2009/10/30
Glimpses of Japan（外国人から見た日本）
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Glimpses of Japan (外国人から見た日本)
vol.263 Rocky Beginning
2009.10.30
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The new Prime Minister and his cabinet have begun work in earnest, and it
seems that they're off to a predictably rocky start. Prime Minister
Hatoyama's announced intention to keep his party's pre-election promises
is losing some credibility as promised tax cuts (for gasoline and cars, for
example) are now said to be likely to be postponed until Fiscal Year 2011.
It is also looking less likely that some of the promised social programs
will be able to find funding, without some pretty draconian measures that
may have other, unpleasant side-effects.
As expected, members of the ousted Liberal Democratic Party are wasting
no time to criticize the new government and its policies. I found many LDP
questions and comments about the Prime Minister's policies to be ingenuous
and cynical. I was highly amused, though, by Hatoyama's response to one
LDP critic: he said, essentially, "look who's talking". There is certainly
a great deal of "the pot calling the kettle black" going on currently.
I hope that Mr. Hatoyama manages to accomplish at least most of what he
hopes to do to fix social and economic problems, without being overly
distracted by the ongoing political contributions scandal. I personally
doubt that there are any truly honest and entirely ethical politicians
in Japan (or maybe anywhere), but some of the LDP's past excesses of
corruption would be a good reason for Hatoyama to say again "I don't want
to hear that from *you* guys".
I'm disappointed, though, to see that after all of the DPJ's talk about
ending _amakudari_, they have nonetheless appointed former bureaucrats to
positions in upper management of Japan Post Holdings Company. They offer
excuses that I find unconvincing, and Shizuka Kamei calls it a
historic day, but I think it's a violation of a clear, and good, policy.
Of course, I imagine that Mr. Hatoyama isn't terribly happy being burdened?
for political reasons?with Mr. Kamei, who is a notorious loose cannon,
and one of the politicians who seem unable to avoid serious gaffes every
few months.
At least, I hope that this coalition manages to last longer and get more
accomplished than the previous short-lived and ill-fated non-LDP coalition
government. Good luck to Prime Minister Hatoyama; he's going to need it.
Glimpses of Japan vol.263
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