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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016.Abe pledges to boost economy as upper house election campaign begins
By Linda Sieg TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
38 Comments
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minello7
Japan is stuck in a time machine and can't find its way out, while its neighbour has been racing ahead, in business, education, a rising standard of living, more billionaires and millionaires joining the ranks weekly and all that from a one party state from a country that so many people seem to despise. I look around the world, at the US, Europe, the middle east, Africa, South America, so much political confusion, filled with lies, promises, corruption it just carries on. But the the people of Japan have to make a decision, only the people can bring about change, they have to see through the lies and promises otherwise things will never change, they think voting is a waste of time, things will never change, but, you have a vote, use it.
Disillusioned
He said exactly the same thing four years ago when he took office and at every opportunity since then. However, we are still waiting for his pipedream to come true. His three arrow economic policy is a load of hogwash with no sound economic structure.
gokai_wo_maneku
Yes, Abe and Damenomics have had 3.5 years to fix things. Alllllllll he has done is put Japan back on a war footing.
Simon Foston
I suspect that one of the reasons is that a lot of people in the seats that count, i.e. the over-represented rural ones, are voting for hereditary oligarchs backed up by the vote-gathering and fundraising organisations created by their fathers and grandfathers, who just happen to belong to the LDP. Sometimes these people split from the party, for whatever reasons, and when the LDP run candidates against them they still win. I think for the most part, though, they stay in the party for the added power and influence it affords them, hence the continued free passes.
MsDelicious
I now understand where the term Déjà vu originated.
gogogo
Return? We are already there Abe-kun... what are you offering? More paper a̶r̶r̶o̶w̶s̶ airplanes and cartoon cut outs?
ClippetyClop
I've never seen such a politically apathetic country before, very few people seem to care about who is running the shop (into the ground)
rainyday
Yeah it would be terrible to return to the era of darkness and stagnation that existed under LDP rule....oh wait.
Aly Rustom
With you at the helm its a return to an era of darkness and stagnation,”
sighclops
Another day, another pledge. Starting to become a tad cliche, no?
shallots
It's a system that keeps on keeping on, I guess. With the Komeito/LDP envisioning nothing for the future. They really believe in themselves and don't believe much beyond that. The "opposition" doesn't represent anything in particular either. I think things will keep on weakening. This is a cycle of depressed ambition and self-reenforcing inwardness.
Alistair Carnell
The LDP party bus has but one gear, reverse !
Twan Totten
Yeah, we all heard that one before...
DannytheGaijin
I pledge to stop taking Abe's pledges at face value.
fxgai
He doesn't even have to pledge, and he will find the LDP does well nonetheless. Elections are a charade here.
kurisupisu
If only the young Japanese could know what a buoyant economy was like! However, they don't! But they do know that something is majorly wrong as they aren't having families and producing children The inaction of their elders is directly responsible for the blight that the young are suffering....and there is no end in sight.....
edojin
The word "boost" used in the headline is the perfect word for Abenomics. Abenomics has boosted prices across the board ... and have done little else. As a result, we are seeing higher prices everywhere. I think we've seen enough "boosting" or "revving up" or whatever. Forget Abenomics ... they are grinding the economy up ...
BurakuminDes
Abe Pledges.....Abe Urges.... Abe Promises.....Abe is Upbeat about Abenomics....
Yet, after 4 years he has delivered nothing. The man does not have the guts, leadership or ability to run a household, let alone a nation.
mukashiyokatta
No, Abe will NOT boost the economy. He is lying.
Black Sabbath
These pledges by Abe to improve the economy have become quite a regular feature of his tenure....
SenseNotSoCommon
That's novel!
shallots
@Alistair Carnell Let's not leave out Komeito who are always along for the free ride.
BertieWooster
He's GOING TO boost the Japanese economy.
What has he been doing up till now?
shallots
@JeffLee are you letting politicians (policy makers) and bureaucrats off the hook?
Blattamexiguus
Just a minor point to ponder. Reaganomics, Thatcherism, Stalanism... and examples too numerous to list have mostly been expressions coined retrospectively by others to describe significant economic, political, philosophical approaches. Abenomics? Where did that come from? The self proclaimed "Juche" springs to mind.
You ain't no democrat, bro!
Citizen2012
Abe wants to continue his current priority on economic development, rather than valuing human life.
Citizen2012
in Abenomics-go , "help my friends holding a top position at big JP corp".
smithinjapan
How many times is that now?
talaraedokko
Parole, parole, parole, ...
gogogo
Headline should read:
" Abe repeats the same one line "
Gobshite
Abe has pledged that the next pledge he pledges to pledge, will be the last pledge he ever pledges...... honest.
bruinfan
Define "Boost the economy". I would hope that it means raising/maintaining the standard of living for most people in Japan...
timtak
Abenomics is pretty much the same as the "qualitative easing" that takes place almost everywhere else in the first (and not only the first) world, where it also gives a "boost," results market in addiction to the boost, but little real economic recovery, despite Keynesian claims that the "boost" will start a positive feedback cycle of growth. QE has not really ended. http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2015/04/29/the-end-of-qe-isnt-really-the-end-of-qe/3/#3b565cf1675a It seems unlikely alas that Abenomics will end either.
Ozawa seems to be the only party leader to be predicting Abenomics doom. The Kaikaku party leader, a sort of Japanese Bernie Saunders, suggests that money should be printed for households, "kateinomics".
FizzBit
hidden inflation - Product quality or quantity that decreases despite a decrease in price. Hidden inflation occurs when products remain at the same price, yet are offered in lower numbers or lower quality.
If you're interested, here's a web site that follows the hidden inflation in the US. I see this happening here a lot too. Stopped buying many things, especially treats and cakes because of this. Same price but smaller slices or a reduction in toppings/flavor.
http://www.mouseprint.org
JeffLee
Um, the bankers? Their greed and ignorance created the bubble you speak of and the most recent bubble. What's wrong with blaming the people who actually created the problem for the problem? Is this the kind of mampy pampy society we've created?
It's like blaming the police, but not the thief, for a burglary.
JeffLee
It would be nice if companies in the private sector, and not politicians, got together and "pledged to boost the economy."
But that ain't gonna happen. That's why old-style capitalism is failing.