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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, attends a debate session ahead of July 21 upper house election with Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) leader Yukio Edano, Komeito Party leader Natsuo Yamaguchi, Japanese Communist Party Chairman Kazuo Shii and other party leaders at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Wednesday. Image: REUTERS/Issei Kato
politics

Abe raps opposition parties for joining hands only for election

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From abt, Anyone but Trump to aba, Anyone but Abe. Not enough power. Whether you call it corruption or not, the LDP isn’t going anywhere.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

talaraedokkoToday  08:13 pm JST

Whether you call it corruption or not, the LDP isn’t going anywhere.

Not until a credible opposition party with enough candidates and strong leadership emerges as a viable alternative. Then the LDP might dump Abe because he would obviously collapse against an effective challenger.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

People have more stressing issues to worry about rather than thinking on the legal status of the SDF-forces. We have the US-Japan security alliance. People worry more about being able to live adequately in the future regarding pensions etc!

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Strikebreaker555Today  03:27 am JST

People have more stressing issues to worry about rather than thinking on the legal status of the SDF-forces.

It seems to be all Abe worries about.

People worry more about being able to live adequately in the future regarding pensions etc!

Abe, Aso and all their geriatric Diet chums are getting Y.1.2 million a month at least, and the good old boys in the sticks that they rely on for votes and campaign funds will all be loaded too. I doubt if they're all that bothered about anyone less fortunate.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Japan doesn't have an opposition party. It has 'the old boys club' LDP and a dozen insignificant smaller parties that couldn't agree on the color of shite. The next strongest party after the LDP is the communist party. That tells you about all you need to know about Japanese 'one party' politics.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

DisillusionedToday  07:28 am JST

The next strongest party after the LDP is the communist party. 

The CDPJ got a lot more votes and Diet seats in the last election. The JCP actually went from 21 seats in 2014 down to 12 in 2017. The JCP may have a bit of grassroots support but it's not doing them much good.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Isn't it the case that opposition parties are choosing unified candidates for the mere purpose of trying to bring down the government?" 

Isn't it the case that the LDP gets votes irrespective of their lack of compelling economic or social policies?

This is all just Japan's group-oriented culture at play. Pretending that policies matter in Japanese democracy is silly.

"If you choose unified candidates, shouldn't you form a shared view over the Constitution, whether the Self-Defense Forces are legal or not?"

Actually who cares about that? People are concerned about their personal lives, not your pet projects.

"It is a goal...but the important thing is to bolster the real economy. What that means is (improving) employment conditions," Abe said.

Where's that 3rd arrow that was proposed back in 2012/2013?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Disillusioned * Absolutely. There is no coherent message nor plan from the opposition. A out of tune band named “The Resentfuls”.

As with most left leaning movements around the world they just want to tear stuff down with no sense or viable ways to build up from the ashes of their revolution. Best we can hope for is some youthful and more sophisticated new blood that are not as arrogant as the old guard to emerge from within the LDP. Is what it is.

You could always go with the communist party and make a new best buddy with the CCP of course, if that’s the way they feel inclined to go...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

come on Abe boy... you're party did, does, and will do the same thing if you want to protect your own interests.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If anyone thinks the ruling party or the opposition care about the average taro or Hanako

then you need to have your brains checked. All they care about is being voted and earning their

fat salaries off the taxes of the hard working people.

They are all out of touch with the realities the average family is facing.

With 40% of the work force on temp contracts or part time with an average annual income

less than 20,000 US dollars, reduced income and increase in prices of almost all commodities

I expected them to counter and put Abe in corner when he talked about his achievements like the low unemployment rate and increase in the national hourly pay instead they just sat there listening as if

they were hypnotised.

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Ricky Kaminski13Today  11:53 am JST

Disillusioned Absolutely. There is no coherent message nor plan from the opposition. A out of tune band named “The Resentfuls”.*

As with most left leaning movements around the world they just want to tear stuff down with no sense or viable ways to build up from the ashes of their revolution. Best we can hope for is some youthful and more sophisticated new blood that are not as arrogant as the old guard to emerge from within the LDP. Is what it is.

No, that's not acceptable. The LDP needs a serious challenge or else it'll never shake itself up and let that more sophisticated new blood take over, and that kind of challenge won't come from another conservative party because conservative voters won't bother switching to an LDP clone. Regardless of what you think about left leaning movements an effective opposition party basically has to be one of them, with policies that are clearly different from the LDP's. The CDPJ could be the nucleus of such a party, although they still have a way to go. Refusing to merge with other parties they have nothing in common with is a start.

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marcelitoToday  06:21 pm JST

Best we can hope for is some youthful and more sophisticated new blood that are not as arrogant as the old guard to emerge from within the LDP. Is what it is.

This is pretty much on the ball as much as I dont like saying it. Japan,s best hope is with someone like Koizumi jnr, i know the arguments against him, he is part of the system, a political blue blood who was born to inherit his fathers constituency but as ricky says it is what it is. At least he is young , has some fresh progressive ideas and openly disagreed with Abe and the old guard on a number of occasions. Unfortunately it will be another 5 years or so before his turn comes.

I wouldn't totally hate having Shinjiro Koizumi in charge, as much as I do hate the LDP's heredity and money politics. I suspect that if he decided he didn't want to wait another 5 years Abe would be in a lot of trouble.

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We need an alternatives to keep things healthy. That’s democracy! But where is the alternative in Japan? Beyond a joke and trying to adapt already failing approaches from the west to find an identity in common victimhood. Just weak.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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