Diet in turmoil over tax vote delay, no-confidence motion

Noda has been Prime Minister of Japan since September of 2011. It's almost a year now. I wouldn't mind letting him expire like a magazine subscription.

I am not sure if this is an "all sound and fury signifying nothing" type thing or not. As best I can tell, there is technically nothing that the opposition can do to stop this law from comming into force short of voting against it, which would be bad for the country and make they look even more hypocritical than they already are. I guess down the road, they could really gum things up till they get their way.

Anybody got a different take?

It may be off topic but I believe this Asahi newspaper poll is very accurate and nearly speaks for the whole population of Japan. It's like if you want to know the average height of a Japanese person, you certainly don't have to measure the height of every Japanese in Japan. (128,000,000) Of course measuring 10 or even a 100 people won't be enough but if you measure the heights of 3,000 or even 2,000 people, that should be sufficient I believe. I did find out that this Asahi poll is based on 2,821 computer generated telephone calls with a valid response of 1,540. (55%).

22% vs 23% when 45% declined to answer at all?

Japan and America are both the nations of capitalism and democracy. But a big difference exists between the two countries. If it is America, they cut taxes to boost economy and cut excessive social welfares. Which is a good country? I don't know.

Noda has been Prime Minister of Japan since September of 2011. It's almost a year now. I wouldn't mind letting him expire like a magazine subscription.

But who would replace him? I don't see any particularly qualified candidates, do you?

I sure don't know who will replace him . Hopefully not Ozawa.

Harry_Gatto,

But who would replace him? I don't see any particularly qualified candidates, do you?

I've seen several trained monkeys on TV variety shows that qualify. i.e. It doesn't really matter who the prime minister is. They don't seem to be running the country as much as trying to keep their parties afloat. As the past five prime ministers have shown:

Shinzo Abe - September 2006 - September 2007

Yasuo Fukuda - September 2007 - September 2008

Taro Aso - September 2008 - September 2009

Yukio Hatoyama - September 2009 - June 2010

Naoto Kan - June 2010 - September 2011

Yoshihiko Noda - September 2011 - one more month?

Noda's one year in office is coming to a close. Neither the opposition nor the voters have any substitute in mind. (Except Ozawa who has Ozawa in mind.)

I have no-confidence in the DPJ... they are just throwing wrenches into the works in order to get into power, I wish the people could see this, they are only looking to get into power and not looking out for Japan.

“If the bills are enacted, Noda needs to go to the people and set things right,”

I REALLY HATE tanigaki, the guy is a no good weasel!

I mean decades of the LDP have put Japan on a train to no where & track is running out, if this twit thinks they can right things, clearly Japan is no where close to see even dim star light at the end of the never ending tunnel we are in, we are still headed to oblivian!

Oh, for F's sake!!! It is very clear what is wrong with this country! Their so-called 'leaders' are nothing but a bunch of bickering children! This country has no leadership and I vote 'no confidence' in the bunch of wankers! Meanwhile, the country's economy slips further into depression. Grow up!

Politicians destroying the country built on the blood sweat and tears of mom and pop Tanaka

Close to 1 year terms for each of the last 6 politicians, this goose is gone very soon (use by date fast approaching), then they can choose mickey mouse and no one would notice anyhting different in the running of the country, and in fact all any of these politico's have done is run the country into the GROUND.

Doesnt matter who is PM it only a shambolic figure head, oops i mean symbolic figure head.

It's not just Japan, this is a problem that plagues most of the developed nations of the world. We, the people are to blame. We have sit by in cold comfort while the game of politics have become populated with self serving men of no honor or moral integrity. We have been too busy buying another car or big screen TV to notice the slow decline of true leaders who could not weather the back stabbing and public character assignation that they and their families were subjected to by the political machine that has took on a life of its own. Things will not change until you and I are in enough discomfort to take notice.

Hopefully not Ozawa.

One has to remember that Ozawa'a new party does not have enough members to control either house of parliament. The only way that he could be elected is if, and it's a HUGE if, the party that wins the upcoming election chooses him as an alternative candidate. That happened when Murayama was chosen to be the PM a number of years ago.

We need to pay more taxes. It is the patriotic thing to do.