The Western World

A drunk, a crook, and a politician walk into a bar...

...and then he asked the bartender for a drink.

Could it be that we are finally in the last days of PM Aso's (pronounced A$$hole) government?  Another great article by Bill Pesek.

Bloomberg: Five Reasons for Japan’s Leaders to Get Drunk: William Pesek

He certainly doesn't sugar coal things.

Things will get far worse. You know an export-driven economy is in trouble when exports plunged an unprecedented 13.9 percent last quarter. The collapse in demand for Corolla cars and Bravia televisions comes as the G-7 says the global slump will last for much of 2009. It’s probably more like 2010, too.  Big losses are forecast at Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., all of which are firing thousands of workers. That will accelerate the drop in household spending and deepen the recession. The current quarter could be even uglier.

Of course the event that may finally have tipped things over has become an internet sensation of it's own.  Finance Minister Nakagawa's drunken press conference is a warm happy memory I will take to my grave.

Obama supporter manju

Saw these manju (Japanese confections made with red bean paste) in Akasaka yesterday. Kind of speechless.
Text reads "Obama-city (the town with a name that is pronounced the same as Obama's last name) self proclaimed support manju.
In the lower left corner is a picture of Japanese PM Aso, a well known and disliked neo-fascist who may soon join the ballooning ranks of Japanese unemployed.

T minus seven days.

Just one moe week to the most significant transfer of power in the last decade. I have to admit to getting a bit aprehensive lately. We asked for change and got what we wanted, but are we really up to the challenges ahead? Expectations for a new President Obama are far more than are realistic. Particulary in the international arena. So much so, I fear that speculation that the flare up in Gaza is a petulant last kick from both sides before the percieved new hall monitor comes into the room. Is that really possible?
The President-elect has a background as a community organizer, which the US needs on a national level. But will he be able to move the elite players in Washington as well? Will he even try?

I remain cautiosly optimistic about the future. I also wonder about how I will fit into a new world order.

The most lame of all ducks.

 

No not him.

Who could possibly be less popular than him?  Unless of course you mean the immensely unpopular, much maligned prime minister of Japan, Taro Aso (pronounced Ass-Hole).

One of the strongest, most developed countries in the world, Japan faces deep problems as serious as those faces by the other declining nations.  Still it is head-shaking unbelievable how disassociated with reality the leadership of Japan can be.  The problems of Japan, the real problems, lie ahead, not behind as many in the ruling party seem to believe.

But there seems to be little hope that Japan will find the leadership it needs to navigate the country into a path with a future.  The LDP lies rotting on the seat of government, but the opposition is no better.  And the politicians treat the system and the future of the people of Japan with little more than contempt.

Truly stuff that would make the Governor of Illinois proud.

AP: Japanese PM rejects calls for resignation