Forum - View topicINTEREST: Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara Projected to Win 4th Term
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Jarm
Posts: 87 |
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Very simple. The man's son's are representatives in the Diet for the LDP, So he must have a lot of connections and people in his pocket to support him for whatever reason - lobbyists methinks. And maybe, the appeal of Ishihara is that he seems like a strong-man in a country that perceives itself weak, so naturally people gravitate towards that. Also, the age old saying that voting independent is throwing your vote away. It's a good thing to vote on what you support, but when competing with well-established, well-organized political parties like the LDP and DPJ, Democrats or Republicans, you basically ARE throwing your vote away. Ishihara got the most votes, but he did not receive the majority. The rest of the votes were split between the independents, particularly Watanbae and Higashi. Combine their votes and Ishihara would have been defeated. For elections like this where any other politican was the lesser evil,where your voting against someone, it's best to think strategically, and vote for the opposition candidate that has the best odds of winning. Thus, the person who claims to have voted JCP makes me facepalm... |
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BlackJaded
 Posts: 332 |
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What a shame really |
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Spotlesseden
Posts: 3514 Location: earth |
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Since I'm a Californian, we voted for stupid people as governor too.
I'm can't really criticized Tokyo people. lol |
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CG-LOVER
 Posts: 355 Location: East Lansing, MI |
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And that guy is getting re-elected? Wow. |
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Lightning Leo
Posts: 311 Location: Earth |
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Politics just makes my stomach reel.
 Can people really be so indifferent to their governance they would re-elect such backwards-thinking, radical ideology into office, especially in the face of such controversial demagoguery and, at best, specious policy? My understanding was that amongst western democracies Japan proved more sophisticated, deliberate and level-headed, so this just cries of something foul. Even Canada, an ostensibly moderate society, exhibits contrary to expectations polls favorable to radical conservative sentiments.
I certainly hope this doesn't prove a larger international trend of hyper-financed corporate conservativism. I don't subscribe necessarily to any particular political ideology, but the exponentially growing trends of wealth concentration and the proportional consolidation of political power into the hands of an unscrupulous coterie of private entities greatly concerns me. 
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14886 |
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Told ya guys. Japanese elections are a force of inertia and fraternity of old men.
Ishihara was already re-elected twice - Tokyo voters already knew what they were getting. What he says ain't gonna change that. |
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Echo_City
Posts: 1236 |
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In other words, the stereotypical image that conjures up the idea of a "strong Japan" in the minds of the older voters? I'm sure there are enough die-hard salarymen who channel their jingoism into their jobs, and are disgusted with the NEETs, the "grass eating men", low birth rates, the influence of Western culture, etc to carry this dude all the way to the polls. Again, to the hard-lining conservative Japanese, who apparently exist in large droves, calling the tsunami divine punishment for Japan's effete society probably resonated. IMO that's a bit over the top, but I'm not a Japanese conservative. The American Tea Party movement was successful as it promised a return to a conservative, and thereby strong, America. The idealistic youth of America, which equivocate to the aforementioned idealistic youth of Japan, opposed the movement and it still steamrolled into office here. I'm not surprised that a distant equivalent could occur there. All that aside, this dude will be getting his 4th term?! Term limits are a good thing. (As for anime restrictions, I echo the views of the old ANN podcast--modern shows have taken matters too far, and have become ridiculous. Shows like Freezing are a nationally-broadcast reminder of how Japanese society has fallen. They give this guy plenty of ammo to peddle his politics....also, Freezing could have been so much better if the darn show had simply put some class into its fanservice.) |
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mangamuscle
Posts: 2658 Location: Mexico |
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What really amazes me is how people in the USA are really surprised that the man responsible for the Tokyo's amended Youth Healthy Development Ordinance is getting re-elected while back at home the Patriot Act is still alive. It is kinda like getting worried about the asteroid that is going to flyby near earths orbit when you have a pandemic right at home.
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RoverTX
 Posts: 424 |
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THE CORPORATIONS MAN!!! No seriously this isn't the corporations keeping this guy in power. I know this is a little tangential but I think it shows what is happening here. See Its like how Rick Perry got reelected Governor of Texas in 2006. At the time, he had pissed off half the Republicans, and all the Democratic, but he got reelected because of a crowded field. Kinky really didn't help the democrats that year. Seriously look up the 2006 Texas Governs race, I think this will give people a good picture of what is happening here. If there had been a run off in Tokyo, or in Texas in 2006, Ishihara or Perry wouldn't have won from the way the number break out it would seem. One of the set backs of a winner take all system. |
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enurtsol
Posts: 14886 |
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How do ya guys think one party (the LDP) had controlled Japan (a democracy) for 99.9% of the last 6 decades since WW2?
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Josh7289
Posts: 1252 |
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Why the hell do Tokyoites keep re-electing this racist, insensitive, nationalistic extremist?
You don't get that impression from the actual people of Tokyo, so why in the world do they vote a man like him into office over and over?
But we didn't actually vote for the Patriot Act. |
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Echo_City
Posts: 1236 |
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Perhaps people who get impressions from Tokyo via interactions with its people don't interact sufficiently with the demographics who are powerhouses at the polls? Additionally, the Japanese are infamous for being duplicitous in the name of politeness. Just because they're impeccably polite to a foreigner, say, doesn't mean that they aren't extreme jingoists who reflect that at the polls. |
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Sunday Silence
 Posts: 2047 |
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So, it was General MacArthurs fault then? |
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mangamuscle
Posts: 2658 Location: Mexico |
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More like the US goverment, that in the 20th century whenever they invaded another country, placed a leader that would be sympathetic to the USA. |
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Echo_City
Posts: 1236 |
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No way, MacArthur fought to keep the idea of the sovereignty of the Japanese Emperor alive. He was justifiably pissed when his suggestions were ignored and the Powers that Be circumvented him and decided that a total capitulation had to occur. I don't see electing a nationalistic extremist who rants about Japan's divine destiny to power as something anyone could possibly blame on America. Obviously they had that sort of people in power prior to our involvement in their government, post WW2 
(They had people like that in power before Commodore Perry even opened up trade with them, if we go back that far.) Edit:
 Life would have been easier if we had, by far.
Last edited by Echo_City on Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:29 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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