Simon_Foston said...

Simon_Foston at 10:20 PM JST - 17th September

Best advice:Watch who you form coalitions with. Avoid the right wing theocrat Komeito crazies.

You should be giving that advice to New Komeito. They came out of that election much worse off than when they went into it because of their alliance with the LDP, which pretty much did whatever…

Posted in Aso cabinet expresses mixed feelings; offer advice for new gov't at 10:20 PM JST - 17th September
Simon_Foston at 08:05 AM JST - 17th September

Seriously, if he was only in office for a year how much of Japan's problems can truly be attributed to him, alone? You typically need to be in power for two or three years before the effects of your decisions really affect your voting base.

Quite right. There were quite…

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Simon_Foston at 12:39 AM JST - 17th September

I honestly don't know why New Komeito consistently get labeled as "crazies." What exactly is so crazy about them, other than Soka Gakai allegedly being cult-like? They don't sound that bad to me, although if they were willing to get into bed with the LDP there's clearly a lack of…

Posted in New Komeito might stop running for single seats in lower house poll at 12:39 AM JST - 17th September
Simon_Foston at 10:57 PM JST - 16th September

He wasn't the PM I thought he should have been, but I think he did a good job, especially considering the two PMs before him being lame.

Aso was easily as lame as either Fukuda (smart but weak) or Abe (stupid and weak). The best his government managed was a…

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Simon_Foston at 01:07 PM JST - 16th September

Aso did more helpful deeds in one year than Fukuda and Abe together.

That wouldn't really be difficult for anyone. Even so, I can't actually think of any helpful deeds he managed except finally running the LDP into the ground through continual flip-flopping and tactlessness.

Most people are pissed about…

Posted in Aso and cabinet resign en masse ahead of launch of DPJ-led gov't at 01:07 PM JST - 16th September
Simon_Foston at 04:52 PM JST - 15th September

why are these losers still getting time in the media ?

A lot of them will probably be frontbenchers in the LDP opposition, and if the DPJ really, really screw things up they could one day be Cabinet Ministers again. Assuming some of them haven't died of old age before…

Posted in Aso cabinet expresses mixed feelings; offer advice for new gov't at 04:52 PM JST - 15th September
Simon_Foston at 07:21 AM JST - 14th September

He seems decent,but soft.He is not the man to revive them tho.

My precise thoughts. The LDP needs someone who's able to either make the party elders follow his lead or kick them out, and who's willing to stay on after one or more election defeats. Making the LDP electable…

Posted in Ex-Finance Minister Tanigaki to run in LDP leadership race at 07:21 AM JST - 14th September
Simon_Foston at 10:30 PM JST - 10th September

Despite being a strong back bench politician (in terms of having a solid support base in his own electorate), Aso should never have tried for higher office.

Unfortunately with his political pedigree he probably thought it was his destiny to be Prime Minister, never mind that he never had any…

Posted in LDP would not have suffered big defeat if election held last fall: Aso at 10:30 PM JST - 10th September
Simon_Foston at 08:23 AM JST - 10th September

‘‘If we had held an election last fall, we couldn’t have devised economic measures to this extent,’’ Aso was quoted as saying. ‘‘There are some people even in the Democratic Party of Japan who understand that.’’

It seems that the voters didn't appreciate it very much, though.

Posted in LDP would not have suffered big defeat if election held last fall: Aso at 08:23 AM JST - 10th September
Simon_Foston at 10:28 PM JST - 9th September

So... who is it that have all these Upper House seats you are talking about? The Your Party? The Social Democratic Party? I don't think either have any seats at all, do they? The only people they could ally themselves with to get votes through is the Komeito, but that's…

Posted in DPJ coalition talks drag on; Aso to resign Sept 16 at 10:28 PM JST - 9th September