"Andy Warhol politics"

The Pink Paper pretty much nailed the feeling, if not the reality, of what Gerald Curtis called a creative destruction era of Japanese politics (I do wonder though, what is creative about it?) and the revolving-door prime ministership:

The situation is so dire that Japan – still one of the most prosperous and technologically advanced economies in the world – is now routinely underestimated... ...Perhaps more alarmingly, many of its own people seem resigned to being second best. Financial Times

Some of the folks I talk to believe that second best is unrealistically optimistic (edited to add: meaning that the sense of resignation is very real.)

Blogger spell check does not recognize prime ministership as a word. It does suggest however, ministers-hip.

MangaMan still has it

He's not just a soon to be gone (not gone enough, though) gaffe-prone goof:

Prime Minister Taro Aso drew quick fire Saturday after he told a Yokohama gathering of young people the "elderly have no talents other than working."

Speaking at a meeting of the Junior Chamber International Japan, Aso pointed out the differences between youths and seniors, saying, "It would be too late if you (meeting participants) learned to play after the age of 80." Japan Times*

If the LDP is still around in 60 years, those now young folks could go into politics when they reach that age, or is 80 too young for a leadership position?

One should not take this stuff the wrong way though, as it was just Aho's way of encouraging the elderly to remain active. And we know that man is no fool---he could never have achieved his position by being an idiot of some sort.

*Good luck on loading the Japan Times if you have to wait for the new ad which pop-up blockers block. On Firefox it takes 2-3 minutes to load if for some stupid reason I decide to wait. Great idea Japan Times. Who "thought" that up?

But can they understand

Japanese food?

Apart from its economic might, Tokyo is counting on its culinary finesse to woo International Olympic Committee specialists scrutinising its bid to host the Summer Games in 2016. AFP

That was the charge against Michelin when their restaurant rating guide gave Tokyo restaurants such high ratings a few years ago. Some of the more arrogant snobs here claimed that non-Japanese could not possibly understand Japanese food well enough to judge it.* Foreigners could come here and eat foul, slimy, smelly garbage and not know it!**

While on the subject of the Olympics, I was watching the news last week and one program showed Aso speaking in English. They then cut to some blond lady who was in some way connected with the Olympics and she said "The fact that the Japanese prime minister is willing to speak in English is an asset for Japan." I don't really get that, but it seems a bit idiotic to me, and I am quite knowledgeable about things idiotic, according to the resident commie pinko. Knowing how the Olympic process has worked in the past, I would assume that the ability to fork over large globs of money to certain influential folk in the decision making process is perhaps a bigger asset than the language ability of a country's leader.

*Perhaps that's why the "specialists" were treated to Italian at Restorante Aso. Yes, "Aso".

**I am not passing judgment on natto. Honest. It cleans your blood, after all.

Just back from a much delayed and shortened trip out of Tokyo and found this:

The Japanese government has acknowledged for the first time that Allied prisoners during World War II were made to work at a coal mine owned by the family of Prime Minister Taro Aso, contradicting his longstanding denials. NYT

Poor Mr. Aso gets kicked yet again when he's down. After this stunning news flash, one wonders what will be next. Will Rush Limbaugh admit that there might possibly be some connection to human activities and global warming? I'll miss that however, unless it also makes the "news."

Then, after reading the above NYT article, I was pleased to learn at another site that although the US is up to its neck in debt to China, that debt gives China no political influence in Washington. You see, any sudden sell-off of that debt would hurt China as much or more than the US. Thank goodness, for that seems to be what the US, and a large part of the global economy is based on. Sorta of a 21st century Mutual Assured Destruction among the US, China, and Japan only this time based on mutual destruction of economies instead of destruction by nuclear war.

We certainly have no reason to ever consider that a country might see a need to do something considered illogical and suicidal. There could never be a situation in which that country may feel that the supposedly illogical and suicidal choice is its best or only alternative. Such a thing has never, ever happened in history. Besides, those folks watching over the financial system in the US and throughout the world know what they are doing.

Although that little tidbit was from an anonymous comment on an interesting post at Observing Japan, I doubt that it is a rarely held opinion. I have used such thoughts to reassure myself about the huge debt the US owes to China and Japan, but somehow, I still feel just a little worried.

MangaMan explains why the markets dropped Thursday

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said Thursday the U.S. bank bailout is "insufficient" and is contributing to the renewed plunge in global stock markets.

"Since it was insufficient, the market is again falling sharply," Aso told lawmakers at the upper house budget committee in parliament. The committee was wrapping up talks on a supplementary budget aimed to help struggling small- and mid-sized firms amid an economic downturn. AP

There it is. Simple as that. MangaMan did not do the US the favor of explaining exactly what needs to be done as he had to hurry off to the comic book store.

Strangely, some fools in the US and elsewhere who may actually have some clue of what they are talking about have said that since banks are charging each other less for overnight loans that it indicates some easing of the credit crisis. Other imbeciles are saying that the most recent volitility is due to recession fears. All of these goofballs would be wrong. MangaMan knows the deal.