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プライベートな政策
景気好調のアメリカで、クリントン大統領が先月末、元ホワイトハウス実習生との「不適切な関係」を認めて釈明会見を行なった。一方、日本には「人柄」がとりえでまじめな首相がいるものの景気は低迷するばかり。どちらがましだろうか?
I am returning from Alaska as I write these lines and although politics in the "lower 48" seem somewhat distant to the people up there, this is pretty much what they are discussing.
Bill Clinton admitted having an "inappropriate relationship" with a 21-year-old intern in the White House. The speech that was supposed to be a contrite apology to the American public and his family turned out to be a disaster. That speech will probably hurt him more than the mistake that originated it.
Does this make him unfit to be the president of the United States? Should he resign because of this scandal? To be honest, I don't know. And a lot of Alaskans I spoke to shared my incertitude. One woman told me, "We elected a president not a pope. As long as he does his job, I don't care about his sex life."
Yet in a perfect world, the leader of a nation would be a role model, personifying moral values and setting standards of behavior. But foremost he should fulfill the job that he has been chosen to do: govern. He must work for the prosperity, well-being and peace of his people.
At this Bill Clinton has done a pretty good job. The economy and morale in the States are as high as they have ever been. And this has been accomplished without any ill-justified war (so far).
Although a big number of Americans feel that permissiveness is an important factor causing the problems their country does face, they place more emphasis on efficiency than on morality when it comes to the presidency — until the infamous "apology speech" at least. Now the wind might be changing.
Making comparisons between the American president and the Japanese prime minister is probably as pointless as it is irrelevant. But as I travel between both countries I can't help wondering Japan is going through an endless economic crisis and the entire world is feeling its effects. Yet the country has a prime minister who is one of the very people who got it in this mess in the first place. So which is worse? Both are bad. But who knows? Maybe Mr. Obuchi's having an affair or two would give the economy here the boost it so much needs.
It's a pretty tough world if our only options are an effective but cheating president and a faithful (then again, who knows?) but no-good prime minister. Isn't it?
Yes, adultery is morally wrong. No questions about it. Be it committed by man or woman, infidelity damages the very essence of what it means to be a couple: trust.But to what extent should such matters become the focus of public attention? Should the suffering of one family be the subject of wide show gossips? Should $40 million (¥5.28 billion), enough money to save a starving nation, be used to bring out the sordid details of an extra-marital affair, however improper and reckless it may be?
I am returning from Alaska as I write these lines and although politics in the "lower 48" seem somewhat distant to the people up there, this is pretty much what they are discussing.
Bill Clinton admitted having an "inappropriate relationship" with a 21-year-old intern in the White House. The speech that was supposed to be a contrite apology to the American public and his family turned out to be a disaster. That speech will probably hurt him more than the mistake that originated it.
Does this make him unfit to be the president of the United States? Should he resign because of this scandal? To be honest, I don't know. And a lot of Alaskans I spoke to shared my incertitude. One woman told me, "We elected a president not a pope. As long as he does his job, I don't care about his sex life."
Yet in a perfect world, the leader of a nation would be a role model, personifying moral values and setting standards of behavior. But foremost he should fulfill the job that he has been chosen to do: govern. He must work for the prosperity, well-being and peace of his people.
At this Bill Clinton has done a pretty good job. The economy and morale in the States are as high as they have ever been. And this has been accomplished without any ill-justified war (so far).
Although a big number of Americans feel that permissiveness is an important factor causing the problems their country does face, they place more emphasis on efficiency than on morality when it comes to the presidency — until the infamous "apology speech" at least. Now the wind might be changing.
Making comparisons between the American president and the Japanese prime minister is probably as pointless as it is irrelevant. But as I travel between both countries I can't help wondering Japan is going through an endless economic crisis and the entire world is feeling its effects. Yet the country has a prime minister who is one of the very people who got it in this mess in the first place. So which is worse? Both are bad. But who knows? Maybe Mr. Obuchi's having an affair or two would give the economy here the boost it so much needs.
It's a pretty tough world if our only options are an effective but cheating president and a faithful (then again, who knows?) but no-good prime minister. Isn't it?
Shukan ST: Sept. 18, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- adultery
- 不倫
- morally
- 道徳的に
- No questions about it.
- 疑いの余地はない
- Be it committed by man or woman
- (不義を)犯したのが男性にせよ女性にせよ
- infidelity
- 不義、不倫
- damages
- 傷つける
- essence
- 大切な部分
- to what extent
- どの程度まで
- focus of public attention
- 世間の興味の焦点
- suffering
- 苦しみ
- subject
- 対象
- starving nation
- 飢餓に瀕している国
- bring out
- 明らかにする
- sordid
- 不快な
- details
- 詳細
- extra-marital affair
- 不倫関係
- improper
- 不道徳な
- reckless
- 向こうみずな
- lines
- 文章
- "lower 48"
- アラスカから南に位置する、ハワイを除いたアメリカの48州
- people up there
- アラスカの住民
- admitted
- 認めた
- having an "inappropriate relationship"
- 「不適切な関係」を持ったこと
- intern
- 実習生
- contrite
- 罪を深く悔いた
- apology
- 謝罪
- turned out to be a disaster
- さんたんたる結果に終わった
- 〜 that originated it
- スピーチをする原因となった 〜
- unfit
- 不向きな
- resign
- 辞任する
- To be honest
- 実を言えば
- shared my incertitude
- 私と同じように、分からないと言った
- pope
- 法皇
- care about 〜
- 〜 を気にかける
- role model
- 人の手本となるような人物
- personifying 〜
- 〜 の象徴となる
- moral values
- 道徳倫理
- setting standards of behavior
- 行動の指針を定める
- foremost he should fulfill the job that he has been chosen to do
- 彼が(大統領に)選ばれた任務を遂行するために真っ先にすべきことは
- prosperity
- (国の)繁栄
- his people
- アメリカ国民のこと
- morale
- 士気
- has been accomplished
- 遂行されてきた
- ill-justified
- 正当化できない
- so far
- 今のところは
- permissiveness
- 黙認、寛容
- factor causing 〜
- 〜を引き起こす要因
- face
- 直面する
- they place more emphasis on 〜 than on 〜
- 〜 より 〜 により重点を置く
- efficiency
- 能率
- presidency
- 大統領職
- infamous
- 不名誉な
- wind
- 風向き
- Making comparisons between 〜 and 〜
- 〜 と 〜 を比較すること
- pointless
- 意味がない
- irrelevant
- 筋違いの
- can't help 〜 ing
- 〜 せずにはいられない
- is going through 〜
- 〜 を経験している
- economic crisis
- 経済危機
- one of the very people who got it in this mess in the first place
- そもそも日本をひどい状態に陥らせた張本人たちのひとり
- having an affair or two
- 不倫のひとつやふたつもすること
- boost
- 景気づけ
- options
- 選択肢
- cheating
- 浮気している
- faithful
- まじめな