Prime Minister Taro Aso expressed skepticism about the four-way split
of the postal services during a lower house budget committee meeting
on February 5. This set off a large chorus of criticism from the
LDP's structural reform faction, members of the opposition and the
mass media. But the chorus itself, while rattling the premier, lacks
focus. The structural reformists, the Democratic Party of Japan and
the mass media are engaging in extreme folly. I protest their vague
stance.
Of all the structural reforms pushed by Koizumi and Takenaka,
splitting the postal services into four separate entities was the
worst. Just go see for yourself on your next visit to the post
office. You'll quickly see what a stupid idea it was. If the postal
service continues under this divided management, it will crumble.
Premier Aso is correct in his stance. He has taken a lot of heat
because of his lack of popularity, but his statement that the postal
privatization should be reviewed is just common sense. The Diet
should react positively to this remark and return the postal service
to its more effective structure.
"It is never too late to correct a mistake." ――Confucius