My opinion of this week(437):

An election campaign and a political activity 

"The Democratic Party of Japan renewed President Okada's election campaign
message at their home page after the general election of House of 
Representative had officially been announced the day before yesterday.
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications warned the party that
the fact infringe the article of Public Office Election Law which 
prohibits to use internet for election campaign. 

The party answered back the Ministry. They pointed out the fact that
they did  the same kind of action in the last by-election made in April 
this year but there was no warning from the Ministry at all  at that time.
What's more, Liberal Democratic Party of Japan put the same kind of 
campaign message at their home page after official announcement of 
the election.

The Ministry admitted to say  LDP's home page also possibly infringes
the law. "  Yomiuri  September 3, 2005

There were a lot of criticism on this issue in the past. While most of
other countries admit to use internet for election campaign, why is Japan
which is such a democratic and an IT developed country prohibiting it
for election campaign? Many people in politics as well as in some other
groups have expressed to change the law so that such internet devices
such as HP and BLOG will be utilized as an efficient and an effective 
means for election campaign. 

I personally knew the existence of the law, of course. But I have never
been so conscious about what is all about. I misunderstood it in a
way. The law is concerned only about candidates and political parties
in election and the law has nothing to do with such individual person like
myself who does not belong to any political parties and is not candidate of
any kind. So I used to put a number of critical messages concerning specific
political parties and/or candidates in the election. That possibly infringed
the law as a matter of fact. I knew the fact the first time by Akira
Watanabe's message in our mailing list a week ago. I do appreciate his 
warning and recognize the fact that even such a free individual like us 
should be careful enough about the law.

But one big question remains for further examination. While the law 
prohibit to use internet for election campaign, it is OK to use it for
any general political activities. But what is the difference between
election campaigns and political activities? 

I will show some examples. Some one may continue to express his strong
opposition against Self Defense Force's stationing in Iraq without
mentioning anything about election campaign at this time. He may also
express his opposition on the change of article 9 of constitution in
his home page at this time as he wrote in the past.  Is this just a part
of his political activities as he continued in the past?  Or is it 
possible to infringe the Official Election Law for that is obviously 
concerned with the policy issues in this election campaign?

This is just one example. I never believe that there are any clear
difference between political activities and election campaigns. That 
means any sort of political messages in HP or BLOG may be accused 
under the name of the law. 

Isn't this a great restriction on freedom  of political creed guaranteed
by constitution of Japan?

2005/9/3
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion  of this week(438): 

Unaffiliated voters 

Tomorrow is the general election day for the House of Representatives. I 
usually watch ballot counting by TV until the midnight when multitude of
result of the election is found out. Many news papers reported recently
that Liberal Democratic Party will make a landslide victory with a 
reservation that it depend upon how unaffiliated voters vote for the 
election at the last moment. Many unaffiliated voters have not decided
their voting attitude yet at this moment. The result of election is depend
upon how those unaffiliated voters vote.

All of my interest is now how Democratic Party of Japan will be able to 
catch up LDP with the support of this unaffiliated voters at the last day
of this election campaign.

Those unaffiliated voters are different from indifferent voters group. It is
said that voting rate would rise by about five points in this election. Major
parts of those increased parts are composed by non party affiliated people. 
If voting rate increase five points or more, it works more favorable for
Democratic Party of Japan.

I personally know what a non party affiliated people is. I am the one myself.
I have been a typical unaffiliated voters for many years. In many of elections,
I have voted for various candidates who belong to various political parties.
They are ruling parties sometimes and are opposition parties another times.
I have never belonged to any particular political parties of any kind and
will remain in the same way from now on.

It seems that almost 60% of total voters is non party affiliated people. 
I believe that this fact is a kind of good and healthy evidence of political
situation in Japan. I don't try to explain why this is at this time.

But when it comes to the political situation of recent years, I sincerely
believe that there should be the change of power in many respects. I have
voted for opposition parties in several elections which were held under
Koizumi administration. And I am very sorry to see the fact that there will
be only little chance for Democratic Party to win in this election. I believe
the change of power is very necessary from strategic point of views for the
politics of this country. 

Tomorrow evening, I will probably watch　TV for just first couple of hours 
after ballot counting starts and go to bed afterward without waiting for the
final result of it.

2005/9/10
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(439):

Stereo type

I was quite surprised to see the result of landslide victory of Liberal
Democratic Party in the general election. I was further impressed to read
the news report that 55% of people expressed their surprise to see the 
result of the election. Those who answered that way  are so called 
unaffiliated group of people. Those group of people might have gone for 
election and voted as unaffiliated group in the past election. 

The ballot rate increased almost 7 points at this time. The major voters
who supported the landslide victory of LDP are those new unaffiliated 
people. 

In my opinion of last week, I wrote my guess that many of predominance
forecast made  by newspapers would  turn out wrong because ballot rates
will increase significantly  by 5 points or more. The higher the rate,
the higher provability that the forecast of predominance of LDP would go
wrong. But such forecast was not right at all.

The ballot rate increased almost 7 points. The main part of those increased
group of people voted for the leader of Koizumi theatrical company which
played such a good simplified version of post office privatization story.
Those non partisan, unaffiliated group of people gave an outburst of
applause and cheers to such simple and cheap play. They are politically
unlearned and ignorant people as far as I understand.
   
Nothing is more harmful than ignorance and  indifference. In the general
election of several years ago, some strong adverse wind  was blowing to 
ruling parties. The then Prime Minister Mori, whispered: "Hope those
unaffiliated group of people will keep sleeping until the end of the 
election." That caused the big reaction from voters and there was a 
significant advancement of seats for opposition parties.  

In the past election, those unaffiliated group voters had taken some 
good balance if there were some forecast for one side game. Such balance
sense was also expected to work out at this time, but it did not.

Generally speaking, Japanese are politically very stereotype in nature. The
obvious  evidence of this is that two-party system have never been 
established in the past except a few example . Liberal Democratic Party have
monopolized the power for many years. 

It is a kind of common sense that monopoly is no good in any world. In 
business, monopoly is tried to be avoided by taking several legislative
measures. In political world, no legislative measures are necessary, because
there exists election so that people are expected to take a good balance 
between winners or losers at various political situations. 

A good and optimum balance will be taken  by realizing change of power
from time to time. This is the way how democracy keep in good shape as
we see in US and other European countries. But this system is not working
so well in Japan. Why?

My answer to that question is rather assertive and  decisive,  but I
believe it is true. This is because Japanese are  stereo type in nature as
a social animal. They are rather uniform and static in nature. 

Those new unaffiliated group of people who voted for Koizumi doctrine are
typical stereo type of people  according to my observation. 
 
When it comes to stereo in acoustic, it means more variety, two way sound
system against monaural system. I just wonder how this difference in 
meaning comes from. 

Speaking of acoustic system, we see many of 5.1 channel systems these days.
A fine and vigorous sound are listened by many  speakers in front and back
by this 5.1 channel system.

Japanese political system today is a simple monaural system or only a quite
unbalanced stereo system in nature. How can we listen to a good and balanced
sound by such defective system?

2007/9/17
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(440):

Significance of existence of House of Councils

I was quite disappointed to see the news that many lawmakers of House of
Councils who voted against Post Administration  Privatization Law at the
last diet session had changed their mind and would support the law in 
coming diet session after the general election made recently. I just 
wonder how they can change their mind so easily. 

They must have expressed their opposition against the law  based on their
strong political belief and reason although they belong to ruling party.
The bill was rejected at the House of Councils because  of such opposition.

Yoshitada Kounoike, a  lawmaker of House of Councils expressed his change
of mind and he would vote for the law in coming diet session even during 
the general election was going on. He might have known the fact that 
ruling parties would make land slide victory in the election. 

About ten more lawmakers of House of Councils led by Hirofumi Nakasone
also expressed their change of political stance on the law after they
faced  the result of the general election. I was quite disappointed to see
this.

Their reason for the change of mind is that the will of the people is
important. It seems that it is quite natural that they believed to follow
the will of people that had been shown in the election. 

But the logic and the reason is not quite right as far as I can see.

The bill was passed at the House of Representative. That was the will of
people for sure. Then, the bill was rejected at the House of Councils.
It was another will of the people, wasn't it?  And the constitution of 
Japan ruled to see  the will at least in two ways.   
  
Prime Minister Koizumi resolved the House of Representative to see the will of 
people that supported the bill originally. He must have wanted to change the 
decision of House of Councils. He succeeded it by showing the victory in the
general election of House of Representatives. Then, most lawmakers of House of
Councils who were against the bill are now obliged to follow the will shown 
in the election of House Representative. Is this reasonable and logical? 

I don't think so. If this logic is right, what is significance of existence
of House of Councils? Why must the House of Councils follow the will of
people shown in the election of House of Representatives? If so, what is
the House of Councils as a matter of fact? If so, House of Councils is not
necessary any more. 

The bill in question will pass two houses of diet without any problems at 
this time. But there is one very important theme to discuss at this diet 
session. That is what is significance of existence of House of Councils.
Some political parties or group of lawmakers should submit a bill which
propose to eliminate the House of Councils from the current political 
system. 

This will never happen as far as I can see. None of political parties or any
 other sources concerned with diet would never bring up such matter in the
 diet session. Being lawmakers of House of Councils is their established 
interest and right. 

I do hope that this very basic and important political issue will be discussed
more widely and openly in political world and among mass media from now on.

2005/9/24
Tadashi HAYASE