My opinion this week (181)

The one needs injection

 The accident of Russia's atomic power submarine was a real tragedy. There
were many sequels to the incident. One news broadcasted in NHK TV was a 
shocking one. 

  A lady who might have lost her child or brother was strongly protesting 
to the Government officials and to the Defense Force officials on their
improper remedial  measures after the accident. She was very excited ,
of course. Another lady appeared from the back of this lady and did 
something to her holding her in arms. The lady in excitement became very
calm suddenly soon after that. 

  The TV picture closed up injection syringe in the hand of lady who 
appeared from the back. She shot opiate dope to have the exciting lady 
calm down. That was what happened.

  What a terrible scene it was! The scene was taken by a cameraman of 
Western TV stations. Russian Authority denied the fact. But it looks like
a fact. Oh no!

  Since the accident happened , there were some criticism against 
Russia's political and administrative system from mass-media in Japan.
I don't quite check any of those in other countries. But generally 
speaking, there should be much more criticism against Russia in this
respect. 

  The one who needs injection is not the lady who lost her family.
That is Russian Government itself isn't it ?

2000/9/2
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(182):

What is IT?

 "In compliance with Prime Minister Mori's assertion on promotion of IT
industries, all ministries started demanding budget for IT related
 projects in each fields. No body would deny the importance of promoting
IT projects in any fields from now on.

  But it is important to discuss the issue more exclusively as to what
can a nation can do to promote IT or what kind of projects will be most
effective to attain total objectives of projects. etc. before distributing
budget to each ministries. "   --August 31, Editorial of Asahi Newspaper

  The title of subject is "What is IT?" rather than "What is it?" But I
intentionally described the title that way. You may understand what I 
intend to say about it. I want to ask really what IT really is , 
although everybody talk about it these days.

 After the general election in July, the Government and ruling parties 
suddenly started the review of all public investment works now underway.
They concluded recently that 233 national construction projects should 
be stopped because of their inefficiency as public projects. That's fine
indeed. They admitted some of those waste of public works at the moment.
But their intention of doing this was rather obvious. 

 They tried to create some money to perform many of new projects on IT
by reviewing the present public works. They would be criticized by 
opposition parties that they just scatter money on IT fields leaving 
all waste of public works as they are. 

 Soon after the announcement on the stop of 233 projects, all ministries 
started demanding a huge budget for IT related projects. That is the same 
pattern as in the past. Each ministries proceed their projects in their
own vertical organization. Various works and projects are overlapped 
one way or the other and not quite efficient from total point of view.

 In addition, their way of thinking is just the same as in the past. 
Bureaucratic and inflexible. The same article of Asahi Newspaper 
pointed out the fact that promotion of IT industries in US has been
attained mainly by vitality of private industries rather than by the
public works of the Government. What the Government advocated was 
the thought on "Information High Way".

 Japanese politicians and government officials should know this fact. 
How and how much should the Government participate to promote IT 
industries ?  It seems that this very basic discussion is lacking at
the moment.

2000/9/9
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(183):

Reformation of UNSC

Prime Minister Mori attended United Nation Millennium Summit and made a
speech on the reformation of UN Security Council. However, he did not
make any comment on the possibility for Japan to become a permanent 
member of the Security Council. I had no specific criticism about it
but I was not quite satisfied with the current situation and position
of Japan in UN.

In the past not only Mr. Mori but also all successive Prime Ministers of
Japan have asked leaders of various countries whom they visited to see
in their countries and who visited here in Japan to support that Japan
would be elected to a permanent member of Security Council. In many cases,
Japan promised to make some economic aids in turn to those countries that
supported Japan to be a permanent member. Russian President Putin who
visited Japan the other day was the same way. 

The promise to support Japan to become a permanent members of SC if
the member expansion plan were decided by UN is a kind of easy one. 
Practically speaking, such revolution is still too difficult to 
materialize. Even many of advanced countries are against the plan to
expand permanent members of SC. They object to the plan that Japan
and Germany would be selected to the permanent members.

Japan is now paying 20% of total UN income. I don't know how they 
calculate the amount of contribution of each countries. How much money
are those permanent member of SC such as Russia and China are now
paying as their contribution? US is not paying their money as decided
by the rule.

The amount of contribution may have nothing to do with the permanent
membership of SC. But is it really so? I don't say Japan should be one
because of the amount of contribution. But what is the real condition to
be an permanent membership? The current framework was formulated just
after the World War II. They are still the same way as they were in 1945.
There was a dramatic change on the East and the West relations since
then. Some more serious issues are there now on the South and the North
relations. 

 What are UN going to do with them on those issues? Where are they going?
I really don't the answer to  those basic questions. 

2000/9/16
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(184):

 Sydney Olypic Games

 Sydney Olypic Games has just started. I watched grand opening ceremony. 
Pleasant beautiful fantastic and magnificent. 

 But I was not quite inspired by them. It lasted too long. It took more 
than five hours! Too much. In NHK TV news yesterday morning a woman caster
repeatedly shouted that grand opening ceremony would be telecasted by NHK 
that every people in the world was waiting for. My wife said : Don't say
every people. I have no interest in it at all. "

 My wife and I are both kind of perverse person. They show some reverse 
reaction for any things that many people show big interest. Yah they rather
dislike such mass media that always report such events very exclusively and
uniformly.

 I also have not much interest in the fact that how many gold metals Japanese
team will get in the games. Well I wished Ryoko Tamura could have got a gold
medal at this time as all other Japanese wished. And I would like to 
congratulate her for getting a gold metal. But that her metal that has nothing
to do with an honor of this country.

 In the evening issue of Asahi Newspaper of September 9, Mr. Kyosen Ohashi
wrote :"If Olympic Games exist just to show off national prestige, we don't
need them any more."  I agree with him.

2000/9/23
Tadashi HAYASE