Tuesday, October 15, 2013

First Reactions To The Prime Minister's Address

1) The prime minister's speech was general, simple and covered relatively few points.

2) Foreign policy was a small heap of generalities -- then again so was everything else, including the treatment of the the closely watched so-called third arrow growth reforms.

3) At 24 minutes, the speech was six minutes longer than his January speech. Somehow, it seemed shorter. No mentions of contentious issues like the decision to go forward with the 3% rise in the consumption tax or the Official Secrets bill.

4) Few applause lines or stirring expressions.

5) Torimodosu ("taking the country back"), the verb on the Liberal Democratic Party's main campaign posters in the last two national election -- got two mentions. For the most part the speech was buzzword free.

In a colloquial phrase, there was nothin' we ain't heard before...

More thoughts after the Kantei provides the official text, as necessary.

Later - The prime minister's overseas speeches so florid, embarrassingly so, and yet his Diet policy addresses so spare.

What's up with that?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The prime minister's overseas speeches so florid, embarrassingly so, and yet his Diet policy addresses so spare.

What's up with that?


I'd wager it's a combination of (a) All English speakers are pompous speechmakers that talk with their hands!!11!one! and (b) A native editor who was instructed to not make it so damn dry this time.