Five Powerful Items to Change People's Consciousness

China and the Senkaku Islands, the rare earth embargo, the Osaka prosecutor special investigation scandal, compulsory indictment of Ozawa and the Nobel Prize in chemistry going to Suzuki and Negishi; Now more than ever we truly need a government for the people!

"The people's well-being is the highest law." -- A Roman edict

Lately, a lot of shocking things have occurred. Looking at the main events since September, we have the Senkaku Islands controversy, with China playing offense; the connected embargo of rare earth shipments to Japan; the scandal involving falsification of information in the special investigation division of the Osaka District Prosecutor's Office; a committee's decision to proceed with the indictment of Ichiro Ozawa; and the awarding of the Nobel Prize in chemistry to two Japanese scientists.

The big event here is the China shock. It has brought out the anti-Chinese fervor of some Japanese people. If this anti-Chinese sentiment continues unabated, it will be hard to continue the friendly ties Japan has developed with China. That's how big this shock has been.

Second is the scandal in the Osaka District Prosecutor's Office. This has blown away the trust the people once had for the police. It is also spreading distrust of the nation throughout society. This change in consciousness will not be easy to undo.

Third is the awarding of the Nobel Prize in chemistry to two Japanese scientists. This has created breathing space for those of us who don't want to dwell on the dark realities and would prefer to look forward to a hopeful future.

These three items will weigh heavily on the people's consciousness. Politicians won't be able to just fight for the sake of fighting. They must work to find something for the people to believe in. Politicians will feel the wave of distrust from the populace. The political world will need to figure out how to work in the interest of the citizenry. It's time to think of making bipartisan efforts.