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The Asahi has attempted to make Prime Minister Taro Aso look bad by highlighting his habit of hanging out and high-class restaurants and bars, but Aso is not embarrassed by the reports and will not change his lifestyle:
“Fortunately, I have money. I pay by myself,” Aso, who is from an elite family, told reporters in a forceful voice. “It’s my style. I won’t change it.”
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If it were America I’m sure it would impact negatively with the family values crowd but as thats not much of an issue here the far more important factor is surely the secrecy surrounding who exactly he’s spending his time with. Other politicians, lobbyists, call girls, gangsters, representatives of foreign governments, etc. No one seems to know and the press apparently relies simply upon the prime ministers office for information rather than making a serious effort to investigate.
His excuse that he doesn’t want to change his previous lifestyle is a perfect example of why he, and most politicians, shouldn’t hold public office. Public service is meant to be a responsibility and if done well will be a burden rather than a perk. While some time for R&R obviously a neccesity, people holding the top position in any country simply shouldn’t have the time to hang out in bars every night of the week when they have a laundry list of national problems they could be working on.
Aso doesn’t do his own shopping, doesn’t need to watch his money, he eats out regularly. Good for him, but he’s way out of touch with the electorate. He’s just a ‘parasite single’ that’s about to become a ‘parasite prime minister’.
All I have to say is big pimpin’ baby.
From the way the Japanese media put it, I suppose they wanted to make Aso look bad — and extravagant, spoiled brat. However, if you look back, he’s no different from his predecessors. Koizumi used to dine and drink in hotels, and so did Fukuda. Maybe in terms of frequency, Aso might surpass Koizumi and Fukuda. But I would say, eating and drinking in hotel restaurants and bars, are much better than the old Liberal Democratic Party custom of meeting mysteriously inside hidden walls of ryoteis(expensive Japanese restaurants) in Akasaka. People like Mori, Obuchi, Miyazawa, and Takeshita were all Ryotei-goers and seldom appeared in “semi-public” spaces like hotel restaurants. At least in hotel restaurants and bars, Aso can be seen, and those who are with him can also be seen whereas inside the Ryoteis it’s complete sancutary for the politicians, and you don’t know who’s inside, talking about what, and why they are there.
But looking at it from a security point of view, I suppose it would be much safer for a country’s prime minister to go to more secluded places. I am sure foreign spies and terrorists love the easy access to Aso in hotel restaurants. Aso’s guards must think that they had an easier job more with his predecessors than with him.
If it’s his money paying for it, I don’t see a problem.
Yeah, its his money after all
His hard-earned money, acquired through the difficult task of fixing (unnecessary) government contracts that will directly benefit Aso Co.
aso’s big ballin’
I think I would tend to trust the very rich to be political leaders anyway. I know there are always exceptions, but the the poor and moderately rich seems like they would be susceptible to corruption once in the seat of power.
I doubt that. Rich people who have always been rich tend to seek MORE riches. greed and envy will surely lead to corruption. I’d trust the “regular” guy who made it any day over the rich one.
I’ll say neither of you are right. People are different in different cases of wealth. Sure you have really greedy rich people, but you also have really greedy poor people. On the other hand, you’ll have really giving poor people and really giving rich people too.
When it all boils down to it, I think it’s those who handle the wealth based on the character they’ve held over their lifetime in combination with the current pressures.
Vague answer I know…but shit, I just saw Iron Man today and Tony Stark was a changed man from his greedy riches.
How about those that were born to power and never had to fight for it? With no possible (realistic) challengers, there should be no reason for corruption, and with training from a very young age in how to handle power, fewer mistakes. Theoretically….
Such cases exist in countless countries around the world. Wealthy and aristoratic families in Europe have bred for elite rule for centuries and the sole product has been a current generation of venal, wealth and image obsessed egomaniacs. Not only do they see themselves as inately superior to ‘common’ people, but their inbred sense of entitlement leads them to view everything as deservedly theirs. Greed does not need challengers to feed off, it is its own self-perpetuating source.
In its idealised form such elite rule is embodied in the Platonic Republic, a system in which coppers (such as ourselves) are ruled over by the gold elite, and the silver armed forces to maitain ‘order’. Providing you have a jot of imagination, independence or backbone it is not a system you would want to suffer under.
No, it is not “his” money, it’s the taxpayers’ money after all.The Japanese, and the foreigners working in Japan, pay his gorgeous dinners and all his asobi. What example is he for his people in this times of financial instability and increasing gap between rich and poor?I was for Koike from the very beginning!
Uh, no, he’s the former CEO of Lafarge Aso Cement Co., Ltd. (Formerly Aso Cement, which was his family-owned business), so he was already quite well off before ever becoming involved in politics.
He said it was his money, he and his family are independently wealthy, you know. So I don’t see how you think we lowly taxpayers are footing the bill.
“What example is he for his people in this times of financial instability”
Actually, not a bad one. When things get shaky, people stop spending. When they do that, the flow of money slows or stops, which means the service and manufacturing industries slow down, so more people get laid off, the flow of cash constricts more, and the spiral continues.
There is a lot to be said for consumer spending to counteract an economic downturn, as long as the money being spent is on things that lead to the money circulating within the economy that needs boosting. That is one reason why “parasite singles” 10 years ago were getting such a bad rap. Living at home meant their money wasn’t going back out into the economy in the form of rent paid, major purchases (such as househld appliances), daily needs type of stuff. Instead, spending on designer bags and such went up, and guess where that money ended up? Not in Japan!
Refer to my comment above. He has an economical interest in Aso co. and, Aso Cement being one of its subsidiaries, they rake in the cash on fixed contract bids. He doesn’t spend tax-payer money directly… He puts it through the government wash, first.
they see me rollin…
they hatin’
They seriously are making a mountain out of a molehill; I have no issues with him doing this especially since it’s coming out of his pocket from the wealth he’s inherited and made as a CEO rather than the salary he’s getting as PM.
I neither support nor oppose Aso But,
I think this is a bit misleading.
His answer was;
The emphasis is not on the fact that he has money but the fact that it is the best for the business and security.
Taro “Artful Dodger” Aso.