Random Thoughts From Marybeth

Elections and the Internet

Japan has silenced the internet, as far as election chatter goes. In a country thought of as a technology utopia, a law passed 55 years ago has muffled the heads of political parties and candidates.

Employing an inflexible interpretation of an old law devised to control the number of election posters, flyers and postcards, election officials have classified home pages, emails and other internet material as "documents", meaning that every download is counted the same as if it were a brochure thrust at a train commuter.

Those who defy the law and update their home pages risk being stripped of the votes cast in Sunday's poll and jailed for two years or fined up to 500,000 yen ($6000).

Meanwhile, back in the U.S....