My opinion this week(215):
 
Champion of IT?

On May 1, there was a TV program presented by NHK BS2 at 7:30 PM. The title 
of the program was "Who will become the king of IT in this day of IT life?"
I was interested in it and watched the program for a while. The game was
to compete how fast each participants will hit the site designated by
modulators. 

Those sites requested are something like the followings:

 ・What is the color of carpet put on the first floor of a building which
  located at specific address of Nagatacyo in Tokyo?
 ・Where is the picture of Panda that became 12 years old at a certain
   zoo in Wakayama?
 ・What is the last paragraph written in a famous novel named "Saruno
   Koshikake" ?
 ・What is the average age of new "Cool Five" group sound members? 

It seems those questions are kind of silly. How to find necessary
information from Internet by using various search engines is one important
phase of IT. But it seems that that is only one small part of all other
phases of IT. 

What is IT?  What does it mean for our daily life? We must ask these
questions first before selecting a champion of IT in that way. I changed
the channel before watching the whole program on that night.

2001/5/5
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(216)

Work harder, aged people!

 This week I want to talk mainly to aged people on how important they
work harder to learn PC these days. It seems that those aged people
especially have difficult time to learn PC and Internet. Every people
are now trying to learn PC and Internet these days in the IT 
revolution advocated by the Government.

 IT Basic Law was enacted by Mori Cabinet several months ago and many 
more people started to pay much more attention on learning PC and Internet.
That's fine. But according to my opinion, it is especially important to
let aged people learn information technologies including PC and Internet.

 Japanese economy is still dull and stagnant regardless a lot of public
investment has been made to stimulate economy. IT development has been
considered one fundamental way to vitalize economy. No question about 
that necessity. 

 But one phase of this issue should be considered with the fact that
there will be many more aged people in the total population of Japan
in near future. This means that it is important to let aged people 
learn PC to proceed IT revolution more effectively in coming Japanese
society. I have never seen any of such opinion or comment as this 
before in any of mass media.

 I want to say this to aged people in this respect. "Work harder to lean
PC and Internet." This is very important not only for coming better
life of aged people but also for greater fruits in coming IT revolution.

2001/5/12
Tadashi HAYASE
 

My opinion this week(217)

Aspiration for intelligence

  During the beginning of this week, I sometimes watched NHK's on-the-spot
telecast on Budget Committee of the House of Representative. There was
nothing so interesting and important on the questions and answers session
between the opposition parties and Prime Minister Koizumi and other members
of the Cabinet. But one very interesting one was the issue presented by
Mr.Saito, a member of Komei New Party and the House of Representative.
He argued the importance of promoting arts and cultures by a nation.

  He insisted that the Government should spend more money for that purpose
in the total budget spending. He referred the case of New Deal conducted
by President Franklin Roosevelt during big economic slump in 1930. 
Whenever we talk about New Deal, we tend to mention many of large scale
public investment works such as TVA. Mr. Saito mentioned, however, that
public works were not all about New Deal. He pointed out the fact that
President Roosevelt provided a lot of budget to promote various arts and
cultures in the nation. 

 The President believed that promotion of arts and cultures was very
important to vitalize economy by making peoples mind blighter and 
more intelligent. That is another important phase to vitalize economy.
That what Mr. Saito argued and asked the comment on this from Prime
Minister Koizumi. Mr.Koizumi agreed with it and promised to pay more
attention on the issue in the future budget spending. 

 I was quite impressed with this question and answer. In the following
session, Prime Minister Koizumi mentioned that he will not stick with
any minus development of economy in order to proceed "structural reform"
as in the past Cabinet. Yes, that's right. What's wrong with minus
development of economy?

 The present scale of economy is measured by GDP(Gross Domestic Product).
That's fine. But Is GDP only one scale to measure our daily life activities?
How can you measure some of other satisfaction of people in the 
fields of arts, cultures, and many other intelligent works other than
purely economic activities? Such measure as GDP is only a scale to
measure economic activities of our life. 

 The whole purpose is to make people satisfy and feel happy in various
phase of life. The question is not deflation only in economic activities.
The real question is the deflation of mind of people. We should keep 
people aspiring for intelligence in their spiritual life. 

 I feel that the question and answer as mentioned above was very meaningful
and good one.

2001/5/19
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(218):

State won't appeal court ruling on redress for Hansen's patients 

 The government decided  not to appeal a landmark court  ruling  ordering
the state to compensate former Hansen's disease patients  for violating
their basic human rights by forcing them to be isolated in sanitariums.
Koizumi told reporters, "This is a very rare case, but we have  decided
not to appeal." His decision was very revolutionary. He has shown that
he is quite different from other conventional Prime Minister. 

 All mass media and people of this country welcomed and supported his 
decision. Provided that this decision has been made to maintain high
popularity of Koizumi Cabinet from public, this political decision was
so great and meaningful eliminating all sort of pressures from many 
administrative offices and bureaucrats. The decision has been made in 
the cause of justice.

 The Government has to prepare some 40 to 50 billion yen to compensate
patients. But money is not a big issue. The Government intended to appeal
to upper court untlill at the last moment. If they did not do so, there 
are many serious effects on other same kind of law suits which are going 
on between plaintiffs and the government administration. The effect is not 
only for the administration but for legislative office, i.e. the diets of 
the country. The Kumamoto District court severely criticized omission of 
the diets not to take any action against the existence of such illegal 
situation for a long time. Opposition parties said Koizumi's decision was
right and natural. But how did each of those parties appeal the importance 
of this issue in the past diet session?

  Prime Minister Koizumi said this is irregular case decision stressing
the importance to save patients. The issue is not that all. There are many
cases which are in illegal situation, although existing laws and 
constitution do not admit admit them. The administrative offices and the
diets overlook such situation and take no actions for them. The Kumamoto
District Court clearly pointed out that mistakes. We people of Japan should
give a big applause first at this court decision. And it is great and
meaningful that Prime Minister Koizumi basically accepted that court 
decision. This would never happen on any past Prime Ministers. Any of
such illegal and unconstitutional situation should never be allowed for
any reasons.

  One typical example of such illegal situation is the difference of
value of one vote. There were many local court decisions in the past that 
said they are illegal and unconstitutional. But supreme court has denied
those district courts decision saying they are kind of inevitable situation
under the present circumstances. Why is this? Why can the Government and
the diets not take any necessary actions  to correct them? The laws exist to
protect justice and to protect the basic human right of people. Any 
convenience of administrative and legislative offices should never be
considered.

  Koizumi's decision is a fine and pleasant news for Hansen Decease patients.
But his decision is much more valuable in that respect mentioned per above.

2001/5/26
Tadashi HAYASE