[snowsislander]

Had I been aware that the Asia Times is apparently now on the excerpt list (although I don't see it listed in the excerpt/link thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1111944/posts, the posting software is asking that it be excerpted), I probably wouldn't have chosen this article since it is quite long and it would be very hard to give a fair excerpt from it. My apologies for simply selecting the first 300 words from the article for this posting rather than a representative excerpt.

Prime Minister Koizumi has done well indeed, and I have high hopes that Mr. Abe will also.

[gcruse]

I think I like this guy, and Japan for electing him.

[DTogo]

Now America needs to locate an equally conservative candidate for '08 to make the relationship complete.

Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)

[struggle]

Hey, hey, ho, ho
Article 9 has got to go!
Hey, hey, ho, ho
Article 9 has got to go!

[Zetman]

Kore wa pingu desu !!

[dakine]

"....giving Japan a greater military role abroad..."

I seem to recall them trying that a while ago....

[dsc]

How come "(pushing) ahead with promulgation of a *new* constitution" is "conservative?"

[gaijin]

Diplomatically, things are going to start making so much more sense for Japan, now..!

I think Koizumi is maybe only the 2nd Japanese PM I'll be sorry to see go, though. He was a good guy.

[ElCid89]

It's a little confusing....does Abe really want an entirely new constitution, or does he just want to get rid of Article 9 and replace it with something else? Reading thru the article makes it seem he just wants to make revisions to that section, as opposed to changing everything. Either way, it's time for Japan to be able to defend themselves and participate in international missions. And countries need to stop complaining about visits to the shrine...it is understandable for a country's leaders to want to honor their countrymen who have fallen in past wars. Too much is read into the visits.