Voters angry and looking for change

I know if i could vote, i'd do it for DPJ. The LDP is a bastion of old money, old politics, and just straight old thinking. Time for change--even if it means to DPJ which I'm not actually inspired about but at least better than seeing the same old people running and destroying the govt.

I agree. Govenments have to change every now and again,to get change and keep it "fresh". Of course the DJP's first words in office will be "oh, we didn't know things were this bad." Time to clean out the cupboards and take out the trash.

"The party promises a more independent stand in world affairs, in contrast to the Liberal Democrats who were always Washington’s most dependable major ally."

An American wrote this article...

Lte's hope DPJ can deliver change for Japan!

Democratic Party of Japan, which promises to put more money in consumers’ pockets, cut wasteful spending

"put more money in consumers' pockets" actually means they'll let us keep more of our money

Yeah, I'm all for that, but don't try to take credit for putting my money in my pocket.

Aso urged us to spend money. Idiot. The good old days were when the Japanese saved 20% of their earnings. Now, they are approaching negative equity.

The Great Depression of the 1930s-40s ended because there was nothing left to buy and people had no choice but to save. This lead to relative prosperity.

"Cut spending" should be the mantra of the people as well as the politicians.

Lte's hope DPJ can deliver change for Japan!

Quite right. But I take comfort from knowing that the people who start revolutions often don't actually want to change very much. The very fact that the DPJ have, at the very least, a strong chance of winning, is a big enough change in itself. Whether it's conservative, liberal, radical or whatever, no party in a democracy should be able to arrange matters so that it can stay in power for half a century.

I really hope voters are "angry and looking for change" because I am not sure how much more of the same this country can take.

IMO - Most of the voters who want change will probably get cold-feet on election day, and they'll do what they have always done in the past.

Change has to start with the people before we can expect any government changes. But first, the J-Pubic need to be taught that change can be a good thing and it should be embraced and not feared.

It will be interesting to see what Japan does in this decade. If the 90's were the lost decade 2010-2020 could be the make it or break it decade.

2 lost decades so far...and counting

The Japanese should have been angry a long time before this. Better late than never I guess.

Then change the education system,the nepotism in politics,otherwise nothing will ever change here.

i havent heard of the term japan passing.....

tokyokawasaki is right. The LDP will most likely scrape home with its religious radical partners. Japanese people may actually lack the courage for change. are things bad enough in Japan yet? Maybe not bad enough yet. maybe it will take another 4 years.

tokyokawasaki is right. The LDP will most likely scrape home with its religious radical partners.

The LDP leaders don't even think that themselves, hence comments like:

"I'm battling a terrible headwind, please help me,"(Shizuoka LDP candidate Satsuki Katayama)

"It's not a headwind, it's a tornado. We could be blown away," (Junichiro Koizumi)

"A huge wave of the DPJ is sweeping over Tokyo. It looks like they could control the parliament under a one-party dictatorship." (Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano)

These people simply reek of defeatism. They haven't even got it in them to muster a bit of bravado and say they'll prove the polls wrong (even if they know they won't). If the LDP aren't getting everything handed to them on a plate as has always been the case in the past, they clearly have no idea how to handle it. Still, if they want to make comments like that I see no reason to doubt them, much less vote for them.

Japanese people may actually lack the courage for change. are things bad enough in Japan yet? Maybe not bad enough yet.

5 million unemployed, government spending spiralling out of control, boarded up shops everywhere you look, schools that teach failure and mediocrity, a bankrupted national pension scheme and a political crisis caused by a hopelessly divided legislature? How much worse do you think things have to get?

Here's The Great Helmsman, Comrade Taro himself:

"We have failed to make clear the virtues of conservatism. We regret that we haven't sent a clear message in recent years."

It's like he's saying, "You're angry and looking for change? Can't say I blame you, we're rubbish."

hellokitty

I am afraid that politicians now a days seem to think the way to fix all economic problems is to spend your way out.

I know my wife is voting for the opposition party... I told her about the American government's waste and fraud and she was pretty amazed.