Comments on: You can call a cat a duck, but it will not fly

By: Aceface

Aceface — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:46:46 +0000

Ozawa has one concrete idea that hasn’t been unchanged for the past 15 years.No break up of LDP,No two party democracy.
He is a Mick Gorbachev type of a guy,no Deng Xiaopinesque figure.He is good at rocking the boat and tearing down the wall,but not exactly an empire builder.And from that perspective,it was logical of him to call for grand coalition with LDP.He could have influence in the government and shake LDP possibly lead to the further break-ups in the future,end the LDP-Komeito alliance,marginalize ex-socialist with in DPJ and kiss good bye to the opposition mates,SDJ and JCP.All this was could be at Ozawa’s hand if only the grand coalition was done.]

According to the veteran LDP figure,behind all this,there was Watanabe Tsuneo of Yomiuri Shimbun(so never trust any condemnation on Ozawa from this paper.They should insteadly question their own boss)and behind Watanabe,there always be Nakasone Yasuhiro holding all the strings.

One thing everyone is forgetting is the New anti-terror bill is likely to pass the diet,thanks to all of this coalition extravaganza for the public’s trust upon DPJ had diminished and leftist fraction in SDJ and JCP">DPJhas to satisfy only with the fact that coalition is now sealed and DPJ is still in one piece.So DPJ is now off the hook from endlessly against Indian ocean fuel mission.Certainly a good news for visiting Mr.Gates.

By: Curzon

Curzon — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:38:12 +0000

Ozawa has always been (comparatively) free market. And he has a “modern” view of national defense, his view on the Afghan refueling mission notwithstanding. So if ideology had any meaning in Japanese party politics, he would be with the LDP.

By: subadei

subadei — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:02:54 +0000

I read Blueprint for a new Japan about 100 years ago. I’m not up to task regarding Japan’s politics. How does todays Ozawa compare with his vision back in the early 90’s?

By: Curzon

Curzon — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:30:57 +0000

Man, can you envision a scenario where Ozawa and a neo-liberal faction of the DPJ breaks off and joins the LDP? That would be a political coup of the decade that would rival even Koizumi’s 2005 snap electio!

By: Aceface

Aceface — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:14:49 +0000

Yesterday,I was with colleagues in Akasaka chatting with a veteran LDP politician whom himself tried to break up with the party,but changed his mind the very moment couple of years ago.
“Mr.Ozawa is now really,really wants to come back to LDP.He must be getting sick of his own people that cannot get organized,he doesn’t like that kind of thing.That’s one of the reason why he made up his mind to depart after the gulf war,it’s an irony now he wants to be back.”the veteran said.

But today,as I hear from some of Nagatacho club people,things seem to be changing inside DPJ.They think Ozawa had managed other DPJ leadership more obedient to his plan.Ofcourse it is paid with high price,but I think it is a bit early to dump the possibility of DPJ turning to a real opposition party.