JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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- Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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shimajiro
Obama's RX for the economy comes with a big dose of populism. Targetted redistribution can alleviate suffering but the broad brush soak-the-rich sort is not going to grow the economy and may well hurt. Furthermore his support for protectionism, unionization, regulation, unfunded mandates on employers, taxes on "windfall" corporate profits and higher personal taxes are a toxic brew that risk cutting the economy's growth potential and increasing inflationary pressures. . In the short term the Fed is going to have much more influence over the economic cycle than the president. In the longer term, rising productivity is the way to lift the standard of living. The government can best achieve this by improving the quality of primary and secondary education and engaging with the world via, dare I say it, globalization. Unfortunately Obama's not well positioned to take on the teacher's unions which, IMO, are an impediment to change in our schools nor the manufacturing unions. Greater investment in a broken system isn't going to produce the kind of improvement we need. . McCain's gas holiday is also economic populism that does him no credit. Expanding economic liberty through cuts in the overall level of taxation are a great aspiration but they must be "paid for" by cuts in government expenditure or a slowing the growth of economic expenditure relative to the growth of the economy. Increasing government borrowing to pay for tax cuts is misconcived. McCain needs to have the courage of his convinctions to sell the idea of immigration reform and work to assimilate the millions of illegal aliens. Like Obama, he has the unfortunate habit of trying to find scapegoats for American's economic ills - too often bogeymen such as "foreigners" or "corporations". . In terms of energy, the eco-friendly alternatives that Obama espouses are important for the future but will fall far short of our need in the near and even intermediate term. IMO, McCain is right to champion nuclear. A carbon tax can be used to limit the production of pollution to socially-desirably levels. . Lastly McCain needs to place more emphasis on improving the affordability and portability of health insurance - especially by making the government smarter about the way it procures medical care and empowering consumers. The government's "investment" level is alaready more than sufficient.
Posted in: Obama slams McCain, Bush on economy, gasoline prices
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shimajiro
To the extent that they reflect underlying supply and demand, high relative prices for oil is a good thing. It will spur exploration and exploitation of previously marginal fields and provide an incentive for consumers to economize and spur R&D into energy subsitutes. A side benefit of higher prices is that it ought decrease the production of pollution and increase energy efficiency. If the price stays high for long enough it will permanently alter consumption habits.
Unfortunately too many countries, China, Iran and Iraq among them, are dampening the market's price signal.
Posted in: In U.S. Congress, gas prices trump global warming
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shimajiro
To talk or not to talk to one's is too stark a dichotomy. The US and Iran already "talk" today - through intermediaries and low- and intermediate-level diplomats. IMO, direct talks between the heads of state should not be ruled out but neither should they be unilaterally granted. That's where I part company with Obama who would dispense with "preconditions". Normalized relations are a uaseful bargaining chip that shouldn't be squandered. Both candidates' positions could do with a bit more, er, "nuance".
Posted in: McCain, Obama both say Iran is other's weakness
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shimajiro
Most of Sen. Clinton's supporters will "come home" to the Democratic nominee come November - McCain's support for a continued presence in Iraq and free trade and his opposition to abortion will see to that. But McCain may be able to peel away a significant minority of the disaffected, or keep them on the sidelines. Depite the efforts of Sen. Obama and the Dems to paint him as Bush, Sen. McCain's an altogether different sort of Republican with the potential for cross-over appeal. What's more he knows that he's not going to be able win by simply rallying his base a ala GWB. Hispanics, whites, women, blue collar workers and Catholics who could have been reliably counted on to pull the lever for Clinton may give McCain a look if he makes a decent outreach.
Obama's got to guard against the kind of hubris that toppled Clinton. His recent comment that he'll be president come the the 2012 Olympics should be setting off alarm bells.
Posted in: Clinton ends campaign, urges supporters to work to elect Obama
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shimajiro
Choosing Hillary would make him look weak and undermine his claim both to be a post-partisan uniter and a change agent. I think he'd be wiser to someone to shore up support in a electorally rich swing state or among Hispanics. Wouldn't hurt if his selection had managerial, military and FP experience to boot.
Posted in: Obama, Clinton meet to discuss how to unite Democrats
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shimajiro
Certainly Mcain's should be comfortable with the free-wheeling format after the months he's logged on the Straigh Talk Express. Obama and/or his campaign seem to prefer a more stage-managed presence. In any case, McCain is right to want to try to find ways to mix things up - he's trailing - and try to influence the conditions under which he and Obama debate. Obama risks looking bad if he declines and getting caught in a a conservative/defensive posture where he's trying to avoid making mistakes. I think that hurt HRC early in her primary campaign.
Posted in: McCain challenges Obama to join him in 10 town hall meetings
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shimajiro
Congrats to Mr. Obama. He's run a smart primary campaign, culminating in one of the biggest upsets in recent U.S. political memory. He had help from the Clinton's misteps and fawning media coverage, of course, but he's an attractive figure. Certainly, that the next president will be neither a Bush nor a Clinton.
Obama's resume is pretty thin for a presidential aspirant but his personal story is inspiring and he's bright, young, handsome and charming. Surprising to some both in- and outside the U.S. his race has been a political asset.
Even if the political environment seems to favor a generic Democrat this election year, much less a Messiah figure, McCain can be heartened by Barak's underdog story.
Posted in: Obama seals Democratic nomination; Clinton seeks VP slot
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shimajiro
Aside from satisfying natural curiosity about the universe and man's place in in it, space exploration has led to discoveries that provide us insight into Earth's past, possible future(s) and present day climate challenges. I think there's a good case to me made that private, voluntary organizations like The Planetary Society could/should play a larger role in the financing of space exploration but I think government stil has a role. I would like to see white elephants like the International Space Station abandoned to fund more robotic missions like the Phoenix spacecraft.
Posted in: NASA spacecraft lands on Mars
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shimajiro
Congrats to NASA on the first successful "soft landing" on Mars since the Viking missions. Robotic missions such as Viking and Phoenix are much more cost-effective than the manned orbital missions it devotes so much of its resournces on.
Posted in: NASA spacecraft lands on Mars