The longer Ozawa stays, the longer he reinforces the impression that political change is impossible — with the result that Japan might have to wait for wholesale generational change to advance reforms.
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Tobias Harris, a doctoral student in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, saying that Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa should do the honorable thing and resign for the benefit of Japan. (Newsweek)
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neverknow2
It is. Unless your father or grandfather was prime pinister, you're not likely to be prime minister yourself.
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stirfry
its not an impression, its a fact, borne out by 50 years of documented history
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LFRAgain
While I agree with Mr. Harris's sentiment, Ozawa resigning isn't going to make a dent in the political reality of Japan's defacto hereditary democracy. It's gonna' take a whole lot more than the Grand Old Toad stepping down for any impressions to change. Japan's been waiting for wholesale generational change since the end of WWII. The problem is these guys' families just keep having kids, and they just keep telling the kids that political power is a birthright.
The people of Japan need to get angry enough to effect real change. But if public resistance to the idea of lay juries is any indication, the public seems more than happy to pass of the heavy responsibility of governing a society to someone else, and won't do a darn thing to rock the boat, no matter how miserable they may be.
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Kronos
How is generational change going to come when most of the politicians hand their seats over to their sons? Being a politician is hereditary.
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