Things are getting interesting all over, as Japanese voters reject the Democratic Party of Japan, less than one year after giving them majorities in both houses of parliament.
Some of this sounds pretty familiar, as PM Kan claims he did poorly at explaining the need for increased taxes he'd promised, and an upstart small-government party increased it's parliamentary presence by a relatively large amount.
Tea, anyone?
Tea? Why yes, that sounds lovely! ;)
ReplyDeleteGreen sencha, ground fine, whipped to a froth with a bamboo whisk.
ReplyDeleteServed in beauty and serenity, with perfect mindfullness.
Wires you like a wild animal.
Japan is a land of contradictions.
Here's an article in the FT about みんなの党, Minna no Tō - which is translated as "Your Party", but which I believe is more literally "party of us". I'll get a better translation when my live in Japanese language helper is awake.
ReplyDeleteOn the question of co-operating with the DPJ:
However, [party leader] Watanabe dismissed talk of co-operation. He called the DPJ's contention that raising consumption tax could be supportive of economic growth a "lie" and portrayed the ruling party as beholden to labour unions.
Well that sounds familiar, dunnit now...
That was my point, Lewy, the whole thing sounded eerily like the situation here, with bows* added.
ReplyDelete(*pronounced boughs, although come to think of it, our current occupant does tend to bend over at the drop of anything, so . . .)