Tuesday 17 June 2008
A week in Japanese politics is a very long time
I'm not sure if it was a request, but a blog reader (is there a techie term for this like bloggie or something?) wondered if I ever blogged about Japanese politics. Well, I haven't so far because I know next to nothing about it, but on reflection, that is no excuse not to offer my two yen's worth on Japan's second oldest profession. Well, as far as I can make out there is one party called the Liberal Democratic Party that, quite unlike their namesakes in Britain, has been in government virtually non-stop since 1945, so you can imagine the vibrancy of Japanese political debate. In this country consensus and compromise are prized above originality and, er, balls, so you tend to get uncharismatic prime ministers like the current fellow, whose name I have forgotten. But it helps apparently if you are the grandson of a former prime minister, and I think this fellow is no exception, in more ways than one. His approval rating is regularly in the lower 20s and his best hope to raise his profile is to have a successful G-8 meeting in Hokkaido. He makes Gordon Brown look decisive. Yeah, politics is exciting over here. By the way, I notice a dark horse candidate for US President is storming up the Tower Tales poll - "None of the Above" is making it a three horse race... now, there's excitement.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
they have a one party state we have two party state in the UK which is slightly better because if we get sick of one brand of beans ,we can always taste the other in a few years time.
But fundamentally,baked beans are on the menu,whatever you ask for.I find such consistency in terms of the menu,reassuring.
can i ask whether there are many who fancy a change?or are people just fatalistic about it?
Datsun sunny
by the way with the US poll,will you be moving hilarys onto obama or will they be voided?
noe of the above is ahving a good run.I like his politics.
ds
As far as the US poll, whoever wins the Tower Tales straw poll wins the whole shabang, as far as I am concerned. I think None of the Above has the best policies, and sounds the most presidential.
Yes, I think the Japanese are pretty fatalistic about their politics. Whenever the subject comes up in lessons, my students just roll their eyes and say they wish their country could have politics like America. Hmmm.
Post a Comment