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What do you think of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's decision to kick SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima out of the cabinet because she disagreed with his plan to relocate the U.S. Marine base at Futenma wit

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For the first time in years I disagree with Sarge. Hatoyama is dropping in the polls as he is completely inept as PM and the Japanese people are saying it is so. I also contiinue to say that if the Marines at Futenma are to be moved it is logical that they returned to the States and the whole of the island of Okinawa should be returned to the Ryukyuan people. I will be in Okinawa in two weeks and you will hear from me "on the ground."

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Sarge

Unbelievably, the majority of JT posters on this thread say Hatoyama's decision here is correct!

He was correct, she was not co-operating with her party and prime minister. Hatoyama making the stupid election promise in the first place was his first mistake.

The only way this will ever get sorted is if they revisit the whole security agreement from scratch. They could include changing the constitution at the same time to remove the restriction on how they can use their own services in overseas operations etc.

Also I think the Japanese have a false sense of security and think they won't need the US to defend them. In light of North Korea's recent actions, they should think again.

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Hatoyama decision have already been decided for him by the 2006 accord. He should have acted responsibly at the start when he got into office and took leadership with Okinawa instead of pretending to be a hero. There was no way the U.S. would let Hatoyama back out from the agreement.

Hatoyama have no choice but to kick Mizuho Fukushima out of the cabinet since he was the one to put her in the cabinet. Since she was not going to sign the document she will undermine his position on it.

Hatoyama have lost credibility, trust, and integrity where the people of Okinawa and Japan are concerned along with the international countries even though Mizuho Fukushima is sacked.

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Those who have spoken of Japanese support for Hatoyama’s decision are truly ignorant. If they also read today’s story on the most recent NHK public opinion survey, they might have noticed that more than half of the Japanese people surveyed think Hatoyama should resign because “he failed to resolve the base row in a way he promised he would.”

The survey also found that 66.1% said they do not support “Hatoyama’s decision to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture” while only 25.4% favored it. That would indicate more than 2 to 1 opposition to bowing to America’s demands.

Some day Japan may have a government with the guts to stand its ground in support of its own people instead of groveling support for whatever America wants. I would love to see a Japanese Prime Minister with the principles demonstrated by Ms Fukushima.

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betting -- she is not part of Hatoyma's "party", she is head of the SDP, which is part of the ruling coalition. Big difference. Going in they knew that there were major phylosophical differences between the two parties, but they tried to paper over them to get a majority in both houses. But, unfortunately, Hatoyama's completely inept handling if the situation brought trhe differences to a head.

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Didn't we already discuss this very same issue on the OTHER 2-3 stories of this topic? Kicks dead horse Come on JT.

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soon he will be kicked out too, i wish he did that to okada !!!! coward !!!!

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And she was also minister in charge of investigating Japan's falling birthrate!

But did she do ANYTHING about THAT!?

HARDLY!!

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I think if people don't publicly tow the line in the party they belong to, the party really doesn't have any meaning. Regardless of who is right or wrong, in this case, Hatoyama made the correct decision.

The whole situation has been handled badly right from the go, but she deserved to get kicked. What she has been doing is undermining the current administration. The government does not need people like her in the cabinet.

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Ms Fukushima honorably didn't sign the bit of paper, which the bureaucrats of the Foreign and Defense ministries as stooges of the U.S. manipulated the cabinet to endorse without agreement of the local people of Okinawa, catering for the US necessity to prevent the federal budget for the relocation from being eliminated by the Congress. By letting herself dismissed, Fukushima made it clear that she is unperturbed by the myth of "deterrence" which can be allegedly maintained by having the Marines air base at Henoko by all means instead of accommodating it elsewhere like Kadena when the bulk of the Marines in any case will move to Guam as part of the realignment of the U.S. forces. Consequently she won the game and perhaps Hatoyama will have to resign after DPJ loses in the next election.

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I think it really makes Hatoyama look bad to fire someone for not changing their convictions, just because he changed them himself after getting strongarmed by the US. He looks like a coward and baby.

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Sarge, agree. Hatoyama caused all this nonsense. And as much as I dislike Fukushima, at least she stuck to her principles. I may disagree with her, but I can respect her willingness to take a stand, while I have no respect whatsoever for Hatoyama. He's just a spoiled little mother's boy who has no concept of leadership -- much like much of Japan's men.

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The election pledge to relocate the U.S. Marine base outside Okinawa should never have been made in the first place. While my opinion of both Hatoyama and Fukushima has dropped, I still consider Fukushima a better politician than Hatoyama as, at least, she is someone who is not going back on her election pledges. My say is that Hatoyama himself should step down as Prime Minister and call a snap election as this issue has reflected badly on him not only as a politician but as a man as well. Someone who cannot keep his promise on an issue as important as this may not be able to manage a country as complex as Japan.

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Security affairs was not her portfolio. Fukushima should have been sacked as State Minister in charge of consumer affairs and food safety for not issuing a statement on the foot and mouth disaster -- in her HOME prefecture of Miyazaki.

What the hell was she doing tooting her own horn 1300 miles to the south for something she has absolutely no business being involved in ?

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Unbelievably, the majority of JT posters on this thread say Hatoyama's decision here is correct!

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Right decision taken by the Prime Minister. When it comes to the question of national interest, any disagreement must be removed and only one decision should prevail.

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If Fukushima were PM (highly unlikely), she would also have to agree with the Americans. No Japanese leader is allowed to go against his Uncle Sam. Japanese can talk and have demonstrations, but no government is allowed to make a decision that goes against the Americans. After all, this country is still occupied by a very large number of very capable American soldiers and the US is a nuclear power. So in the end, this is a good way to blow steam, but in real political terms it is a fight that begins and ends with words, not true action. Japanese who think they can make their own political decisions in such matters are deluding themselves.

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sarge

She could have admitted that Japan-U.S. security ties are pretty darn tootin' important.

translated--sarge is important.

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Did the cabinet get together and make a decision? Or did Hatoyama make the decision and then ask for support. How does Hatoyama expect his cabinet to suppport his actions if he doesn't have their buy in BEFORE announcing a decision? The cabinet needed to thrash this out a long time ago. Hatoyama has now made a dick of himself by having to remove someone as he failed to get their buy in. What happens when the next issue comes up and the same has to be done? He fires the next person who doesn't buy in? This is the basics of working with a team of people. Do you really think it is Japan's interests to continue with this puppet of a leader?

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Good to see that Fukushima is not being simply a sheep in the field of Japanese politicians. Unfortunately, Bozo the clown, Hatoyama, had to fire her or lose within his own party. That issue of pride goes a long way and when an subordinate goes against the boss, well, #*%$ rolls down hill. Does this mean that he has possibly stopped listening to his wives friends that eat the sun with her??? Who knows!

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This is the only right decision Hatoyama has made so far :)

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I can be short about this. Hatoyama is the PM, it is his cabinet and he made the right decision.

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He has done absolutely the right thing, as it is about time a Japanese prime minister stopped being blackmailed by a ridiculous search for consensus and got on with solving a few of the country's myriad problems

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I think she should reapply as his new shirt designer.

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"There is no way she could have honorably signed the bit of paper Hatoyama wanted her to sign"

Sure there was. She could have admitted that Japan-U.S. security ties are pretty darn tootin' important.

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Fukushima simply stuck to her electoral promises, a rare thing in politicians today. There is no way she could have honorably signed the bit of paper Hatoyama wanted her to sign. It would have been better if she had jumped instead of waiting to be pushed, but she's better distancing herself from the debacle that is the Futenma 'decision' (aka orders from the US).

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So what your saying is if you dissagree with the boss your fired.What ever happened to having your own opinion,oh I forgot, we are in Japan. Most of the Okinawan people dissagreed with Hatoyama ,but he only ignored them.

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I think it finally dawned on Hatoyama that Japan-U.S. security ties are pretty darn tootin' important. I'm beginning to doubt that Mizuho Fukushima will ever understand this point.

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That the women have "bigger balls" than Hatoyama.

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Best thing that could have happened, you had the majority (the party with the mandate to govern), being dictated to by a small minority (the SDP with a total of 12 members in parliament). Sure, Hatoyama can be criticized until the cows come home over this whole sordid issue, but at the end of the day, as a member of the cabinet (representing a very minor party), Fukushima was bound to either vote with her cabinet colleagues in favor of this motion or fall on her sword to prove a point. She did nothing, so she was sacked.

Of course, the interesting thing is how matters will develop from here on in. Will Fukushima and her cabal of socialist ideologues sit on the fence or will they do something dumb and start to actively undermine the government. If the latter happens, then the gloves will come off, and the SDP might just find itself with the short end of the stick.

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Hatoyama backed down under pressure of the US, but Fukushima didn't, so instead of assert himself to the US, he fired her for not buckling also.

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Smartest and most leader like thing Hatoyama has done so far.

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wow.... that is a long question. How about.... What do you think of PM Hatoyama's decision to sack SDP leader Fukushima for her position on the relocation of Futenma? I think the whole thing is Japanese and the guy is a puppet. Shoganai and find a scapegoat who is a female.

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Awesome news!! Gonna have a few drinks and party tonight with friends.

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