Simon_Foston comments

Posted in: Campaigning See in context

Sarge said,

Outspoken - What makes you think Hatoyama would be a better PM than Aso? Because he doesn't make as many mistakes reading kanji?

What makes you think he'd be a worse one? Oh wait, let me guess. The DPJ's foreign policy isn't as Republican-friendly?

Anyway, given that this is a man who probably hasn't had to drive himself anywhere since before he was conceived, seeing him pretending to be an ordinary joe on a commuter train is pretty laughable.

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Posted in: Campaigning See in context

I saw him in Majiro last night. Knocking back his scotch and smoking away.

Judging by that picture I'd guess he'd already knocked back a few by the time you saw him.

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Posted in: I have no record. I have no experience. But I have the passion to create a better Japan. See in context

In the good old days of LDP rule he wouldn't have needed experience, a record or any passion. With three generations of cabinet ministers behind him he'd be on the fast track for a cabinet post himself, and then all he'd have to do was whatever the bureaucrats in his ministry told him to.

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Posted in: Yukie Nakama draws curtain on trademark 'Gokusen' tracksuit See in context

Good. That programme absolutely stinks. It's hammy, over-acted, melodramatic, over-scored and intensely irritating, just like all the other garbage they have the insolence to call TV drama in this country.

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Posted in: Aso asks voters to stick with LDP because it has produced results See in context

Still this party has more to offer than the main opposition which has only vague promises and not even an outline on how to accomplish things.

I think that also describes the LDP's manifesto pretty well. As for what the LDP has to offer, seeing as they haven't managed to fulfill much more than half of their 2005 pledges, I'm not confident they can follow through on whatever they're promising this time.

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Posted in: Watanabe launches Your Party ahead of general election See in context

The first of many deserting a sinking ship during the month I would guess.

I think there will be a lot more LDP people bailing out after August 30th when the blame game begins.

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Posted in: Trouble in the hotel industry See in context

One big problem is that there are just SO many hotels, especially business hotels. I just fail to see how they could all be turning decent profits, when it's easy to find at least a dozen in a 1km radius in city centres, not to mention construction sites where they're busy building even more of the damn things.

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Posted in: Palin says Obama's health care plan is 'evil' See in context

"there is speculation she will seek the presidency in 2012"

This sends shivers down liberals' backs.

You really think so? I seriously doubt it.

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Posted in: Opposition DPJ says it's ready to stand up to U.S. See in context

Minshuto is going to lose.

Anything to base that opinion on? Other than "they're whiners who don't want to fight terrorists?"

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Posted in: LDP unveils campaign platform, hinting at sales tax hike See in context

An interesting comment was made by an LDP lawmaker, and quoted in The Japan Times yesterday - rather than risk getting tied down to promises they can't keep by stating how much their policies will cost, the LDP have no intention of putting price tags on their education and welfare plans. Really fills you with confidence, doesn't it.

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Posted in: Aso vows to pull Japan out of economic slump See in context

Making education cheaper is one smart idea. But Aso shouldn't just be talking about it. He should do it right away. They should also change the stupid university entrance system so that parents don't have to waste so much money on jukus, and they should stop bailing out unprofitable businesses that have no other means of survival than government hand-outs.

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Posted in: Japan can do without preaching on how to fix its economy See in context

I don't think it's particularly useful to compare the Aso and Hatoyama dynasties with a family that last produced a prime minister in the 1930s. Whatever (admittedly very big) problems Britain might have with its politicians, we don't have nearly as many hereditary politicians in the House of Commons as there are in Japan's House of Representatives, and we haven't had a one-party state since 1955.

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Posted in: Even if it works, U.S. shouldn't use torture See in context

If tortue saves US lives, then i guess it is fine by me.

Even if it strongly motivates terrorists to kill more US soldiers?

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Posted in: Support for Aso improving, poll shows See in context

Abe (former PM) made Japan a beautiful country, Aso making Japan Bright and Vibrant, LDP has produced many 'star' leaders and as such deserves such victories for another 50 years !

Abe was totally useless and Aso has failed to realise that spending one's way out of trouble has only caused bigger problems. Japan is no more beautiful, bright or vibrant than it was before the LDP chose these clowns to run the government. The LDP is only good at producing leaders who can come up with catchphrases and vague, empty rhetoric. They only win elections because they've rigged the election system. They don't deserve to win as much as the opposition deserve to lose.

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Posted in: Hatoyama claims donated money shows 'mother's love' for him See in context

If it's not reported or discussed, that 2 can be reduced to zero very easily. For the sake oft he government and the people, we need to focus on Ozawa and ensure the DPJ is smeared.

So... flagrant violations of political funding laws should only be investigated and prosecuted when they involve politicians you don't like?

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Posted in: Hatoyama claims donated money shows 'mother's love' for him See in context

Shukan Post reported earlier that Hatoyama’s mother and sister had made contributions of 1.5 million yen each to his fund-management organization, Shinsei-kai. The Political Fund Control Act limits the maximum donation by an individual to political organizations to 1.5 million yen. However, the same family members allegedly contributed an additional 4.5 million respectively to Shinsei-kai by funneling the funds through three separate dummy organizations.

This seems fine to me. Let's keep the focus on Ozawa.

I don't see how that's fine, personally. There are now TWO Cabinet ministers involved in receiving dodgy donations.

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Posted in: Do you believe some Japanese abductees are still alive in North Korea, and if you do, why do you think North Korea hasn't come clean on the issue? See in context

If the remaining abductees are still alive, I think the North Koreans could be holding out for an offer from Japan that's good enough for them to consider handing them back over. I suspect, however, that they're dead and that the Japanese government does at least suspect this as well. It probably suits various LDP politicians to pretend otherwise though, as I think they've got it into their tiny brains that talking tough about the abductees is a good vote-winner.

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Posted in: Workers rally See in context

The infamous pink rabbit, once the mascot of Nova...

A bit behind the times here, folks. NOVA's business got taken over by G.communication, and they still use the rabbit mascot on all their advertising.

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Posted in: Aso denies claims that he's 'lame duck,' damaging Japan's interests See in context

Sorry, everything in the above post from "Asao will not..." to "sitting at the backdoor." should be quoted. (Moderators, a way to edit posts here would be handy)

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Posted in: Aso denies claims that he's 'lame duck,' damaging Japan's interests See in context

Asao will not be going anywhere quick.

Both his party and the opposing party agree with this, and any discrepancies they may have. Despite noisy comments with the opposite opinion. The country is already in debate over Asao, it would be better to leave him there, where he does alright imo, than to have to take over the global mess that is sitting at the backdoor.

Then how come just about every time an opposition leader is in an interview they say they want Aso to call an election (presumably so they can kick the LDP's arses and throw him out of office)? How come there are LDP members on record as saying they want him to quit? Aso has no new ideas for solving Japan's problems, he's just re-hashing the same old LDP money politics they've used for 50 years to dupe provincial yokels into voting for them. I don't think he's doing all right at all.

He'll be gone by September, if not earlier, and good riddance to him. After that, Aso and the rest of the useless old twats from the LDP who have ruined Japan should be put in pillories so we can all throw rotten cabbages at them.

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Posted in: Poll: 71% want Aso to resign See in context

This is also an Asahi poll, so it would be interesting if another more right-leaning newspaper like the Yomiuri or Sankei did it; I suspect the numbers supporting Aso and the LDP would be higher. Sad.

Interestingly, the Daily Yomiuri carried the same story.

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Posted in: Cabinet ministers rally around Aso See in context

Whatever the Cabinet ministers might say is meaningless when seven LDP prefectural chapters have openly said they want a new party leader. Almost every day I read a comment by an LDP legislator saying Aso is rubbish and the party's a mess.

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Posted in: Opposition steps up pressure on Aso to resign See in context

The prime minister got a bit of good news Thursday, however. The Asahi, a major newspaper, released results of a survey that showed 30 out of 47 local ruling party chapters said the Liberal Democratic Party should keep Aso until elections are held, rather than sacking him and having another leader take over.

I wouldn't call the endorsement of a bunch of half-senile yokels good news. However, it's no bad thing if this serves to remind people that if they want someone to blame for this prize idiot becoming Prime Minister, they need look no further than their local LDP chapters and representatives.

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Posted in: Would you like to see Taro Aso replaced as Japan's prime minister, and if so, who do you think would do a better job? See in context

Desesperate times, need desesperate solutions, time for re-write the constitution and change the PM for a president that we can vote. Then maybe the politicians pay more attention to the needs of the voters.

The current situation highlights a more fundamental problem. The Japanese political system allows for a bicameral legislature in which one house is only really more powerful than the other while its biggest party has a two thirds majority. This isn't really a problem when the same party has majorities in both houses, of course, but that's not the situation at the moment and there's no way the LDP are going to control two thirds of the lower house even if they do manage a win in the next election. So there's more chaos on the way unless the DPJ win outright. Having said all that, a directly elected Prime Minister could be someone with the power to break ties, so it's not a bad idea.

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Posted in: Would you like to see Taro Aso replaced as Japan's prime minister, and if so, who do you think would do a better job? See in context

Would you like to see Taro Aso replaced as Japan's PM? No, we need entertainment and he provide most needed laughter in times of severe economic depression.

We need someone who has a coherent idea how to run a country properly and solve its problems. If I need to laugh at something I'll rent a comedy DVD. As matters stand I do not think any of the legislators who might be contenders for the PM's job have any commitment to making the changes that Japan needs as they seem to be completely blind to the country's most fundamental problems.

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Posted in: Finance minister under fire for sloppy behavior at G-7 meeting See in context

The sad thing is that as blundering, incompetent and drunk as Nakagawa may be, he's probably doing no worse a job than all those other finance ministers. He should still be fired though.

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Posted in: Lawmaker demands Aso apologize over his family's use of POW labor See in context

This Fujita guy (and a lot of people here) should focus on more important issues at hand. All the opposition is trying to do is destabilizing the current cabinet. I find that despicable.

Really? Why? That's what the parties that aren't in power do all the time. It's why they're called the opposition. Anyway, the Aso adminstration is doing a good enough job destablising itself without any help from the DPJ, and the sooner they're gone the better.

But anyway, Aso is never going to apologise for his family's actions in WW2. Apart from any other consideration, there's no way the LDP would want to antagonise all those war veterans' associations and right-wingers whose support they feel they need.

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Posted in: KAT-TUN to hold concerts on 7 straight nights at Tokyo Dome See in context

I find it nauseating that Japanese youth are duped into thinking these useless, effeminate posers are fashionable and attractive.

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Posted in: DJ OZMA drops his pants one last time for final show See in context

He's only famous in Japan. The world is very lucky.

In terms of popular entertainment the rest of the world has more taste. For sheer awfulness the Japanese entertainment industry takes the worst other countries have to offer and beats it hands down.

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Posted in: Aso says he is not planning snap election See in context

On the NHK news last night it was reported that the opposition proposed dissolving the lower house for a general election. They were voted down, of course, but one LDP lawmaker, Yoshimi Watanabe, voted on their side. I'm wondering if we'll hear more about this.

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