| Depending on which intellectual and cultural circles you orbit, you likely were focused on one of two women over the weekend: Aside from sharing the reverse of each other’s initials, Taylor Swift and Sanae Takaichi — who is likely to become Japan’s first-ever female prime minister — have a great deal in common. They’re both musicians. They’ve dabbled with motorcycles. They’re setting new records. They’re unabashed workaholics. And if one were to print out all the thought pieces written about them, there’d be enough lore to fill a public library. “The prospect of a new Japanese leader doesn’t always generate international excitement,” writes Gearoid Reidy, but Takaichi’s victory to helm the Liberal Democratic Party came as quite the shock: But unlike Swift, Takaichi is the stuff of right-wing dreams: Gearoid says she’s “the most conservative choice the party could have made, if not the most right-leaning leader in recent history.” Naturally, US President Donald Trump sent his congrats to Japan over his Truth Social transom, calling Takaichi a “highly respected person of great wisdom and strength.” Such a robust endorsement from MAGA-land would raise eyeballs all on its own, but the gossip mill had a head start. “Many want to make Takaichi out to be not just a right-winger or a conservative but an ‘ultranationalist,’ a radical, or a female Donald Trump,” says Gearoid. Yet the situation is far more nuanced than nicknames — “Taliban Takaichi” and “Iron Lady”— and comparisons — Giorgia Meloni — afford. “I realized last year for the first time that people might have thought of me as a very extreme, right-wing conservative,” Takaichi said recently. “I think I’m an extremely ordinary Japanese person.” Although most “extremely ordinary” people cannot claim to have a resume as varied as Takaichi — she was a former newscaster, amateur metal drummer and motorcycle enthusiast — she is working to moderate her policies. “Much of her platform would hardly be considered extreme in many countries — it centers on constitutional reform and a strong military,” Gearoid writes. As for the economy, “investors assume Takaichi will administer a second dose of Abenomics, and history makes clear why they like that,” writes John Authers. But Gearoid disagrees, saying predictions of Abenomics 2.0 go a bridge too far. “Takaichi in the past has certainly been an advocate for free-spending policies. But the LDP isn’t in a position to force through such radical plans these days,” he notes. In the coming months, the apparent prime minister will no doubt write her own music for Japan. Whether the nation ends up having an ear for heavy metal is another story. Brace Yourself for a Chaotic Week | What a pleasant respite it is to read about something other than US politics! Too bad I have to ruin it by giving you this list: - The Supreme Court started back up again on Monday and Noah Feldman says it’s going to be the most consequential term in modern history. No pressure!
- The FBI reportedly wants to send “large, beefy” agents to publicly humiliate James Comey on a “perp walk” à la Luigi. Barbara McQuade is aghast that the world’s greatest law enforcement agency would stoop so low, but everything is reality TV these days.
- In between completing push-up records and firing military leaders, Gautam Mukunda says Department of War chief Pete Hegseth continues to teach a masterclass in bad leadership.
- Florida is giving away 2.63 acres of land so that President Trump can immortalize himself with a library, of all things. Just one minor catch, says Mary Ellen Klas: “The location is adjacent to Miami’s iconic Freedom Tower, a symbol of liberty and democracy in a city powered by Latin American immigrants.”
- Trump is hoping to secure a certain international accolade on Friday for his brokering of hostage deals, but neither Israel nor Hamas seems particularly happy with the US peace plan. “In a week, any motivation provided by a quick Nobel Peace Prize will have passed for at least another year,” Marc Champion warns.
Whew! That’s almost enough news to forget that there’s a shutdown in Washington. Erika D. Smith says all work on fair housing has come to a screeching halt — just one instance of how the Republican party is working to hobble institutions that promote the public good. |
