Nkajima mentioned about Gukouken (a basic right to do something
stupid. Many people do some stupid things such as smoking, wearing pias,
abuse of portable phone, etc. Although they are stupid kind of acts, 
those are to be admitted  as basic human right so far as they do not 
provide any harm to other people. Is this idea right?

 It's wrong to say, of course, that any of such acts are wrong absolutely.
But are they all justified? One important point is that there are two
dinstict stance on  this issue. The one is to admit cleary that all
of these are 100% free and are basic right of individual without any 
reservation.

 The another is the stance that such right are admitted only when individual
will take 100% responsubility for any problems which may come from such
deed.

  The argument about usefulness and convinience about Internet is fine
in any respect. That is light side of the issue. Another side is , of
course, shadow side of Internet society. The question is why there are
so much shadow side as well as light side. This is because our society 
are loosing a kind of absolute and distinct value judgment about moral 
and ethics that is true in any age in the past and in the future.

2000/7/29
Tadashi HAYASE