Sunday, December 28, 2008

In representative government there is compact between governors and the governed in essence one needs the other. In Japan this compact had worked until the bursting of the economic bubble in the 1990's which led to a 10 year economic malaise. Finally at the dawn of a new millennium the Japanese economy began a slow and difficult recovery. Junichiro Koizumi helped to orchestrate the recovery through small but needed reforms. After six years in office Koizumi vacated the office of Prime Minister to be followed by Shinso Abe, Yasuo Fukuda and Taro Aso the current Prime Minister. These three men have been failures with Aso the biggest one of all.

With the on set of the world economic crisis in September Aso acknowledged that its effects good heavily damage Japan's export economy. November arrives and the situation is deteriorating at an alarming rate Aso and the Liberal Democrats(LDP) propose an economic stimulus package which is never introduced for passage by the Diet. Why? Because the LDP no longer controlled both houses of Parliament for the first time since the end of World War II. That didn't matter because the Japanese Constitution accommodated this by allowing for a second vote in the Diet thereby enacting the legislation because a single party held a majority in that body.
With no economic stimulus on the horizon and thousands losing their jobs Aso and his government seem to be paralyzed and incapable of leading. That is what Japan needs a leader.
Yet Aso and the other members of Japan's ruling elite no matter where one casts their net leaders cannot be found. There is no Barrack Obama or anyone like him involved in politics at the national level in Japan.

Without a change in how politics is done in Japan the country will continue to produce leaders who are incapable of doing just that. Its time for the people of Japan rise up at levels of civil society and force these changes upon the ruling class through the ballot box.

I know its wishful thinking but dreaming is OK isn't

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