http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14675445 Why are Japanese PM's so fond of falling on their sword? :shrug:
There's not really a sword to fall on. None of them believe, or stand for, anything. Japan only has a Prime Minister because American forced them to. Because of this, they don't have a naturally evolved form of government, and they really don't know what they're doing. They just go through the motions...
Koizumi was the last one to ever actually stick through to the end. This is getting a little ridiculous now. Not that I know a thing about politics mind you, but if they think they're doing good they should look back at how many people have done the same thing before them.
The prime minister position predates the occupational forces by a good 60 or so years, and was modeled on European parliamentary systems by their own research. Wiki. It doesn't change the fact that Japan is incapable of unfucking themselves, as they have proven, but to say it's b/c their current democratic state was pushed upon them by MacAurther and the US is simply not true. Post-war Japan is the single most outstanding rags to riches story in recent history. I think as a culture though, they lost sight of a lot of things and became complacent. Simply too few people truly care about politics, or much of anything beyond their circle of family, friends, and well being (employment) which is ironically what got them to the #2 economy in the world. Japan/Japanese simply doesn't do drastic change: at all. You can blame whatever you want but it's a cultural "feature". The fact that their government inherits it is a side effect. Until this is figured out, they will not catch up with the ever-changing world.
Still Japan should get hyperinflation in the next 5 years as it will be the only way for them to get themselves out of the largest national debt of any country. So much so that the Yen will be worthless and they call the currency the Man...
Or the dollar? How do you think inflation will come about? Nobody's been able to pull it off. They've been deflating since the early 90's. It is an interesting bind they've gotten themselves into. I work in the financial sector and I've had it explained to me a few different ways of why they're like this gigantic Jenga puzzle... I still don't totally get it, but I have an idea. There is no one thing they can do to help themselves. The ONLY thing they have going for them is their savings.
