In the Jan. 12 "Viewpoints," a Danish newspaper said "A huge responsibility rests on the shoulders of the new leaders-to-be in the United States and Russia" in keeping the world in order. In December, the United Russia party won a landslide in an election. Putin selected Dmitry Medvedev, who is pretty much under Putin's influence, as his successor. Putin seems to be following the constitution and not running for president for a third term. But am I the only one who thinks Putin has put one foot in the door to run for the presidency in 2012?

I found the article "Argentine mothers, babies locked away together" from the Jan. 26 issue of the Weekly very shocking. That "12 percent of 780 female prisoners" in Buenos Aires' provincial prisons are "pregnant or living with their children behind bars" is truly lamentable. However, I have mixed feelings about this because while on the one hand I am relieved that the children can stay with their mothers for their first few years, on the other, I feel these innocent ones should not have to live such a deplorable life in prison through no fault of their own. I praise Carolina Camps for this thought-provoking article.

This year's biggest news event would be the U.S. presidential election. I imagine the Weekly feels the same. I would like the Weekly to follow the U.S. election closely while at the same time covering the shift in global politics away from pure capitalist materialism toward an approach that includes awareness of the environment and poverty, a phenomenon that seems to represent the end of U.S. unilateralism.

Cheap cars will be welcomed by consumers (Jan. 19 issue) but we must make sure the auto industry keeps the emphasis on safety and security. Moreover, the pollution that cheaper cars will put into the environment will cause serious problems. Car buyers will likely be among those that develop respiratory diseases in the future.

The Japan Times Weekly: February 2, 2008
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