Noda says new cabinet is best lineup for the job

For Americans this is the same "Musical Chairs" game that is seen in politics from the smallest, insignificant town to Washington D.C. It is always a "blue ribbon panel" of the same people who were there six months ago, just sitting in different chairs. The difference between "Musical Chairs" and this situation is a chair is never removed from the game, so the same number of people just have new assignments. There is never a new person, and if there is one, that person is probably male and in the game for many years.

LDP is very sick. They are a party of "NO" Japanese version. They do not even want to open up a dialog with Noda. LDP is tanking your country. Wake up, Japanese.

Ren Ho is gone. Honestly, is there nothing left to look forward to in Japanese politics now?

Shuffle - that is a feature I have on my iPod. It plays all my music in a different order but at the end of the day, my music is still the same ditto for politics.

Don't wait until 2014... Start this April! 7% to get the ball rolling!

Noda has lost all credibility since his decision to go ahead with the Yanba dam. The DPJ declared that it is a waste of money, yet they carry on regardless. At the same time they want to raise my taxes and cut my salary, but for what? So they can throw the money away on more unnecessary constructions? I wonder if it's possible to be any more useless. I suppose we'll have to wait until the LDP get back in to find out.

Please Noda, just fix this mess. That is all we ask.

@Blair, very insightful analysis. Thank you.

Unite!

Together, you will be able to accomplish a "New Deal" for Japan, so that you will restore your confidence in your country that you always love. Take your country back to your own hands for your dream, hope and future. Do not ask what your country can do for you, instead you need to ask what you can do for your country (JFK quote). I wish all the best for Noda and his administration!!

if thats the case why didnt he pick these people to start with??

In September when Noda took the office, he was very careful about maintaining harmony within the party. He needed to please Ozawa, so Noda appointed (incompetent) Ichikawa and Yamaoka who are both from Ozawa group. Now it has become easy to get rid of Ichikawa and Yamaoka because of motion censuring and everything, and 8 members from Ozawa group have left DPJ and made a new party Kizuna (or whateva). Now Noda feels he doesn't need to please Ozawa any longer because Ozawa group is getting weaker within DPJ. Appointing Okada is a big thing against Ozawa since Okada has been highly critical of Ozawa. At a New Years Party, Noda said, "君子豹変す (A wise man changes his mind, a fool never) ;I'm no longer a careful safe driver, but I will do whatever best for the country!!!"

So until now the choices had not been optimal? What does that say about his decision making, and how do we know this is not just further lip-service? No doubt the next cabinet shuffle will be 'the best' as well.

"if thats the case why didnt he pick these people to start with??"

Because as a new PM the party politics at that moment probably dictated who was in line to be elevated to a cabinet position. Hopefully this tweaking of his cabinet will be successful. I'm not holding my breath though.

This probably is the best line-up the DPJ can offer.

The reshuffle was greeted with a political shrug by the opposition, with Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, telling reporters Noda had “only changed some faces to cover up his responsibility for having failed to pick the right person” in the first place.

It's just a matter of time before the LDP, and eventually Nobuteru Ishihara, are running the country. They'd probably better go along with a consumption tax rise first, and then blame anything negative about in years to come on the DPJ, Noda, and his former Finance Ministry pals.

The best of the "talent" available.... The words sinking ship jump to mind.

Noda says new cabinet is best lineup for the job

specify duration please. not more than six months, i guess.

Noda says new cabinet is best lineup for the job

if thats the case why didnt he pick these people to start with??