Re: [tlug] (OT) The enigma of Japan

[Doug McLean <dmclean635@example.com>]

On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 4:26 AM, Stephen J. Turnbull<stephen@example.com> wrote:
> Doug McLean writes:
>
>  > Try living in the Republic of Ireland.  :)
>
> Good example.  Can you come up with another?  I'd be happy to class
> Ireland as an extremity, with Japan.  (After all, I'm mostly Irish,
> except for the name and the liquid part, which are Scotch.)  Is
> Ireland parliamentary (like the U.K.), or presidential (like the
> U.S.)?

Regarding other examples, another one that comes to mind of a "locked"
system is the Philippines.  It is a functional democracy in the sense
that, aside from Marcos's rule, the presidential system has held firm
since its independence from the US and later Japan.   The catch is
that the same political families get elected in the Congress over and
over and over again.  Presidents can span generations of family
(current president Gloria Macapagal's father was president too).  You
can see this in other countries, but its pretty pronounced in the
Philippines where patron-client relationships are really strong.  Most
researchers agree that their two main parties are not so different
based on ideology as they are on power structure, patronage, etc.

(On the subject of heritage, being from the US, I can only claim Irish
heritage once a year around March or so.  ;)  I don't even drink so
that makes things even more interesting, especially in Japan.
Thankfully my in-laws in Japan don't drink or smoke either, so they're
happy my wife married me...ha ha ha)

>  > Alternatively, you *could* go visit a place like the People's Republic
>  > of China, or other such countries, and see unbroken single-party rule,
>  > and constitutional oddities like eternal president Kim Il-Sung (North
>  > Korea).  Extreme examples, I know, but it's all a matter of
>  > perspective.  ;)
>
> No, those aren't relevant because they're not democratic.  Japan is.
> In fact, unlike the U.S., Japan has a parliamentary system, which has
> a very strong tendency to weaken the ruling party vis-a-vis a
> presidential system.  JC will say I'm weaseling, but you, I expect,
> will see the point.

But we have to be careful to spell out under what conditions Japan
could be considered unique.  Earlier in our discussion the it was
implied that Japan is somewhat unique in the world, and I don't
disagree but feel it's a bit exaggerated compared to other
lesser-known parts of the world.  As a first-world, industrialized
country, one could definitely argue its unique among first-world,
industrialized countries (since the rest are all Western,
non-Asian/Confucian).

-- 
Doug McLean

Blog: http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/