Japan's Prime Minister Aso is Undervalued in Japan

Aso falls victim to media attacks — Kwan Weng Kin

For Aso is clearly a victim of Japan's four privately owned television networks, which seem to treat politics no differently from any other form of programming — namely, the subject must be entertaining, or else.

In Japan, many bloggers have blasted their media for biased reporting against Aso, saying they have played down his strong points while keeping mum about the opposition's weaknesses.

In a piece for the Sankei Shimbun last December, American economist Richard Koo held up Aso as one of the few Japanese prime ministers who understand the problems in the country's economy and whose policies he says are being studied by foreign leaders.

It is therefore “sheer madness” for the Japanese media to want to destroy Aso over such trivial failings as mispronouncing a Chinese character, said Koo, who works for the Nomura Research Institute.

I'm one of the bloggers against the mad Japanese media. Those media do much harm to Japan.

Japan's Cash Handouts Policy

Japan Prime Minister Aso Taro decided to cash handouts, 12,000yen (about $120) for each person.

I'm for this policy. The government isn't good at using money. For instance, the government often builds useless architectures. On the other hand, people can decide how to use their money cleverer than the government does, because people know what they want. So tax refund is better than governent's spending. This is the reason why I'm for the cash handouts.

But many people seem to dislike the policy, according to some newspaper surveys. The major opinion is that there must be a better way to use the money than "stupid" cash handouts.

I don't thinks so, as I told above.

How about you?

[Sources]

*1 The Canadian Press: Government cash handout? Stupid, wasteful idea, Japanese say

But polls show most Japanese oppose the idea - though many confess they'll take the money anyway.

*2 The Associated Press: Japan PM calls for new economic stimulus package

Faced with dismal public approval ratings, he has launched a one-time cash handout of 12,000 yen, or about $120 per person, as the centerpiece of a recent stimulus package to revive the economy.