There are less than 10 days left for you to celebrate the upcoming holiday season ― if you believe in the Mayan prophecy of the apocalypse. On Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, we might experience the end of days, like John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Amanda Peet, who barely escaped the “heightened change in the elements” in Roland Emmerich’s epic 2012. Yet, we shouldn’t rush to any conclusions. Hiding in the mountains may not be the best move, for such predictions are mostly opportunistic.If you type “20

Viewpoints Dec. 13, 2012

What can be done to rebuild the nation’s finances, which are the worst among advanced nations? Financial reconstruction is an issue that will heavily influence Japan’s future.However, there has not been very much debate on the issue in the campaigning for the Dec. 16 general election. Parties must show their resolve in dealing with this problem.Japan’s finances are facing a critical situation. Tax revenues have been continuing to decrease due to the prolonged economic downturn following the burs

Viewpoints Dec. 13, 2012

The question before the U.S. Supreme Court is not whether to allow same-sex marriage, but how. That should be the question, anyway. Last week the court agreed to hear two cases involving the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. Theodore Olson, one of the lawyers for proponents of same-sex marriage, called it “perhaps the most important remaining civil-rights issue of our time.” He is undoubtedly right about that. What the court must do is find a way to encourage the movement’s progress withou

Viewpoints Dec. 12, 2012

The recent East Asia summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, once again highlighted underlying regional tensions. We will come to that later. But first let us look at the background to all this. It basically stems from concerns about China’s rise, particularly whether or not it will be managed peacefully. Beijing certainly regards it as a peaceful development to correct the historical aberration of China’s humiliation by the colonial powers and Japan during the 19th and first half of the 20th century. T

Viewpoints Dec. 12, 2012

There are real-world authors, and there are implied authors. Real-world authors are actual human beings, with their own distinctive characteristics, on display as they move through the world. Implied authors are the imaginary people whom authors create as they put words on a page. Implied authors have their own personalities ― their own sensibilities, characters, emotions, perspectives and concerns. Implied authors may or may not be like their real-world counterparts. A novelist may be cruel and

Viewpoints Dec. 12, 2012

Medical expenses for senior citizens continue to rise at a fast pace, putting an ever growing strain on the balance sheets of the National Health Insurance Corp., the administrator of the nation’s compulsory health insurance program.In 2011, the medical bills the state insurer paid totaled 46.2 trillion won, up 6 percent from 2010. Of the total, elderly people aged 65 or more accounted for 15.4 trillion won, up 8.9 percent from a year ago.Last year was the only one in more than a dozen years tha

Editorial Dec. 11, 2012

The three main presidential candidates held their crucial second face-to-face showdown on Monday night. The topics of the 120-minute TV debate were all related to the economy ― economic growth, economic democracy, job creation and welfare expansion.The second debate was more informative and livelier than the first one on Dec. 4, which focused on diplomacy and national security. It brought into relief differences in economic policies among the three candidates ― Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenur

Editorial Dec. 11, 2012

We are witnessing the most extraordinary moment in the Middle East since I began following events there 25 years ago. Every day brings a new ground-breaking development ― things that would lead newspapers all by themselves, anytime, anywhere.The United Nations General Assembly vote on “Palestine” was perhaps the most amazing event. Only nine of 193 nations voted against the motion.Of course they included the United States and Israel. Add to that Canada, the Czech Republic and Panama. The rest we

Viewpoints Dec. 10, 2012

The fears that big money would corrupt the political process in 2012 weren’t realized, the conventional wisdom says. The fat cats, unshackled by U.S. Supreme Court and lower court decisions, weren’t able to buy the presidency or the Senate. True. It also misses the point. About $6 billion was spent on the campaign, and outside groups poured $1.3 billion into political races, according to data from the Federal Election Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics. Supporters of the Citizens

Viewpoints Dec. 10, 2012

Wasn’t the U.S. defense budget supposed to be in for some belt-tightening by now? Whereas President Barack Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, waged war the old-fashioned way, with troops and tanks, Obama has been busy outsourcing the dirty work of protecting and furthering America’s interests to CIA drones, private contractors, local mobs with ties to terrorists, and even the French.It was looking as if the Department of Defense could pack up, because the administration didn’t leave it with mu

Viewpoints Dec. 10, 2012