My opinion of this week(546):
General election will be made by the end of this year
Ruling fronts were suffered a historical defeat in the House of Councils
election on July 29. Prime Minster Abe retired suddenly in the middle of
September and LDP President Election was made on September 23. Yasuo
Fukuda was elected to the President and Fukuda Cabinet was born at the end
of September. Three months have passed since the House of Councils election
without any virtual diet session. The ruling front is really responsible for
creating such long political vacuum.
Prime Minister Fukuda expressed his sorry for creating such political vacuum
at his first policy speech at the diet which started finally at the beginning
of this week. But I don't think he really feels sorry for the fact that it
is ruling front that have created such political chaos. Furthermore, I don't
understand why new born Fukuda Cabinet got such a high popular vote like
56% in many of newspaper research made soon after the born of new cabinet.
However that may be, the diet started Tuesday this week. Prime Minister Fukuda
made his first policy speech and questions and answer session have been made
until this weekend. A number of issues were discussed between Prime Minister
Fukuda and representative questioners from ruling and opposition parties such
as pension plans,issue of income divide and so on. But the most important
and critical topics for ruling front is the anti terrorism act for Afghan
which expires on November 1. The government and ruling fronts believe that
they must continue to make oil supply to multinational vessels at Indian Ocean
because the operation got an overall appreciation from international
communities.
A various pressure have been put against DPJ(Democratic Party of Japan) which
oppose the bill to continue oil supply since the party gained the victory at
the last election in July. US Ambassador and other several Ambassadors to Japan
expressed their desire for Japan to continue oil supply at Indian Ocean. UN
Security Council passed the bill stating appreciation on such action made by
Japan. All of those outside pressure came first before making any discussion
at the diet session. I don't think it fair for the government to do them before
making any serious debate at the diet. It seems that ruling front try to get
higher support from general public. The supporting rate for the anti-terrorism
bill has been improved very much in recent popular rate research in several
newspapers. The supporting rate is probably almost fifty fifty now.
The opposition fronts do not change their stance regardless various pressures
from outside. One of the definite reason why they are against the bill is
that there rise some great doubt about the usage of oil supplied from Japanese
Marine Self-defense vessels. It has been disclosed that 60% of oil was supplied
to US supply vessel and it is very possible that those oil were used at some
other purpose rather than Afghan anti terrorism operation including Iraq war
itself.
Several questions were made against Prime Minister Fukuda at the diet session
this week but he did not answer them in any concrete and specific manner.
The basic stance of ruling front on this issue is that they cannot clarify the
usage of oil after they are supplied from Japan for it is a secret of military
action of each countries.
I don't think it right. I believe that Prime Minister should answer more
specifically how each countries especially US use those oil for their
operation at Afghan as much as possible. It is natural for us to have a great
suspicion if they are used for some other purpose including Iraq war.
More concrete debating session on this issue will start next week in the
committee concerned. Ruling fronts is to present a new bill to continue
oil supply operation even after the expire of the old law. While the new bill
will be passed at the House of Representative, it will be rejected at the
House of Councils. Then, ruling fronts will bring the bill back to the House
of Representative and pass the bill by 2/3 of affirmative vote.
That is all what happened so far in the past. Now the situation is different.
Contrary to this move at the House of Representative, the House of Councils
will pass a motion censuring against Prime Minister Fukuda. Can Prime Minister
Fukuda neglect such censuring motion ? I don't think so. He are obliged to
dissolve the House of Representative for sure.
Many of critics on politics forecast that the time of general election is
next spring at the earliest possible. But I personally forecast the general
election will come much earlier even at the end of this year at the earliest
possible time.
I believe it is the way it is. It is necessary and democratic process for this
country. People are asked to select on of from two choices. One is to
materialize two parties system in this country in coming general election.
Another is to continue the present political chaos for the time being which
is very undesirable political situation in any sense.
2007/10/6
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(547):
Why did US congress make such a silly vote?
"WASHINGTON ? Turkey recalled its ambassador to Washington on Thursday and
denounced as "unacceptable" a congressional panel's vote declaring the early
20th century slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide.
Even as the Bush administration scrambled to try to stem the diplomatic
fallout, Turkish President Abdullah Gul castigated the House Foreign Affairs
Committee on Thursday for its 27-21 vote, saying the decision "has no validity
and is not worthy of the respect of the Turkish people."@
-Los Angels Times Oct 12 2007
When I read this article of Los Angels Times, I remember the same kind of
vote by US Lower House to condemn Japan on the issue known as wartime comfort
women on July 30th of this year. The existence of such fact in war time was
confirmed by a former cabinet which expressed a regret for what happened
during the war time. But due to the lack of careful consideration of the then
Prime Minister Abe and advocacy advertising made by some group of Japanese
diet members expressing their views on the issue to stop such vote by Lower
House, the vote to condemn Japan was finally made at US Lower House.
The decision itself has no validity, and Japanese government accepted it
very calmly and people showed almost no reaction against it. But it is true
that there were a number of people who were concerned with the fact that
US ,the most important allied country for Japan made such vote to condemn
Japan on the issue happened 60 years ago. Many Japanese might have been hurt
in some way and felt adverse sentiment against US.
I understand what happened in Turkey at this time. The total nation showed
such a great anger against the vote of US congress. While the case of comfort
women happened 60 years ago, the case of Turkey happened 90 years ago, almost
a century ago. It is a part of history of very very long time ago.
History of human being and human societies is a history of wars, in other
words a history of murders between various territories and countries, domestic
or foreign whatever they may be. There are a great number wars and cases of
slaughter in many of those territories all over the world including
Europe, America, Middle East, Asia and so on. Parties concerned with any of
such wars and disputes share various kind of views from historical, cultural
religious, and ethical point of views. Historian mainly work on them.
It seems that US congress often acts like a judge evaluating a foreign history
in such manner. How can they condemn the case in Turkey which happened almost
a century ago? I just don't understand why they do this. What is their purpose
to do this? How do they relate such denunciation with the current diplomatic
relation with Turkey?
I remember what I wrote in my BLOG on August 1 the day after US Lower House
made a condemn vote for wartime comfort women case. In my BLOG, I suggested
Japanese congress to make a condemn vote against such an inhuman act of
dropping atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Nothing can be
comparable with such inhuman act like dropping atomic bomb when it comes to
historical slaughter.
I don't think it is just a emotional reaction but it is quite fair way to
warn against US congress to stop such unreasonable votes against foreign
countries.
2007/10/13
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(548):
What's wrong with prior consultation?
According to a recent news, DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) decided to accept
to make a prior consultation with ruling parties to form a common policy on
the amendment of political fund law. DPJ must have accepted to make
preparatory consultation on this issue for ruling parties agreed to accept
some fundamental principles which both ruling and opposition fronts insisted
to put into amendment of the law. It seems to be a good move.
The problem is that DPJ is still against to make any prior conference with
ruling parties on the new oil supply law which replace the Anti Terrorism
Law which expires on November 1. DPJ says that they are against to make any
prior consultation on the new law so far as the government does not present
several basic facts on the activities of oil supply made by Maritime Self-
Defense Force at Indian Ocean. I can see the reason why DPJ resist to make
any prior conference which ruling fronts request to make prior to formal
discussion at the diet session which starts next week.
But many people cannot understand why DPJ is so inflexible to make any prior
consultation on this very important issue regardless the fact that they
may not change their disagreement with the new law. I agree with such feeling
of general public in many ways.
Some DPJ law makers often compare the prior consultation to bid-rigging.
I agree with the principle that any of bid-rigging sort of actions or easy
give and take negotiation must be rejected in any of such prior talks on
such many of important policies. But if it is urnest and serious talks, there
is no reason why DPJ oppose to make any of such prior consensus building which
is very necessary for making any democratic decision in political world.
Such consensus building process is often refer to as Nemawashi in Japanese
word which seems to be a good traditional Japanese style of consensus building.
Any of such prior, informal discussion is required at any political worlds
in any countries as a matter of facts. It is not a special kind of process
in Japanese political world.
Any of such prior consultation in various styles is entirely different from
any bid-rigging sort of process which is necessary to make any democratic
decision making at diet as well. I would suggest DPJ to be more flexible to
accept offers on any prior talks from ruling fronts including the oil supply
law.
2007/10/20
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(549):
Why is Japanese children weak for applying capacity?
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology conducted
the test on April 24 on sixth-grade pupils at elementary schools and third-year
students at junior high schools. It was the first such survey in 43 years, and
the first ever for elementary school students. Several problems were found
as a result of the test.
While the percentage of basic-knowledge questions the students answered
correctly was 70 to 80 percent, the ratio for correct answers on application
skills was 60 to 70 percent. Such result was forecasted before the test but
the test result confirmed some serious problem involved with Japanese
elementary level education a.
Some critics on education say the Education Ministry should improve this
situation by taking various measures such as taking more time for
application studies, increasing more good teachers at schools and so on.
But it seems that such kind of approach will not provide any basic
solution according to my opinion.
I think one of the fundamental cause to create the weakness of applying
capacity comes from college entrance examination system in Japan. All public
universities utilize the center entrance test at first stage of selection
prior to their own examination. This center test and entrance examinations
by public colleges become one most important educational target for any
high schools all over Japan. Last year there was a news to show serious
situation at high schools. A number of high schools were found not to
provide some fundamental curriculum designated as necessary to graduate
from high school by putting more priority on entrance examination.
Any basic solutions for the issue have not been provided yet by the
Education Ministry. Under such circumstance, parents, and principals and
teachers of junior high schools and elementary schools are dominated by
the idea that final purpose of their education is to let their children
pass the entrance examination for colleges in one way or the others.
Three years have passed since I personally began to go to elementary school
at local community to teach PC. Those children whom I contact with are
very eager to learn PC but they are not positive at all to find any
interests on PC on their own. Most of children just wait for what is
instructed to do. It is necessary to learn some basic knowledge on
hardware and software to operate PC but I expect that they should have
more interest in applying PC in various ways rather than just playing
games.
Most of examination tests including the center test are made by selecting
one right answer from several alternatives already listed. Or they just
select right or wrong for each test statements. No application capacities
will never be trained by that method.
Some short thesis or essay type test are made at limited occasions.
I believe that Japanese colleges should introduce many more criteria to
decide the entrance to their colleges rather than making entrance
examination as one way of selection. It is very difficult to test applying
capacity of children by paper test but such capacity may be judged in many
ways with many criteria.
I believe that it is now the time to abolish such stereo type test like
center test for entrance examination. All Japanese schools, high, junior
high, and elementary schools are expected to get free from reign of the
entrance examination system now underway by it.
I believe this is one most important step to improve current problem of
education system in Japan.
2007/10/27
Tadashi HAYASE
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