Seijigiri #56: North Korea, a new US ambassador, Aso and Hatoyama square off, and a look at the the extra budget
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The 56th edition of Seijigiri opens with a discussion of North Korea’s recent nuclear weapon test. Co-hosts Garrett DeOrio and Ken Worsley consider what steps Japan might take in reaction to the test, and discuss recent rabble that Japan should declare itself a nuclear power - and why that won’t happen.
After that, new US ambassador to Japan John Roos is discussed. While Joseph Nye was the presumptive choice for this post, it seems as though the Obama administration has gone down the path of rewarding a major campaign fundraiser with a plum position. Some of the predictable knee-jerk reactions to this decision are discussed along with the issues facing Mr Roos going forward.
Next on the agenda is a discussion of last week’s Diet debate between Prime Minister Aso Taro and new Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama. After that, the discussion turns to a look at the extra budget, which the ruling party is hoping to pass through the Diet in the coming weeks. Just what is taxpayer money going to be spent on?
Finally, we would like to encourage everyone to come to the Pink Cow in Shibuya on Thursday, June 4 at 7:30pm for the first ever live edition of Seijigiri. More details can be found here.
Related Posts:
- Seijigiri #8 - October 10, 2006 - A special update on the North Korean nuclear test
- Seijigiri #42: The Pension Fiasco, Continued Hunt for a BOJ Governor, Sentaku and North Korea
- Seijigiri #47: Fukuda’s new cabinet, government spending, the extraordinary session, DPJ leadership, North Korea, and Garrett’s trip to Hiroshima
- Trans-Pacific Radio’s Most Played Audio Programs
- North Korea announces nuclear test
