Comments on Observing Japan: Conservatives, Clientelists, and Koizumians

After reading your article in FEER, I reluctantly ...

2008-12-06T21:11:00.000+09:00

After reading your article in FEER, I reluctantly agree that the LDP is dangerously adrift and heading for breakup. The only hope it seems to me is for a crisis that will unite the party under someone who can take advantage of the opportunity to lead the party out of its miasma - someone like Barack Obama who the American people hope will lead the country out of its economic crisis. Yosano Kaoru may be that future leader though he obviously lacks appeal to the LDP membership at present. Recently, I ran across a short article that pointed out that Japan has the worst cumulative fiscal deficit on a per capita basis among the advanced economies of the world. Despite his lack of affiliation with a top faction, Yosano's fiscal reconstruction platform may put him in a good position should the fiscal situation lead to an acute crisis in the near future.

Nice post, Tobias. I was at a conference last wee...

2008-12-05T05:12:00.000+09:00

Nice post, Tobias. I was at a conference last week with Steve Reed, and Reed bet everyone that the LDP would break up before the next election, largely because few people (especially "Koizumians" would want to run under the LDP label again. The party has run out of tricks, he said. Dumping Aso won't be enough.

Nobody took him up on the bet, because we all agreed with him.

nice one MTC,lol!

2008-12-04T17:41:00.000+09:00

nice one MTC,lol!

Anonymous - Mr. Harris knows damn well what is in ...

2008-12-04T11:40:00.000+09:00

Anonymous -

Mr. Harris knows damn well what is in between the covers of Scheiner's book.

http://www.observingjapan.com/2008/02/recommended-book-democracy-without.html

That he has read it and still sees signs of terminal failure demonstrates the dire situation of the LDP.

Cheers

I would love to recommend you a book to read befor...

2008-12-03T13:08:00.000+09:00

I would love to recommend you a book to read before posting any humorous opinion on how LDP would crumble:

Democracy without Competition in Japan: Opposition Failure in a One-Party Dominant State

http://www.amazon.com/Democracy-without-Competition-Japan-Opposition/dp/0521609690/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228276916&sr=1-2

And from scientific point of view - just it is impossible to prove anything within one-year or six month span. Dig deeper to have a more credible statement

Cheers