My opinion of this week(428):

Reform fraud

A number of fraud cases occurred one after another these days. So called
"it's me" fraud still repeatedly happened. A series of  new style crime, so
called "reform fraud" have happened so often recently. Those swindlers 
suggested owners the necessity of reform of various parts of their houses
to swindle out money from injured people which amount 2 million,3 million
yen or more.  

Those fraudulent practices, reform fraud, "it's me fraud or whatever
they are, are very inadmissible crime indeed. Those swindlers exploit 
people's  vulnerability such as anxiety, fear about themselves and 
their families. When we see such cases as a third party, we wonder why
those victims were deceived so easily by such rather simple looking
fraud. Some even say those victims are responsible by themselves in a
way. It's wrong at any rate.

There also exist a number of fraud relating with investment business.
One serious fraud investment firm has been detected the other day.They
collect money from people by suggesting fictitious money making stories. 
Their main target are retired people who have some amount of money
saved for their after retirement life. Those people wish to increase
their money under very low interest rate situation. 

In some cases, those victims are looked with biased eyes that they are
too greed to avoid such fraud. It's far from it! Those deceivers are
never allowed by any means.

People mostly know many of such fraud and are ready for them in their
daily life. But deceivers are very professional. Many people are
suffered a complete deceit with their mind totally in panic in some of
those occasions. The story is concerned with their fundamental base of
their life and their loved children or grand children. It is natural
that they lose ability to think rationally when they face such situation.

I don't know much about sentencing for those fraud cases in the present
criminal law. My guess is that sentencing for fraud is generally rather
low compared with any other serious crimes such as murder and injury.

It may not be so meaningful to compare crime of fraud with murder or injury.
I mean to say fraud is very serious crime to be accused more strictly. If
criminals want to earn money, they must work hard and make every efforts
as much as possible. All good citizens have earned their money in that way.

This society are composed of and supported by those people who make such
honest and sincere efforts. The reason why there exist a lot of 
disappointment and frustration in the present society is that so many
deceit and fraud prevail in our society. Those innocent people are
not protected properly.

It seems that two practices are really necessary. One is to establish
a strict moral standard: "Fraud is one of the worst crime in a society."
The second is to increase  sentencing of fraud crime significantly  in 
criminal law.  

2005/7/2
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(429):

Global view and lower world on earth

The one most important and exciting topic in MPCML(Muryama PC Club Mailing
List) in this week was  global picture images taken from a satellite. People
can enjoy watching very fine pictures images of all cities and territories
of any part of world at this internet site. Since I knew the site, I started
watching all sort of places of world where I visited before in my life. 

Lastly I got excited to watch the town where I live and confirmed the point
of my own house together with several other views nearby that are familiar 
in our daily life. I got excited further to know that those picture images
would  be improved much more including 3D image option in near future. I
look forward to seeing them as soon as possible.

After such excitement, I began to recognize the fact that there exist
several applications using this kind of GPS devices. Car navigation 
system which I started to install in my car several years ago is one
example. Another one is point navigation system installed in my handy
phone. All of those smart and sophisticated devices utilize the same
kind of system such as GPS. I realized the fact that such fine pictures
of lower world of earth is not necessarily quite unique. 

Nevertheless I kept watching all sort of places since then and began to
search several views of London where my wife and I visited at about the
same time of last year. I remember maps of London some way and moved 
around the map one place and others. And I heard the  terrible news
of terrorism happened in London by chance.  What a coincidence it is!  

The earth viewed from satellite is full of blue and green. In PC, I click
to scale  measure upward to approach gradually to earth. The more I click
upward, the closer look of earth is available. I can view very wide oceans
and fields as well as deserts and mountains. I can view some very fine 
picture of buildings and roads and even cars and men in city areas at the
utmost point of scale measure. 

This is the place where we live in reality. The place are filled with 
all sort of struggles, wars and terrorism between races, religions and
countries.  

I came back to see our town from London  where there seems to be no wars and
terrorisms. But I remember the fact that there is Yokota Air Base very close
to our town. It is very possible that terrorists may attack the base camp and
places nearby indiscriminately. North Korea may attack here by their missile.

It is a kind of irony that I began to remember some of those reality
while I try to view much closer places on earth.

2005/7/9
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(430):

A summer festival

Three months have passed since I started  to work as a president of 
the resident association. A summer festival which is the biggest event 
among many other events of the resident association in a fiscal year is 
near at hand next Saturday. The executive committee of the association
started in April and the committee has made a lot of preparatory works 
by getting participation of several clubs, firms of the communities .

This is the one biggest and important event among many other events to be
done in the fiscal year of community association.

At the start of the new committee, prevention of life and property from 
natural disaster and criminals in the community was  referred to as  the top
priority among many other tasks to be done thorough a year by the executive
committee. Although the interest of residents against such advocacy is not
so high as expected, the executive committee have done some concrete 
works on them in the past three months. We could have done them with a 
good reason regardless interest of people is high or low. But they are not the
kind of things that are quite pleasant and enjoyable for any people, although
this  statement may cause some misunderstanding.

Contrary to the matters of disaster and criminal prevention, the matters on
summer festival are pleasant and enjoyable which happen once a year for
any people especially for children and aged people. There are traditional
bon festival dance, folk dance, hula dance, karaoke,marching band, and so 
forth in festival program participated by elementary school children, junior
high school students, aged people and so on. 

A number of stalls and stands are opened in the festival such as goldfish 
scooping, cotton candy, chow mein, beer and juice and so on. All ages of
people will be able to participate and enjoy them. 

At the end of the festival there is a lottery by which people can have some 
chance to get good prizes. The committee increased numbers of prizes 
significantly this year, 

Summer festival is one most pleasant and enjoyable event to which people
of all ages may be able to participate at any rate. Not only people of this
community but also many other residents and visitors can enjoy and exchange
friendship each others. 

On the other hand, the executive committee has realized how those preparatory
works involve so many things. A number of  permissions form public offices 
concerned such as food hygiene, fire protection, transportation regulation 
and so on are necessary to conduct the festival. We reconfirmed the fact that how 
our daily life is supported by so many public services. 

Japanese people like festivals. We can watch so many big festivals are going 
on at all over  the country in TV news. The economic effect of such festivals
must be very big. But I would put more importance on the process how they are 
organized by organizing committee and participated by people of general public. 
There are many countries in the world which faces absolute shortage of even
daily food. Some are faced internal wars and terrorism. In fact, such things
as summer festival is far beyond their reality. We may be blamed if we 
advocate the importance of such festival as community activities under such 
situation. We may be called a peace stupor. 

But I would like to say, all will be able to do the same way if they wish and
intend to do. We are proud of the fact that Japan is such a peaceful country.
I wish our committee could perform all works as planned and scheduled in 
coming summer festival. That's all of my wish at the moment.

2005/7/16
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(431):

Dissolution of diet and general election

The postal administrative bill is now being discussed at the House of 
Council. The bill barely passed the House of Representative with the 
difference of only five votes. People don't understand why Prime Minister
Koizumi stick so much to this bill while there are many other important
political issues inside and outside of the country. 

The bill will be rejected at the House of Councils if there were 18 vote
of objection. Prime Minister Koizume indicated that he would dissolve the
House of Representatives if the bill would be rejected at the House of
Councils. Many law makers in ruling parties say, it is not reasonable to
dissolve the House of Representatives when the bill was rejected at the
House of Councils. Some say that it infringes the principle of constitution.
The bill objection group insisted that Koizumi Cabinet should resign once
the bill was rejected at the House of Councils.

People including myself don't really understand why Koizumi sticks so much
to pass the bill at this very moment. But passing the bill is  one of his
most important political task he promised to people. Then we have to admit
it reasonable in a way that Koizumi will dissolve the House of 
Representatives if the bill is rejected at the House of Councils so that
he can ask popular vote by general election.  

The objection groups in ruling party are against Koizumi to dissolve the
diet saying it may infringe the principle of constitution. But so far as
they try to stop passing the bill, the top leader Koizumi is obliged to
take the counter measure to ask popular vote of people. It is the principle
of democracy, isn't it?  Why is this against the constitution?

There exist many other important political issues for sure other than 
a postal administration bill. Those objection groups insist that ruling
parties cannot loss valuable time and money by general election at this
very moment. Their assertion seems to be very selfish. All they try  to
do is now to make another easy concession with Koizumi Administration and
to postpone the bill including many other important issues. That's not
the way it is.

To materialize a real democracy such big loss of time and money is 
inevitable. Making such long time consuming political process itself is
big loss at any rate.

The most likely and desirable scenario from now on is this as far as
I can see.

The postal administration bill is to be rejected soon at the House of
Councils. Koizumi will dissolve the diet. The Liberal Democratic Party will
loose the majority vote at the House of Representatives in election. The
Democratic Party of Japan will establish new administration replacing LDP.

This is a necessary process for the country to develop the democracy in 
the year to come according to my observation.

I have to make an unnecessary addition saying to the above that I am not a
supporter of any kind to the Democratic Party of Japan.

2005/7/23
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion  of this week(432): 

Diplomatic stance of Japan 

Japan, Germany, Brazil and India worked together to become permanent 
members of UN Security Councils by composing G4 (Group 4). But it seems
that it doesn't go well so far. AU (African Union) was reported to join
G4's resolution but there aroused some opposition inside of the Union. 
The resolution to be submitted by G4 seems to  be very difficult to get
2/3 agreement in the General Assembly of UN under the present circumstance.

Foreign Minister Machimura commented to say that people of Japan would have
a big complain if Japan could not gain a permanent membership at Security
Council regardless the fact that Japan is making such a big contribution, 
almost 20% of total UN fund. I think it very shameful to say that at this moment.

As a matter of fact, this issue of Japan's permanent membership for Security
Council has come out without any enough explanation to people of Japan. 
Majority of people would welcome if Japan were elected to a permanent member of
Security Council. But they would not be disappointed so much as well although
Japan were not elected. It seems many people don't understand why it is 
necessary for Japan to become a permanent member of Security Council at this
time. They are rather indifferent on the issue at any rate.

The approach made by G4 is obviously not quite strategic. Japan faced 
opposition from China and Korea. Germany faced opposition from Italy. India
from Pakistan and Brazil from Argentina respectively. It is unavoidable
each others at each areas. But Japan has created another enemies in other
parts of world such as Italy, Pakistan and so on by making G4 approach. 

All member nations will agree with the necessity of reform of United Nations
including Security Council. But why new additional permanent members of
Security Councils are Japan, Germany, India and Brazil? Why are they G4?  

I don't understand the reason why Japan has to become a permanent member of
Security Council. Why are three others to be elected as well as Japan?  There
are not enough explanation why Japanese Foreign Ministry decided to take
this G4 approach at this time.

Japan is a country which is very poor at self-assertion in any diplomatic 
issues. Is Japan really competent to handle all sort of very difficult and
emergent wars and armed conflicts under the present constitution as a member
of Security Council? Many people cast a big doubt about it.

Six-party talks started at Peking the other day. Japan tried to put abduction
issue for agenda.But all nations except US were against it. They said it 
is the issue  to be discussed only between Japan and North Korea. That is
definitely right. It is the issue limited to the two countries although North 
Korea has refused to start any talks between two countries.

Why is this? Because Japanese diplomatic stance lacks  self-assertion
on any diplomatic issues. Japan has been played down on all sort of diplomatic
stages so far by North Korea including abduction issues. In order to let them
bring back to talk,  Japan should start economic sanction as Mr. and Mrs.
Yokota, the leaders of abducted family association insisted.

A strong and definite leadership is required to become a permanent member
of Security Council. While Japan cannot not solve such very basic diplomatic 
issues with North Korea , Japan can never  work as a police man in international
society from that point of view. They basically lacks the ability to protect 
themselves. 

2005/7/30
Tadashi HAYASE