gmfranc comments

Economies are like oil supertankers; you turn the rudder and then wait for the ship to respond. It does so slowly and the time it takes to complete the turn depends upon not only the turn of the rudder but factors such as local currents, winds and the like. The Obama administration has been in office for 10 months, trying to counter a global momentum built up from years of mismanagement and outright neglect prior, including unchecked profiteering by Wall Street, the draining cost of an unjust war and uneven global trade practices. While I do not agree with several of the administration's policies nor follow-up on those policies, it is too soon to judge the administration's results. The writer of this article is merely catering to public angst rather than engaging in responsible journalism.

Fox has a valid point in this continuing argument. Most of the programming objectionable to the Obama administration is editorial programming, rather than news programming. While these programs are formatted as news programs, anyone capable of analysis would recognize the comments and materials as expressing personal opinion. The last time I looked that aspect of freedom of speech is still protected under the US constitution. While I do not agree with Fox's commentaries, they are well within their rights to forward them. I would suggest that the administration limit appearances by non-policy makers to true news programs and vigorously pursue misrepresentations made in those news casts if any should appear - and that applies to any station, not just to Fox. Policy makers should appear on editorial shows to provide balance against ill-informed or intentionally skewed opinion on major issues (assuming there is balamce to be had of course). In response to accusations made by some posters against our neighbors to the north, Fox News was never banned by Canada. Fox News Canada was granted licenses/permission to commence broadcasting by the Canadian RTC on both Dec 14, 2000 and Nov 18, 2004. In both instances, Fox announced its intention not to implement the Fox News Canada service. Fox news is carried on major Canadian cable services, though Shaw has allowed subscribers to opt out of Fox in favor of other channels in response to remarks made by Fox personnel concerning Canadian troops deployed overseas. This is a matter of public record and could have been checked by anyone of intelligence and integrity.

The abduction of a child and denial of access to parents not proven unfit is kidnapping. Japan by its laws condones and facilitates the practice, placing it well at the bottom of my respect list, especially for a G7 country. The welfare and best interests of the child(ren) should be the paramount concern of any modern person, especially since the child(ren) legally has no voice of his/her own. There is sufficient scientific research demonstrating the importance of both parents in a child's life that only the willfully blind could argue that the Japanese situation is in the best interests of the child. As to whether Japan should change its laws to make some accommodation to the laws of other countries, the answer is yes. We do so in treaties regarding reciprocal enforcement of judgments, extradition, trade, etc. To hold otherwise is to say that it is OK to kidnap or kill as long as you can make it across the border in time, a proposition I believe none of us would support. And that this is the way it is done in Japan for Japanese is no counter argument ... if it were, we would ourselves justify supporting the continuation of slavery or child labor or the lack of rights for women to vote and so on ... "Well, that's just the way it is". Still, I agree that the situation is unlikely to change soon, despite diplomatic pressure, as the Japanese seldom change anything without a direct threat to their pocketbooks.