Current location:travel >>
VOX POPULI: LDP lawmakers’ remarks about political funds create a paradox
travel57People have gathered around
IntroductionThere exists a famous paradox involving a Cretan who claims, “Cretans always lie.”If we assume this ...
There exists a famous paradox involving a Cretan who claims, “Cretans always lie.”
If we assume this statement to be true, it implies that the speaker, being a Cretan, must also always lie.
Consequently, the statement “Cretans always lie” cannot be true, creating a contradiction with the initial assumption.
I remember hearing this paradox in junior high school and being utterly confused by it.
Now, let us shift our focus from the Cretan’s statement to the statements of certain lawmakers, who are often called “sensei,” and assume they are true.
Senior members of the Liberal Democratic Party’s faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe uniformly made a claim at a recent session of the Lower House Deliberative Council on Political Ethics.
They claimed they were not aware that so-called “kanpukin” funds--part of the money raised for the faction through fund-raising parties that exceeded the quota of individual politicians and was returned to them--were not declared in the political fund income and expenditure reports.
The Abe faction members said they believed everything was being properly handled.
In 2022, it seems, they apparently paid no attention to the words of then faction Chairman Shinzo Abe about this matter.
At the time, Abe reportedly decided to stop the practice of refunds, calling it an “opaque" scheme that could “raise doubts.”
It’s hard to imagine that these politicians did not ask Abe what he meant by “opaque” given that the boss’s decision would reduce the political funds they desperately wanted.
Subsequently, the faction’s policy concerning this matter flipped back to continuing the dubious practice.
If these politicians still claim they were unaware that the funds were not being duly reported, that would mean all the blame falls on the faction’s clerical staff responsible for accounting.
If the politicians are telling the truth, it means that despite knowing the practice to be illegal, such staff kept completely silent, informing none of these senior members of the faction.
However, this whole scenario seems implausible.
Instead, it seems likely the initial assumption that the faction leaders told the truth at the council session is incorrect.
The statements of these sensei lawmakers lead to contradictions.
Far from dispelling political distrust, it seems their remarks have only deepened the feeling.
Are Cretans always liars?
We can enjoy such a paradox because it is an intriguing play on logic.
Politicians’ claims, however, are part of the real world.
We cannot afford to be merely bewildered by their words.
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 3
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Stories news portal”。http://westernsahara.whetstonetavern.com/html-4e199988.html
Related articles
Merlier wins Giro Stage 3 after Pogacar fires up finale and stays in the lead
travelFOSSANO, Italy (AP) — Belgian rider Tim Merlier won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia after race ...
【travel】
Read moreThe truth about 'fake meat' and why Martin Freeman was right about ultra
travelDemand for 'fake meat' has undeniably taken the world by storm.Fuelled by a deluge of alarming repor ...
【travel】
Read moreThree signs Princess Charlotte's birthday portrait, taken by Kate Middleton, was not retouched
travelAn expert has revealed the details which prove the Princess of Wales has 'not overly retouched' her ...
【travel】
Read more
Popular articles
- Point guard Deivon Smith transferring to St. John's from Utah
- Mississippi high court declines to rule on questions of public funds going to private schools
- Head of Greek extreme far
- Today's campus protests aren't nearly as big or violent as those last century
- A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
- Middle school focuses on recovery as authorities investigate shooting of armed student
Latest articles
Judges ask whether lawmakers could draw up new House map in time for this year's elections
Home appliance giant Midea reports 10 pct revenue increase in Q1
Art on the lips at hippiest cultural district in Hong Kong
Average game time drops 1 minute to 2:36 in second season of MLB pitch clock
Babar hoping paceman Rauf will regain full fitness and make an impact for Pakistan at T20 World Cup
From your alarm clock and mattress to your microwave and fridge
LINKS
- Woman's death after electric blanket fire triggers warning from Coroner
- 'And so it begins': Inside Parliament during the uneasy transition of government
- Dunedin council takes Aurora Energy proposal public
- Continued funding concerns among disabled communities
- Movement of pilot's seat a focus of probe into LATAM Boeing flight, report says
- Fashion designer Kate Sylvester to close the business after three decades
- Australian foreign aid worker among five killed in Israel airstrike on Gaza
- Nikki Haley Wins District of Columbia's Republican Primary, Gets Her First 2024 Victory
- Port Hills: Fire crews sent to investigate after reports of smoke
- 'We can sue him': Chumbawamba on Winston Peters use of their song