Japan Elections Exciting Preview!

[GTJ]

Here's a "sneak preview" of the upcoming elections.

YouTube - GENERAL ELECTION JAPAN

If only they were this exciting... lord knows we'll probably get another shite PM who's just going to ignore the economy, pass more laws to make it harder for foreigners to get in, kick out more Nikkei Brazilians, and keep going to Yasukuni shrine to piss off the rest of Asia.

Dammit, Japan...

[lizzey]

I have heard about this election is really important for Japan.
Thanks for the link. I wonder which party is going to win. You know how politics works, things don't happen as promise.

[Skuu]

I'll be there during the campaign and election, looking forward to following the media and the politics.

From my outsider perspective (just reading Japan Times) it seems that neither of the main parties are particularly cared for, the DPJ actually being itself spoilt over corruption issues, but the LDP is hated far more.

The only major policy difference I've read is that the DPJ is asking for a much higher carbon emission cut. (like 25% to LDP's 8% or something).

Thanks for starting this thread.

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by Skuu

From my outsider perspective (just reading Japan Times) it seems that neither of the main parties are particularly cared for

From what I heard, there is a possibility that both DPJ and LDP might be collapsed with their own reasons after the election.

DPJ: poor leadership and too diversed sub-factions without firm agreements.
LDP: poor organization and growing internal insecurity.

We will never know right now but it doesn't look very positive in this desparate situation.

[Skuu]

Originally Posted by komitsuki

From what I heard, there is a possibility that both DPJ and LDP might be collapsed with their own reasons after the election.

DPJ: poor leadership and too diversed sub-factions without firm agreements.
LDP: poor organization and growing internal insecurity.

We will never know right now but it doesn't look very positive in this desparate situation.

Yeah it's similar to the UK's current political position. Neither party is particularly respected and both are making stupid promises just to get elected.

What do you think of the Socialist party, whatever it's called? I think I read some of their policies and they sounded like a genuine reasonable alternative.

[GTJ]

Yeah it's all going to pot. A very scary situation.

And do you know why?

Ask ANY person under the age of 50 in Japan one little thing about politics. They will immediately respond with "ぁ、政治に興味ない！”(seiji ni kyoumi nai!), "I have no interest in politics!"

Hardly a one of them even so much as gives a rat's ass, which means none of them vote. Which means, guess who's left to vote? Old people with old ways of thinking. They vote for similar people. Who vote for similar PMs. It's the 21st century, Japan, it's time to start moving forward in your thinking a little (and let the foreigners in so we can boost your effing economy).

So strange; many times in the past (Sengoku pd, Edo pd, the Meiji pd), Japan's society has been capable of MASSIVE adaptations and cultural changes. Why can't they pull it off now?
Sigh. I'd better not get too worked up or I'll never stop.

[Sangetsu]

So Japan will vote in a new crop of pampered and corrupt empty suits to replace the current crop. Is it any wonder why so few people bother to vote? People here have been waiting to see what "change" is occurring in America after last year's election, and they are not surprised to see that there hasn't been any. American war spending is now higher than it was when Bush was in office, the troops are still in Iraq, and health care reform is progressing as well as it did back in 1991.

The only thing election season means to people in Japan are speaker trucks, posters, and the usual speeches detailing the usual promises, which, as usual, are never kept. Instead of wasting time and expense on elections, the names of qualified people should be put into a hat. Kimu Taku can put draw the lucky winner on "Cooking with SMAP", then at least the majority of people in Japan will be watching and will know who the prime minister and other ministers are without having to do an internet search. And maybe the country will end up with a leader who doesn't have to sell his soul to the highest bidders to get "elected".

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by Sangetsu

So Japan will vote in a new crop of pampered and corrupt empty suits to replace the current crop. Is it any wonder why so few people bother to vote?

The only thing election season means to people in Japan are speaker trucks, posters, and the usual speeches detailing the usual promises, which, as usual, are never kept. Instead of wasting time and expense on elections, the names of qualified people should be put into a hat. Kimu Taku can put draw the lucky winner on "Cooking with SMAP", then at least the majority of people in Japan will be watching and will know who the prime minister and other ministers are without having to do an internet search. And maybe the country will end up with a leader who doesn't have to sell his soul to the highest bidders to get "elected".

Yes.

People here have been waiting to see what "change" is occurring in America after last year's election, and they are not surprised to see that there hasn't been any. American war spending is now higher than it was when Bush was in office, the troops are still in Iraq, and health care reform is progressing as well as it did back in 1991.

No.

I take it from your other posts you're not living in America? I've come back to America for a few months back in May. I'm headed back to Japan in a few weeks, but I've had time to see what the President has been doing: a lot. Can you take a second to appreciate the sheer amount of f*ckups he's got on his place from the Bush administration to fix? The economy, healthcare, and the war are the big ones.

The war, he's "fixed". The troops will be out within a year. It's already passed in congress, it's done.

Healthcare is what he's tackling right now. In the beginning, the AMA was severely against his proposals, but now they're backing him fully. The bills are in congress right now, the only problem is congress wants to take their vacation so they don't think they can finish working on them by then. Lazy punks. Many (retarded) people are screaming and crying and calling the President a socialist and complaining about national healthcare. Well, it's not like privatized healthcare has done a whole lot of good, and he's NOT socialist, but if he WERE... it's not like capitalism has done us a whole lot of good, looking at the current situation, now has it? Irresponsible people are given too much power and too much freedom. But that's another discussion.

The economy is slowly getting better in America, and in other parts of the world, too. The President and his cabinet are working hard on that, and I hear new news about it every day. It took us years to get into this mess, he said, and it's going to take more than just a few months to get us out.

What kind of instant pudding-type magic were you expecting? At least he's doing GOOD, not going the opposite direction and ignoring his country's needs like the previous administration.

Most young Japanese people I know whine and complain, asking why they can't have a PM like Obama. Why? Because they DON'T VOTE. That's why.
*I* voted.