Gender equality discussion

I saw a segment of this interview on TV this morning, and nearly lost my breakfast - Clinton said that what she liked about Abe was how he "walked the walk not just talked the talk". Maybe she was refering to something else, but her comment certainly couldn't be applied to the Abenomics 3rd arrow for one thing. It's almost nothing but talk.

Makiko Tanaka was indeed Foreign Minister. Of course, in true LDP fashion, being the offspring of a former PM was vitally important. Gender isn't the only factor in discouraging and excluding new talent from entering Japanese politics.

The irony of a Japanese man talking about gender equality....

Not just the LDP, and not just Japan. Bush Snr, Bush Jnr, and countless other examples in politics of blatant nepotism... including the current US ambassador who's only claim to fame is being related to an ex-President.

You might want to recheck the definition of the word 'nepotism'. Bush Snr did not appoint his son president of the US and Ambassador Kennedy got her bachelor degree at Havard and her legal degree at Columbia. She has worked on the boards of several NPOs. What is it about her that you think disqualifies her to be ambassador?

Putting aside for the sake of discussion that Hillary's rise to prominence was clearly aided by the fact that she is the wife of an ex-President, how long do you think it will be before Japan has a female be a realistic candidate for PM with one of the major parties (basically the LDP), or even how long before one is Foreign Minister? My guess is at least two decades, although I would like to be wrong.

I think Hillary would have made a great President and I hope she runs in 2016... she'll have my vote.

Serious or surreal ? Abe, a nationalist at the core, suddenly becomes an exuberant advocate for women’s rights on the world stage. One must wonder where Abe’s "redemption" would lead him.

Your point?

I thought my point was rather obvious that neither of the two people mentioned were examples of nepotism. You do understand the difference between the words "famous" and "nepotism", right?

While Hillary's fame is definitely due to who her husband his, her election to the senate was a choice of the people in that state. It had nothing to do with nepotism. If her husband directly appointed her to the senate, that would be nepotism. That is not what happened at all.

how long before one is Foreign Minister? My guess is at least two decades, although I would like to be wrong.

Be happy. Makiko Tanaka was the first female foreign Minister of Japan, from April 2001 to January 2002, before she got on the wrong side of Koizumi.

What a pair. LOL

Oops -- my apology.

Look... if you already dislike Hillary... no amount of words will convince you otherwise. That is just the way it is. I think she'll run for Pres... and if she does.... believe me she won't be focusing her energy on the people that are already decided against her. She'll have to get past the Primaries... if she does its all going to come down on the swing vote. And the Swing Voters are pretty smart. If the conservatives continually harp on Benghazi... the swing voters will tune them out. She'll campaign on the issues... she might have to tone down national security because of Benghazi but she will probably refresh our memories that we needed to stay strong in Iraq when Pres Obama thought otherwise. When Bill Clinton was Pres... if you look at what he did... he was the farthest thing from a Left Wing Liberal... heck... much of the legislation that was passed before he left office... Repealing Glass Stegal... and the commodities futures modernization act, directly led to the Financial Crisis. It was not all him... but he threw a few blocks. Bottom line on Hillary... she has vast experience and a lot of common sense. My biggest worry might be that she might spend her 2nd term... if she gets re-elected... exacting revenge against the "right wing conspirators". Which is something I'd probably do if I were her.

Run, Hillary, Run ! ! !

Like, for President? Or, away from Abe??

Having Abe pontificate on gender equality is like having the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang lecture on parenting.

I love photo-op pics of smiling politicians shaking hands or enjoying a moment when in their head, they're both thinking: what a tool.

A happy face of Hillary. She must be glad to know the PM of misogyny country talks her about his hope. Too many people are pushing Hillary to be Dem Pres candidates and so she will be Dem Cand and maybe firstt female Pres as GOP do not have a candidate who can smile like Hillary. Years ago, Reagan had big smile as he was a movie star and people knew he was a star of Wagon Train series, Abe visited her and this pic will work with Japanese female voters. Was she laughing or big smiling? She knows about Japan pretty well,

'Not just the LDP, and not just Japan. Bush Snr, Bush Jnr, and countless other examples in politics of blatant nepotism... including the current US ambassador who's only claim to fame is being related to an ex-President.'

To be fair, the oil-drenched father and son act of the Bushes was the exception rather than the rule regarding the US presidency while in the LDP it is the rule rather than the exception when it comes to PMs. Hilary shouldn't run in 2016. She's too old and stale. One disturbing possibility would be a third Bush in the White House. That should set alarm bells ringing for every US citizen.

'What the US and a great deal of the world needs now are leaders that are not left or right extremists'

Politics has shifted so far right in the US that people left of centre or even centre can be called extremists. Hilary Clinton is to the right of former Republican presidents like Richard Nixon in many ways. Even the 'Socialist' you mentioned isn't advocating 70% tax on the rich like under Nixon. Many have commented that even Reagan would be seen as too far left by modern Republican standards. I think your childish use of BHO ( your icon does look a little like Anne Coulter ) gives us some idea of your idea of an 'extremist'.

You might want to recheck the definition of the word 'nepotism'. Bush Snr did not appoint his son president of the US and Ambassador Kennedy got her bachelor degree at Havard and her legal degree at Columbia. She has worked on the boards of several NPOs. What is it about her that you think disqualifies her to be ambassador?

Methinks Frungy is confusing "nepotism" with "celebrity". Using his reasoning, Franklin D. Roosevelt's election was due to Teddy Roosevelt having already been President. While there may be a little bit of truth to that, Teddy certainly had no direct hand in putting Franklin in the Oval Office. "Nepotism" requires the hiring person to be related to the person being hired. Both Roosevelts, both Bushs, and (if it happens) both Clintons were/will be "hired" by the population of the United States, not by a relative.

In the case of Caroline Kennedy, the only person in her family who could have used nepotism to put her in her position has been dead for over 50 years.

Your point? Guys like Larry Summers (academic economist and former Harvard president) were wrong. George Bush graduated from Yale. Obama has wrecked the U.S economy and he was educated at Harvard & Yale. Do you really need a degree from Harvard and Colombia to simply be an Ambassador? Those with high profile names get unearned special treatment. Take Hillary Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, she does absolutely nothing but give public speeches. Yet gets around $600,600 as a special correspondent for a news channel. While hardly ever making an appearance.

Slumdog's point was that Ambassador Kennedy has quite a bit more "claim to fame" than simply "being related to an ex-President" - yet when it all comes down to it, none of that matters in regards to who gets appointed and who doesn't. Ambassadorships typically are considered rewards for those that help an administration get elected. There are no minimum requirements for who gets an ambassadorship. The only hurdle is Congressional approval for the person being considered. The REAL professionals work in the State Department headquarters. The ambassador is considered simply a mouthpiece for the State Department - they relay to the ambassador the points they want the ambassador to make to the host country, and the ambassador relays the points the host country makes back to the State Department. The State Department is where the decisions on responses or non-responses are made.

What abt Tanaka? She wasn't a real minister. Kawaguchi was.

Abe: "So long as they do what the men in power say and serve tea, there's no reason why they can't serve... in office".

What the US and a great deal of the world needs now are leaders that are not right or left extremists. The United States needs a president that will unite the people under a common cause of fairness and prosperity and above all, common sense. Neither the Democrats or Republicans have a candidate that comes close.

Except that she's a member of the Democratic party, and the Democractic party chooses which candidate to put on the ticket, not the people in the state.

Do you know what primaries are? I do. In her 2006 election, which she also won, she was challenged in the Democratic primary. The 'party' did not choose her. She chose to run and in 2000, she ran unopposed on the Democratic side.

And why was she put on the Democractic ticket? Because favours are owed to her husband.

Prove this, if you can. Otherwise, it is just your own private speculation.

Hillary Clinton won not one, but two senate elections. It was the people of New York that chose her. You so far have not shown any nepotism.

@darnnameSEP. 25, 2014 - 09:47AM JST I think a better caption for that photo should be: Two Things Wrong with the World

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You wrote creative caption: How about write details of your caption? Caption needs an article. Write to educate us.

In hindsight, if she had been elected president instead of BHO, she would have done far less damage to the US than he has. She would have been far less a puppet on a string and less of a Socialist. If elected now, her agenda on top of that BHO has already implemented will just take the US further down the path to becoming another Greece. The only difference is; when the US plunges, there will not be a sugar daddy with deep enough pockets to bail it out, and the rest of the world will be sucked in like a stars to a black hole.

Abe an exuberant advocate for women’s rights on the world stage.

Sure, until the votes are in :P

Run, Hillary, Run ! ! !

jerseyboy, Makiko Tanaka was Foreign Minister at Koizumi Administration.

Makiko /Tanaka's case' She had to become independent for a while. Her husband was adopted to her family Tanaka as Tanaka did not have a son, She was kicked out from her party, other party did not want her. In Japan, a female daughter of PM is a big handicap. Yuko Obuchi could not get a job so she became one of talk show crowd to begin her TBS carrier. Tnaka even had phony money scandal lawsuit that she won, She was very outspoken like her father had been but unlike her father, her talks were all criticized.

Back to Hillary and Abe, looks like Abe shocked Hillary and she was laughing. When he husband caused big gossip magazine rumors, some people lectured her about Japanese men's custom to calm her. Imagine when she heard Abe advertising his plan to promote women in Japan. Her stuffs will give info of Japan that include women ministers as she will not be nobody in USA.

Abe is probably trying to figure out how best to deal with President Clinton from January 2017.

And, Abe, of course, will still be around in 2017? What's the alternative? That guy from the DPJ?

And the next president of the United States! ( who could beat her? )

Maybe a politician with hardly any experience in national politics - say two years as a Senator. Or perhaps a Governor or US Representative involved in some political organizing. Perhaps a face with a thousand less wrinkles as it would only remind voters how old and deeply dependent upon Washington special interest Hillary is.

These two con-artists are made for each other. Match made in heaven!

I think a better caption for that photo should be:

Two Things Wrong with the World

"Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton"

And the next president of the United States! ( who could beat her? )

I think Hillary would have made a great President and I hope she runs in 2016... she'll have my vote.

And THIS would be the start of a monarchy in the US. Hillary would want to be Queen! There are better women suited to be president in the US than Hillary. She is way too polarizing and ONLY cares about her own political legacy rather than the country.

Hedging Hillary Rodham Clinton for next president is like to hedge Yen to do down 120.00 for one US dollar. It’s possible, but it won't be easy ride.

Back to Abe's highly tossed womenomics and gender equality in Japan, lots remind to be seen at this point. Hopefully, some needed reforms will come through from those sound-bite initiatives.

Bwahahahahahahahah! 2034? Yeah, it's still nearly a hundred years behind the rest of the modem world. Well done Abe! Once again you make a fool of yourself and your country!

You might want to recheck the definition of the word 'nepotism'. Bush Snr did not appoint his son president of the US and Ambassador Kennedy got her bachelor degree at Havard and her legal degree at Columbia. She has worked on the boards of several NPOs. What is it about her that you think disqualifies her to be ambassador?

Your point? Guys like Larry Summers (academic economist and former Harvard president) were wrong. George Bush graduated from Yale. Obama has wrecked the U.S economy and he was educated at Harvard & Yale. Do you really need a degree from Harvard and Colombia to simply be an Ambassador? Those with high profile names get unearned special treatment. Take Hillary Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, she does absolutely nothing but give public speeches. Yet gets around $600,600 as a special correspondent for a news channel. While hardly ever making an appearance.

It's too bad. I thought Hillary smart woman. But if she believe Mr Abe walk the walk then she is not so smart.

slumdogSep. 25, 2014 - 02:51PM JST While Hillary's fame is definitely due to who her husband his, her election to the senate was a choice of the people in that state. It had nothing to do with nepotism. If her husband directly appointed her to the senate, that would be nepotism. That is not what happened at all.

Except that she's a member of the Democratic party, and the Democractic party chooses which candidate to put on the ticket, not the people in the state.

And why was she put on the Democractic ticket? Because favours are owed to her husband. That's why it is nepotism rather than just fame.

JimizoSep. 25, 2014 - 09:06AM JST Makiko Tanaka was indeed Foreign Minister. Of course, in true LDP fashion, being the offspring of a former PM was vitally important. Gender isn't the only factor in discouraging and excluding new talent from entering Japanese politics.

Not just the LDP, and not just Japan. Bush Snr, Bush Jnr, and countless other examples in politics of blatant nepotism... including the current US ambassador who's only claim to fame is being related to an ex-President.

Too many people are pushing Hillary to be Dem Pres candidates and so she will be Dem Cand and maybe firstt female Pres as GOP do not have a candidate who can smile like Hillary.

Hillary will never be elected president. Not because of her sex but because of her cackle. The more you hear her fake, forced attempts at levity, the more irritating she becomes.

Besides she's the symbol of the old and tired 1960's feminism that is both extreme and hypocritical. She somehow allows her husband, along with his multiple mistresses, to publicly humiliate her time after time all the while doing nothing but 'standing by her man' because of the wealth and opportunity that she could glean by putting up with Bubba's shenanigans. She will put up with whatever is necessary in pursuit of her personal ambitions irrespective of her dignity and self respect. Hillary is old and tired. One Clinton was enough.

Abe is laying the groundwork for women's power both in business and politics. It is one of his responsibilities as PM. there are several female politicians who are ambitious to be PM such as Noda, Obuchi, Koike, and Inada maybe.