In Japan most in need of restructuring and cost-cutting is likely the world of politics.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could move toward a system where democracy functioned like social media, with politicians competing for followers and likes?
In the United States, the entire nation is fired up about the upcoming presidential election.
Yet here in Japan, even during the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election to choose the next prime minister, the public is left out of the loop.
It’s no wonder Japanese citizens have lost faith in politics.
In fact, if another hereditary politician becomes prime minister after Kishida, Japan might as well take down the "freedom and democracy" sign and withdraw from the G7.
It feels like democracy in this country might already be dead.
Have you ever thought about voting, looked at the candidates, and then lost all motivation to go to the polls?
It’s the same old story: in the heat or cold, there’s not a single candidate who makes you want to bother going to the polling station.
Why can’t elections be more like social media, where politicians compete for followers and likes?
With AI advancing and the singularity just around the corner, we need to reform our elections to fit the digital age, or we might soon see voter turnout plummet into the single digits.
At the very least, unless the Japanese prime minister is chosen directly by the people, the country’s politics are doomed.
As I was stewing over these thoughts, another important point came to mind: do we even need a House of Councillors in the first place?
Wouldn’t it be better to quickly amend the constitution and establish a unicameral legislature with just the House of Representatives?
In today’s world, the House of Representatives alone would be more than sufficient.
Having the unnecessary House of Councillors is actually slowing down the political process, which is a huge problem.
It’s clear that the area most in need of restructuring and cost-cutting in Japan is the political world.
