My opinion of this week(620)
A foolish cash handout measure
Takanori Ohkubo, secretary of Ichiro Ozawa, the Representative of Democratic
Party of Japan was arrested by Tokyo District Prosecutors Office for
receiving alleged contribution money from Nisimatu Construction Company on
Wednesday. It was a big news indeed and the fact that 2 trillion yen cash
handout related bills were passed by two third vote at the House of
Representatives do not become a big news by itself. The bill is such a
foolish one from any point of views. The ruling fronts have finally conducted
such a poor work. Long arguments about the bills has come to end without
creating any productive fruits.
As to cash handout measure, 70% of people were against the idea itself.
They believe that cash handout will not provide any big economic effects
by spending such a big money like two trirrion yen. Many people proposed that
two trirrion yen should be spent for some other specific purpose such as
to help old people to cover the shortage of medical care fee and to create
some additional employment opportunities in such severe economic conditions.
I totally agree with such ideas.
Regardless overall objection against cash handout measures, ruling fronts,
Liberal Democratic Party and Komei Party totally neglected those objection
and did not agree with any amendment on the bill.
There even existed some big objections inside of LDP. But most of those
LDP lawmaker did not express their objections because they were afraid that
they would loose their positions as candidates from ruling LDP at their
electorates. Junichiro Koizumi, former Prime Minister, is one of a big one
who expressed the objection against the bill but there was only one who
followed Koizumi objecting the bill. It was such a disappointing situation
as a matter of fact.
Prime Minister Aso's idea on this cash handout idea has changed one after
another from time to time. He said at first the bill is to help poor people
and not to help any rich people. He said any rich people who was supposed to
receive such money were said to be mean. But he changed this word later on.
Every people should receive the money including Prime Minister himself. That's
fine, but the question is why he is so inconsistent in such a important
political matter.
Several executives at LDP and Komei Party insisted that 80% of people said
they would receive the money when all procedures completed for actual
payment in each cities. So what? It is quite natural for any peple to
receive such monies although they expressed their objection about the idea
of cash handout. The money originally comes from their taxes at any rate.
The reason why ruling parties stick to the plan so hard is very obvious.
Two ruling parties, especially Komeitou Party seemed to believe that it is
a good measure to get supporting votes in coming general elections. They
are totally wrong as a matter of fact.
I will surely receive this money when time comes. But I have no sense of
appreciation to receive money. It is just a part of tax return which I
usually get as tax returns at this time of the year by submitting annual
tax report.
2 trirrion yen cash handout plus 80 billion yen several cost spent to
distribute money are such a big waste as a matter of fact. I believe that
severe criticism will be casted on ruling fronts in coming general election
which will be held sooner or later.
2009/3/7
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(621):
Why is awareness of the people regarding defense so weak?
Wednesday's emotional meeting with former North Korean agent Kim Hyon Hui,
relatives of abductees Yaeko Taguchi provided some hope for her existence
somewhere in North Korea. It was a good news indeed.
On the other hand there was a serious news from North Korea. They announced
the possible launch of artificial satellite soon which will fly over the land
of Japan. It's not really a satellite but missile which will hit our country
anytime and it is surely a serious danger for our country. Even if it were a
satellite launch, as Pyongyang claims, it would violate a U.N. Security
Council resolution adopted in 2006, as such a launch relies on the same
technology used to develop missiles, the UN ambassador of Japan said in the
press conference.
There was one more important news concerning the defense issues. Defense
Minister Yasukazu Hamada gave the order to start the mission. Two Maritime
Self-Defense Force destroyers will leave Japan on Saturday to help fight
pirates off Somalia, but a legal battle over the unprecedented operation
appears certain to erupt in the Diet.
Those two news on defense issues did not seem to draw so much interest of
people. The launch of artificial satellite by North Korea especially implies
direct danger of missile attack to Japan by North Korea. Mass media reports
today centered around the political donations against Ichirou Ozawa,
Representative of Democratic Party of Japan. Money and politics are surely
an important issue but I wonder why mass media do not report more on those
defense issues to promote the interest of people on defense in this country.
As to Ichirou Ozawa, there existed a kind of controversial statements on
defense issue made by him a couple of weeks ago. He said that the presence
of the 7th Fleet of US in Japanese territories may be good enough for defense
purpose of this country and Asia. This statement caused a big criticism from
ruling parties. They criticized Ozawa saying he really lacks the sense of
danger from North Korea as Japan is facing exactly right now underestimating
the importance of Japan-US Security Councils and the presence of total force
of US in Asia and in Japan.
Gen Nakatani, the former Defense Minister suggested that the diet will call
Ichiro Ozawa for a committee to ask his serious mistake on defense issue
which represent DPJ that will possibly take the power in next election.
Nakatani's suggestion was turned down but I think the idea itself is not so
bad at all. It will provide a good opportunity for Ichiro Ozawa to explain
people what he really meant to say by that statement.
As far as I understand, Ichiro Ozawa tried to say that Japan should share more
role in defense activities even under the present Japan-US Security Councils.
This country relies too much on US force as to the defense of this country.
This is a part of reason why awareness of people on defense issue of Japanese
people is a kind of low. Awareness of people on defense issues in any parts of
world is much higher that of Japanese people.
This does not necessarily mean Ihiro Ozawa suggests to spend bigger defense
budget in this country. Japan may be able to cut total defense budget money
under current world wide defense structures and strategic considerations
including the presence of North Korea in Asia.
The problem of defense is to be another important issue in coming general
election at any rate. The key issue should not be limited to "money and
politics". There are many more key and important political issues which are
directly concerned with the security of life of people.
Japanese people tend to forget that national defense is the one most
important issue as such and I believe that now is the time for the
nation to reconsider the total defense policy of this country including
the present Japan-US security treaty.
2009/3/14
Tadashi HAYES
My opinion of this week(622):
Taro Aso, Prime Minister who does not know the principle of constitution
It was surprised to see the fact that Aso Taro, Prime Minister of Japan
does not seem to understand the meaning of constitutional principle of
powers that are legislative, administrative and judicial powers.
At the debate in a House of Representative committee, Mizuho Fukushima,
Representative of Social Democratic Party, questioned Prime Minister Taro
Aso whether or not it is valid for the prosecution authority to arrest
the public secretary of Ichiro Ozawa claiming illegal processing of
contribution money to Ichiro Ozawa's political office at this very
critical time when the general election is going to be made sooner or
later. Taro Aso answered: "Well, the secretary was arrested because
he seemed to execute some illegal conducts."
Mizuho Fukushima, who is a lawyer herself, questioned back Taro Aso to
this very controversial remarks. "Prime Minister, it's wrong to say that.
The principle of law assumes that any suspects remain innocent until the
judgment is done by a court. I am afraid, you, Prime Minister does not
know that principle."
Kunio Hatoyama, Secretary General of Democratic Party of Japan, accused this
word by Taro Aso. He said: "Prime Minister, Taro Aso, when do you became the
judge of a district court. It is only a court judges who can decide whether
he is guilty or not guilty. Taro Aso did not seem to be embarrassed with
any of such criticism at all. He repeated the same kind of remarks at the
press conference which was held later on.
It is not first time that Taro Aso made some controversial remarks. Among
several controversial statements which he delivered so far in several
occasions, I believe the statement at this time is the worst of all. Naoto
Kan, the deputy Representative of Democratic Party of Japan also criticized
Aso's statements saying Taro Aso really lacks the qualification as a Prime
Minister of Japan. Naoto Kan continued to say that Aso does not know even
such a very basic principle of separations of powers in our country.
I quite agree with what Naoto Kan said. I just wonder why mass media do not
criticized Taro Aso more severely about this the worst statement among many
more negative slip of tongues issued in the past six months since he was
elected to Prime Minister of Japan.
2009/3/21
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(623):
What is the meaning of Samurai Japan's victory?
Millions of people across Japan tuned in to watch the final live on television
while Prime Minister Taro Aso hailed the team's efforts, saying, "We have
reaffirmed the fundamental power of our country through this tournament."
While I was also very glad to see this result, I just wondered what Aso
said.
I was one of those millions of people who watched the final game of WBC on
Tuesday at Los Angels. I watched the TV news over and over again. But I had
another interest to watch the news about political matters about this
country in the same night. President Ichiro Ozawa of DPJ announced the
previous evening he will stay on despite his top aide's indictment over
illegal corporate donations. Takanori Okubo, 47, was indicted Tuesday for
falsifying Ozawa's political funds reports from 2003 to 2006, allegedly
taking \35 million in donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co. that
were funneled through two political bodies which violate the Political
Funds Control Law.
As a matter of fact, this news on politics was much more important than
Sumurai Japan's victory at WBC, but the news was not reported so much
by mass media fortunately or unfortunately for Aso Cabinet or for people
of Japan.
Yes, the victory of Japanese team in WBC was very good news indeed. I have
no intention to make any claims on that fact. But I think mass media paid
too much attention on it from my point of view. WBC is surely one big
international baseball game as well as Beijing Olympic game held in August
last year. Japanese team was defeated by Korea at Beijing. Korea was said
to become a champion in baseball world. Now Japan became a champion in baseball
world by winning in WBC. Is that true? I don't think so. Both Korea and
Japan just won in one of many worldwide baseball game events. That's all what
happened.
Both Olympics and WBC are just one of such world wide baseball game events.
I don't try to underestimate the meaning of the victory of Japanese
team at this time and the victory of Korean team at Olympics. Any thing
can happen in such short term tournament games. What would happen if all
teams in WBC or Olympics fight each other long time for six months or more
in league competition style? The probability of winning of Japanese team
would be much higher in such long term competition than in such short term
tournament style games.
The key is the thickness of team power for any teams. Japanese team
is probably to be ranked No.1 as far as this is concerned even higher
than that of US team and much higher than that of Korean team.
Now National High School Baseball Championship Tournament is going on at
Kosien Stadium which has been paid much less attention due to WBC was
being held at the same time. More than four thousands highshool teams
participated in the game. There are more than 500 hundreds college baseball
teams and probably 1000 business firm baseball teams existed in Japan.
All Japanese professional ball players are all great elites selected from all
those baseball teams.
All 28 members selected for Samurai Japan are needless to say super elites
for sure in this sense. The quality of Japanese team is in this sense expected
to be very high even compared with US and any other teams including Korea and
Cuba. When it comes US, the US team does not necessarily select the best
members for such events as Olympics and WBC.
The victory of Japanese team is not any miracle or just a good luck at
at all. It was just a kind of natural result in some sense. If there were such
league style arrangement for longer term participated by WBC teams, probability
for Japanese team to become champion would be much higher.
I would like to come back to the comment made by Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Wining of Japanese baseball team has nothing to do with the fundamental power
of this country as he said. Facing to such serious world wide economic
difficulties , our country must show its fundamental political, eonomomic
and social power to overcome such difficulties and to survive in such serious
economic and social environment.
Now is the time for Taro Aso to show the strong leadership by this fundamental
power of this county. I don't believe that Taro Aso is not the one who
understand the meaning of fundamental power of this country and the one who
can lead the country to overcome this difficulties by using the fundamental
power of this country.
2009/3/28
Tadashi HAYASE
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