Chinese State TV Uses Clips from Anime to Criticize Japan

 State-run Chinese Central Television (CCTV) used clips from the 2002 anime film Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street in a piece criticizing what it described as Japan's move toward right-wing conservatism and political nepotism. The piece covered Sunday's national election in Japan and focused on how 75 of the 480 winners are progeny of previous generations of politicians, including Shinzo Abe, the presumptive next prime minister from the winning center-right Liberal Democratic Party. The clip used shows the character Shiho "Ai Haibara" Miyano looking at a ballroom full of children of Japan's politicians with disdain, saying that this lineage is "what led to a corrupted future. […] It's because of this politics of inheritance which led to human beings repeating its mistakes in history." After the piece CCTV aired an uncensored version of James McTeigue's live-action film adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta comic book series, and both moves have led to speculation about ideological shifts in both the station’s output and also the ruling administration headed by the newly-installed Chinese Communist Party general secretary, Xi Jinping. The piece can be viewed (in Chinese) here, and move can be read here.

Saucer Contry

Comic Book Resources has an article about the television potential of the DC Comics' Vertigo series Saucer Country, which is about a Governor running for President when she is apparently abducted by aliens, and the implications as everyone as they try to figure out what's going on. The series started in March 2012 and has so far released 8 issues.

How Various Election Systems Work

Today we have some videos explaining how election systems work, including the United States' complicated Electoral College system, as explained by C. G. P. Grey and some videos on how the American Political system works by Epipheo. Check out both of their YouTube channels for more informative videos.

How the United States Primary and Electoral College Works

How First Past the Post Voting Does and Doesn't Work

How Alternative Votes Works

How Gerrymandering Works

How Mixed Member Proportional Representation Works

How Much Does the President Really Get?

Is America Really a Democracy?

How Oil Prices Affects the Economy

Obamacare Explained

How to talk Politics Without Fighting

xkcd's Electoral Precedents

The always interesting xkcd.com has a comic detailing the problems of predicting elections on some not very relevant circumstances, using every United States Presidential Election.

Batman and Wolverine run for office in Brazil

Brazil is seeing a rising trend of political candidates legally changing their names to include nicknames that are intended to make the candidates stand out. Superhero names are among the most popular, with several Batmans showing up among municipal elections, and other superheroes like Robin and Wolverine appearing as well. You can read the full article, which includes other interesting names that are showing up on ballots, at FoxNews.com.