Simon_Foston said...

Simon_Foston at 11:31 PM JST - 1st September

Guaranteed, if the current economic downturn, caused 100% by gaikoku, had never happened, Minshuto would still be an opposition party.

When you say "gaikoku" I assume you're referring specifically to Bill Clinton and the US Democrats.

As for Minshuto and opposition, do you honestly think the LDP could have sustained…

Posted in Hatoyama to create economic recovery post at 11:31 PM JST - 1st September
Simon_Foston at 11:24 PM JST - 31st August

Talk about not getting it! Taro-sama, it is not necessarily the party that the Japanese people detest; it is you! Just in case it still hasn't sunk in, you lost because of your arrogance, blindness, stupidity and complete lack of humanity.

Well, Aso was quite popular until he became Prime…

Posted in Calls already coming in for fast action after DPJ sweeps LDP out of power at 11:24 PM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 10:52 PM JST - 31st August

Aso can't take the sole blame for the disaster that's befallen the LDP. He might have had some success at bringing Japan out of recession but to people who are more concerned about jobs, salaries, healthcare and pensions that kind of thing is pretty abstract and unimportant. Moreover he failed…

Posted in Aso says he will step down as LDP president at 10:52 PM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 01:40 PM JST - 31st August

Yeah, they're gone!: Nakagawa, Ota, Machimura, Yanagisawa

How did they possibly win?: Mori, Abe, Koizumi Jr.

When these guys got kicked out: Yosano, Fukuda

Yosano and Machimura got elected in their PR blocks having lost their single-member district seats, whereas Fukuda did actually win in his constituency. But I want…

Posted in DPJ crushes LDP in landslide victory; Hatoyama certain to become next PM at 01:40 PM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 12:32 PM JST - 31st August

In my opinion, the only time a political party in Japan has run the country well, was when they left all the decisions to the experts, ie the technocracy of the post-war showa era. Politicians are generally incapable of running a country, and why shouldn't they be? The skills needed…

Posted in DPJ crushes LDP in landslide victory; Hatoyama certain to become next PM at 12:32 PM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 12:26 PM JST - 31st August

The DPJ will indeed need to move fast. The House of Councillors election is coming up next year, and if the voters don't feel some positive changes by then the LDP could make a recovery and regain the majority they lost in 2007. Then Japan would be stuck with the…

Posted in Calls already coming in for fast action after DPJ sweeps LDP out of power at 12:26 PM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 08:56 AM JST - 31st August

The question is will the LDP come back from this thrashing or the religious nutters of the Komeito party. One hopes not. Hope they go the way of the Repubulican party in the USA and basically become a sad and in poor taste joke.

A very interesting question it is…

Posted in DPJ crushes LDP in landslide victory; Hatoyama certain to become next PM at 08:56 AM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 07:49 AM JST - 31st August

Aso stressed that for the ‘‘rebirth’’ of the LDP, the party needs to listen to the views of local supporters.

That's what they've been doing all along, instead of thinking about what's good for the country as a whole, and look where it got them. They need to listen to…

Posted in Aso to quit as LDP chief to take blame for election defeat at 07:49 AM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 07:44 AM JST - 31st August

Well, anyone who thought the DPJ were going to lose must be feeling a bit silly. I'm not that optimistic about them personally, but I do think that when the same party is consistently returned to power for most of 54 years, something suspicious and unhealthy is going on. The…

Posted in DPJ crushes LDP in landslide victory; Hatoyama certain to become next PM at 07:44 AM JST - 31st August
Simon_Foston at 11:56 PM JST - 30th August

Well said - the LDP needs several years in the political wilderness to reform itself before it gets back any credibility, esp if the DPJ can smash the power of the bureaucracy.

Right. Every healthy political party needs at least one period in opposition to stay competitive. The LDP are…

Posted in Voting under way in general election with DPJ favored to end LDP rule at 11:56 PM JST - 30th August