Muhammad Qodari
\nDirector of Research
\nIndonesian Survey Institute
\n(LSI)
\nJakarta
\nqodari@hotmail.com<\/p>\n
2. Blair -- Blair off the hook for now
\n1 X 45<\/p>\n
Kelly inquest: Blair off the hook for now<\/p>\n
Polly Toynbee
\nGuardian News Service
\nLondon<\/p>\n
3. Asahi -- Japanese should dare to welcome `discontinuity'
\n1 X 30
\n pls note revisions in bio at end of article; change 'of' to
\n'at', delete 'the' before '21st Century'<\/p>\n
Japan must dare to break from past<\/p>\n
Masayasu Kitagawa
\nAsahi Shimbun
\nTokyo<\/p>\n
Baseball fans on both sides of the Pacific just can't take
\ntheir eyes off Ichiro of the Seattle Mariners. He has changed the
\npro baseball scene so dramatically as to even suggest
\n"discontinuity" from the "pre-Ichiro" era.<\/p>\n
Ichiro has brought a breakthrough to the sport with his highly
\noriginal style of play. And his originality is simply a
\nreflection of his fundamentally unique understanding of baseball.<\/p>\n
In putting the present Japanese society in perspective, it is
\nnecessary as well as useful to rethink what is considered
\nfundamental thought in terms of continuity and discontinuity.<\/p>\n
Economic recovery was Japan's foremost political and
\nadministrative priority after its defeat in World War II. The
\nwhole nation strove for economic expansion and growth.<\/p>\n
The postwar shortage of goods was so rampant as to make
\neveryone believe in bottomless demand. So it was only natural
\nthat the government's policy was heavily weighted on the supply
\nside. This resulted in a system of thorough government protection
\nof the suppliers and producers, which in turn helped Japan become
\na consumers' paradise in less than 40 years.<\/p>\n
That was great in itself. The Japanese struggled to get over
\nthe tremendous psychological and economic blow dealt by the
\ndefeat in the war, and they kept going if only to give their
\nhungry children enough to eat. It was this sort of determination
\nthat brought about the postwar economic miracle.<\/p>\n
As with everything else, however, there was an upside as well
\nas a downside.<\/p>\n
Under this rigid structure of centralization of power, the
\nsupplier-side businesses went all-out to augment and protect
\ntheir own interests, and came to depend completely on the
\npolitical and bureaucratic machinery.<\/p>\n
A paternalistic relationship was solidly established between
\nthe patron (politicians and bureaucrats) and client (businesses),
\nand lobbying became one major element of Japanese politics.<\/p>\n
The gravest sin of this system was that led to a society where
\nthe pursuit of economic prosperity became practically the only
\ngoal, shaping people's values accordingly. Nobody was expected to
\nfall out of step with "the crowd."<\/p>\n
People never doubted that growth could reach a limit, and
\nwelcoming the security of remaining a cog in one big machine,
\npreferred the status quo to any progressive change. They were
\nunaccustomed to respecting each other's talents as individuals.<\/p>\n
If the fundamental thinking that underlay Japan's postwar
\npolitics were to be summed up simply, it is "physical" -- as
\nopposed to metaphysical.<\/p>\n
It was the sort of politics that focused solely on the truism
\nthat people need "bread" to live, and shrugged aside the other
\ntruism that people do not live on bread alone. Politicians felt
\nno need to look beyond even 10 years into the future.<\/p>\n
Japan is drifting helplessly in a limbo of its own creation,
\nhaving muddled through with its "physical" politics for so many
\nyears.<\/p>\n
But in the last 10 years, attempts at reform have been made at
\nlong last. Repeated efforts have been made to do away with the
\ncentralization of power, secrecy, lobbying and the paternalistic
\nprotectionism and create fair political-administrative rules for
\nlocal autonomy, information disclosure and so on.<\/p>\n
Even though such efforts have yet to show sufficient results,
\nthe trial and error has at least convinced the public that the
\nnation is in urgent need of fundamental reforms.<\/p>\n
But what would it take to get the ball really rolling?<\/p>\n
The answer is the nation's resolve to reject the basic
\nmentality that has shaped postwar politics and dare to aim for a
\nnew sphere by welcoming "discontinuity". And by the nation, I
\nmean voters in particular, not just politicians and bureaucrats.<\/p>\n
Politics cannot withdraw from supplying "bread" to the public.
\nBut it is also about time we voters questioned our own lazy
\ntendency to shun serious thinking. We all want the security of
\nbeing protected by some power that is much bigger than ourselves.
\nYet, we must stop and do our own thinking.<\/p>\n
During the last century, we were obsessed with year-on-year
\ngrowth. The economy and the natural environment were always
\ndiscussed in the context of conflict. But in this present century
\nthat forces us to think of the world of 100 years later, those
\nissues must be discussed anew in the context of harmony.<\/p>\n
Politics has fulfilled most of our physical needs already. We
\nshould now consider saying goodbye to the traditional lockstep
\nmentality. It is time to transform Japan into a mature society
\nwhere diverse values coexist to stimulate members.<\/p>\n
We need to have the courage and wisdom to seek a breakthrough,
\na "discontinuity" from the past at the most fundamental level of
\nthinking in all areas.<\/p>\n
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party votes for its president
\nthis autumn. A Lower House election is also drawing near.<\/p>\n
Are we going to witness progress in reforms, or are we to
\nexperience yet further delay? Elections are every voter's
\nbusiness. The success or failure of reforms ultimately rests on
\nnone other than us voters.<\/p>\n
The writer, a former member of the Lower House and former
\ngovernor of Mie Prefecture, is currently a professor at the Okuma
\nSchool of Public Management at Waseda University and president of
\nthe National Congress for 21st Century Japan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muhammad-qodari-1447899208",
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