Fukuda (as all good politicians do) promises you can have your cake and eat it to
Posted by Matt Dioguardi on October 2nd, 2007
Here are some quotes from the Yomiuri’s take on Yasuo Fukuda’s speech yesterday along with commentary.
In his policy address at the plenary session of the House of Representatives, Fukuda … indicated that he would present concrete measures to resolve social and economic disparities between large cities and provincial areas while continuing efforts to promote structural reforms. …While stressing the need to continue structural reforms, saying, “reform and stable economic growth are inseparable,” Fukuda expressed his resolve to try to settle disparities between large cities and provincial areas.
In other words, he will pursue socialism while he pursues capitalism. Check. Got it. Thanks.
The new prime minister expressed his resolve to have Pyongyang return Japanese abductees and referred to the significance of normalizing ties with North Korea.
In other words, “I know how all you hard liners feel out there about this abduction issue, but get over it. No more hysteria about abductions.” Right the nominal 6-party talks have become 5-party talks, so Fukuda will try to fix this.
“I’d like to proceed with national policies while sincerely consulting with the opposition parties about important political matters,” he said.
In other words, “I’m going to make the DPJ look like the hantai party, I’m going to throw them a few bones, but certainly nothing they’ll want to chew on.”
He also pledged to settle the pension record-keeping problem and made clear his intention to freeze a plan to raise the burden of medical fees on the elderly. “We’ll closely work on problems, including what form the medical system should take for the elderly,” he said.
He’s going to do the seemly impossible and then determine what medical procedures you need, and I mean you specifically if you live in Japan. He’ll also determine how much you should pay for these procedures. If you don’t think you need any medical procedures, don’t worry, you will after Fukuda is finished with you.
Regarding other domestic policies, Fukuda said he would introduce antidisaster measures to prevent casualties in the event of a major disaster. He also mentioned bringing about an environmentally friendly and sustainable society in which houses would last up to 200 years.
A system of caves will be built into the mountains of Japan … I mean really, what the bejusus is he talking about. Presumably technology is always improving so who would want a house that last 200 years. … I can’t imagine permanent houses would be good for the economy, at least not the real estate market … maybe he should work on houses that will only last say five years or so … I mean it’s an idea … It might boost consumption.
For more reasonable coverage of Fukuda’s speech go … uh … well I’m not that unreasonable am I?
I guess you could try Observing Japan.