|
|
Statesman Nakasone
| Article
# : |
10732 |
|
|
Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
|
| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1986 |
4,968 Words |
| Author
: |
Kichitaro Katsuda
|
Statesman and Politician
Italian philosopher Gaetano Mosca (1858-1941), a dispassionate observer of politics and human beings, once wrote on the distinction between a "statesman" and a "politician"
"The statesman is a man who, by the breadth of his knowledge and the depth of his knowledge and the depth of his insight, acquires a clear and accurate awareness of the needs of the society in which he lives, and who knows how to find the best means for leading that society with the lest possible shock and suffering to the goal which it should, or at least can, attain."
On the other hand, "The politician is a man who has the qualifications that are required for reaching the highest posts in the governmental system and knows how to stay there."
After making that distinction, Mosca continues as follows: "It is a great good fortune for a people when it can find leaders who combine the eminent and rare qualities of the statesman with the secondary qualities of the politician; and its is no mean stroke of luck for a nation when its politicians have at their elbows statesman by whose views they can profit." (The Ruling Class)
Were Mosca to be revived on earth to observe the current administration of the island nation in the Far East, his evaluation of Prime Minister Nakasone's government and its political achievements would probably be very favorable.
Of course, the issue need not await the judgment of a philosopher, dead for well over 40 years. Strong public support for the Nakasone cabinet reflects a positive assessment of his political results. Opinion polls taken by different newspapers which had shown a steady popularity rating of slightly over 50 percent, were topped recently by a startling 66 percent support rate in an end-of-October poll taken by the Japan Broadcasting Service. Generally, cabinet popularity is highest immediately following installment, only to decline with the passage of time.
Increasing Support
The Nakasone cabinet is a deviation from past norms in that after the poor showing at the general election, held on the heels of the Diet dissolution one year into Nakasone's term, it recovered, and continues to gain increasing public support. Nakasone's popularity with the people is all the more enhanced by a rather negative assessment of the Prime Minister's capabilities, voiced by the political circles, the opposition party, and ruling party alike. The skepticism was translated into action in the surprise attempt to place then Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Susumu Nikaido in the top post, which shook the political arena last fall. The immense gap in support ratings of the prime minister between the general public on the one hand and the political circles, news reporters, and critics on the other, can be interpreted in the following way.
The Japanese people are identifying with and supporting the prime minister's statesmanship and achievements, and his determination to drive an axe of reform into the existing political climate, by moving away from the strong forces which try to retain him within the confines of
...
Read Full Article
|
|
