5 thoughts on “On the Hatoyama government’s troubles”
There is a growing disbelief and anger in the U.S. towards the Japanese government surrounding the Futenma issue. No doubt coloring everything between the two nations. What is missing and completely ignored on the U.S. side is the fact that it is the wishes of the residents of the island of Okinawa who wish the military base removed for all the reasons we all know by now. While forcing this form of government, Democracy, on the Japanese was, de facto, a good thing, but by God, have them understand it, and practice it is down right unforgivable!
Tobias I want to read your article but I'm not planning to become a WSJ subscriber any time soon. Is there another way to read it?Also, I read this article by Karel von Wolferen in the Asia Pacific Journal: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Karel_van-Wolferen/3341I thought he raised a lot of points which you have also – especially regarding the media's role in directing voter opinion. Also in the article Karel von Wolferen is bold in asserting that scandals ranging from Hatoyama & Ozawa's political funds, Kan Naoto's affair, to Horie Takufumi are invented.Have you read the article and if so what do you make of it?
By the way, this article was so balanced and so clearly stated that this reader kept looking for some hidden messages. So far none. JOURNALISM — somebody’s gotta do it.
Of interest to the blog author is an article by Robert D. Kaplan, “The Geography of Chinese Power” in the current issue of “Foreign Affairs” in which is discussed, peripherally, the Futenma and Hatoyama saga, in as far as the topic is relevant to US military interest.
Tobias S. Harris 
There is a growing disbelief and anger in the U.S. towards the Japanese government surrounding the Futenma issue. No doubt coloring everything between the two nations. What is missing and completely ignored on the U.S. side is the fact that it is the wishes of the residents of the island of Okinawa who wish the military base removed for all the reasons we all know by now. While forcing this form of government, Democracy, on the Japanese was, de facto, a good thing, but by God, have them understand it, and practice it is down right unforgivable!
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Hatoyama has some good ideas but a major failure and no backbone
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Tobias I want to read your article but I'm not planning to become a WSJ subscriber any time soon. Is there another way to read it?Also, I read this article by Karel von Wolferen in the Asia Pacific Journal: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Karel_van-Wolferen/3341I thought he raised a lot of points which you have also – especially regarding the media's role in directing voter opinion. Also in the article Karel von Wolferen is bold in asserting that scandals ranging from Hatoyama & Ozawa's political funds, Kan Naoto's affair, to Horie Takufumi are invented.Have you read the article and if so what do you make of it?
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By the way, this article was so balanced and so clearly stated that this reader kept looking for some hidden messages. So far none. JOURNALISM — somebody’s gotta do it.
LikeLike
Of interest to the blog author is an article by Robert D. Kaplan, “The Geography of Chinese Power” in the current issue of “Foreign Affairs” in which is discussed, peripherally, the Futenma and Hatoyama saga, in as far as the topic is relevant to US military interest.
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