Abe ties Sato for longest uninterrupted term as PM

FarmboyToday  09:00 am JST

Simon,

Today’s article:

Asked about Abe's long-running administration, 43.9 percent said it had more negative aspects than positive ones, while 49.6 percent answered the other way around.

Yes, so? How do you explain this:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet stands at 36.0 percent, the second lowest since he returned to power in late 2012, at a time when he is facing public criticism over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.

So excuse me if I don't find your poll especially persuasive.

49.6 percent have something more positive to say, and can ”write something good about him.”

Why don't they, then? All you could manage was a list of things that would be pretty much the same no matter who's prime minister and the usual "there's no alternative" line.

.. but it no doubt annoys you that so many people do not share your opinion.

Does it really? Next time I don't know what my opinion is about something I'll just ask you, shall I? Wait a moment though - judging from the comments here and other opinion polls that show falling support for the Abe administration, I would guess that quite a few people share my opinion. I'm not an expert on what complete strangers think so I don't know if that annoys you or not.

FarmboyToday  02:45 am JST

The economy is better than a lot of places. Most people have enough to eat. Japan is not in a war. The yen is not crashing. The debt is manageable. Most Japanese can find some kind of work. During emergencies, shelters are set up reasonably quickly. Healthcare is usually okay, and not that expensive. Japan is usually safe.

So what's Abe himself done to bring this pleasant situation about?

Stop whining about Abe and everything else unless you are offering an improvement, which you aren’t.

People are going to write whatever they like whether you like it or not. If no one can think of anything good to write about him there's not a lot you can do about it.

Goodlucktoyou,

It's called Plaza Accord 1985. That's how Japan went from 2nd largest economy to 3rd. From 80% of America's GDP to %20.

The massive pressure being applied on China now in 2020, was applied on ally democratic Japan in 1985 to slow us down and not surpass the USA economy.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Abe.

Don't forget about S. Korea and the Constitutional reform.

Politically toxic PM Abe, born with a silver, error, sorry, gold spoon in his mouth.

I am not a big fan of extensively long periods of time in which one leader is in power. It inevitably leads to corruption- it’s just too easy and too difficult a temptation for any human being with the power of the state at their disposal to resist. Abe has done about as good as you can expect given the circumstances.

Xeno Man: Similar to how Margaret Thratcher destroyed the British economy for the American capitalists.

What? The British economy was on its knees after decades of socialism following WWII. Thatcher’s policies created jobs and increased overall wealth- yes even for the lower and working class who had much fewer opportunities under socialist centered policies. The American economy was also coming out of a severe recession in which the unemployment rate was higher than during the 2008 crash. The British economy was in much better shape by the time Thatcher left office. On the other hand, the Socialists and their policies definitely were not. That’s a good thing. The ideology of socialism has let to great levels of poverty and to more deaths in the 20th century than any other ideology in human history. It’s crazy that people are so selfish for free goodies that they will ignore the epic misery that this misguided idea has wrought on humanity.

"Aristocracy is fundamentally incompatible with democracy.

This is pretty much the fault of Americans." 

Why is the dominance of hereditary politicians in Japan pretty much the fault of Americans? From what I understand, sons and daughters of politicians in Japan have enormous structural advantages because they can inherit well-oiled political machines staffed by people who have a strong incentive (namely, keeping their jobs and livelihoods) to make sure a hereditary successor takes over. Is it really American officials who force the Japanese against their will to accept a political system tilted in favor of hereditary politicians? I doubt it.

It is Japanese voters who support and uphold this system and appear to have little issue with how it functions. They're not ignorant, they know who's who. I'm sure they know intimately well the family trees of the Abe, Koizumi, Nakasone, Hatoyama, Aso, and Fukuda political dynasties.

Yubaru: Abe has little to show for his time as PM other than a long list of failures and an increase in the debt our great-grandchildren will have to pay.

Sounds like the leader of nearly every first world nation on the planet.

.....the legacy.............. all I can think of is abe & his wife getting caught red handed in scandals & skating in usual ldp fashion.....while the ldp distributed non-stop pork & brown envelopes as they always have

Oh and he invented a word that meant nothing in reality...

And the countries decline has continued un-abated

Japanese vote based on the candidate’s family background anyways. It is impossible for the political families to ever lose.

those who know a little about Japanese history know that nepotism was always part of Japanese society ( not just in politics ). Japanese sure love people with a good “family name” and background. the rest of us are just a b-nch of Jane and John Does no matter how honest and competent we are. this aspect of Japanese society is one of the things I’m hoping it can change during the next two generations.

So this is how it's measured!? By the number of days your survive this job and NOT what you accomplished?

I get it now.

Good going, oh fearless leader. Question, what’s your legacy?

Wow, now that Abe has accomplish this, as one poster has said, it’s time for him to retire.

Longest but no remarkable achievement.

Covid19 revealed incompetence of Abe government.

They compare Japan with US or part of European countries to propagandize as if their measure was succeeded.

But, in case of comparison with neighboring same eastern Asian countries such as Taiwan or South Korea, that Abe government wasted opportunity to reduce infected or victim is clearly.

With the demographic cliff and the mass increase in retirees there is no economic theory that can save Abe-san from deflation. He did his best.

He could have done massive structural reforms as Koizumi termed it. However, the regional bureaucrats destroy any effort for any real reform in Japan. The Abenomics is nothing more than a bandage policy that seeks to benefit the foreign investors and their Japanese puppets.

Similar to how Margaret Thratcher destroyed the British economy for the American capitalists.

Aristocracy is fundamentally incompatible with democracy.

This is pretty much the fault of Americans. This fault only benefits the American overlords and capitalists at the costs of Japanese people and East Asian region.

The USA keeps the old Japanese aristocracy alive as convenient puppets who can just shout loudly at Yasukuni shrine but none of them can do any crap against the Americans or Chinese. East Asia is kept at a perpetual state of ultranationalist anger among its inhabitants, so the American defense companies can sell more weapons and the Pentagon can retain a buffer zone against China/Russia. Japan is a deared unsinkable carrier of the USA in the Asian continent. The USA doesn't give a dime about democracy as long as it fits the American special interests.

Abenomics has been a mess because it's based on faulty economic theory. The negative effects are only beginning to become clearly evident. The double consumption tax increases, for example, evidence the reality vs the theory.

It is actually an astounding success for the Wall Streets and Chinese. The transfer of wealth from Japan into foreigners is assured and stimulated through Abenomics. The policy that overinflates Japanese assets and stocks to lure foreign buyers. It was half-successful because there are many foreigners now owned Japanese assets aka the Chinese, while the Western investors are suspicious of Japanese assets/stocks, so they refuse to buy any of them or even dump the existing one.

Meanwhile, there are even more than 16% of Japanese people living below poverty line and more than half of Japanese single mothers are in poverty.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/221.html

Even the rich people of Japan feel the pinch on their wealth and well-being. For example, Kei Komuro's family, the suitor for Princess Mako, is among the prestigious class of Tokyo elites with their son attended Gakushuin. This family now struggles to even pay for the American ridiculous tuitions that any elite or upper middle class people in China and Southeast Asia have no trouble to pay.

The Covid-19 Pandemic now wiped out the entire gains of Abenomics that hoped to sell Japan for the highest foreign bidders. Shinzo Abe's policies and action hurt the Japanese people of all social classes and tiers.

While its admittedly a small sample and arguably skewed, I don't think I have ever heard any Japanese person I know say they back Abe. Invariably they'll say something along the lines of, "I don't really like Abe, but I don't see any other viable options."

They do have a choice. The JCP or anyone else but the LDP.

The reason why LDP cronies keep winning every election because the Pentagon and CIA casually interfere with Japanese politics. The American overlords have the ability of manipulating politics and votes at a whim, as they did in Latin America and South Vietnam. The Japan Communist Party and Japan Socialist Party used to have the power dwarfing the LDP cronies until the CIA sabotaged both parties out of existence.

Shinzo Abe and LDP cronies keep winning because American masters want so.

that's 7.6 years.

Nobody has ever survived 2 candidatures in Japan!! LOL

Still remember Mori, he got axed within a week of becoming Prime Minister

Quantity does not mean quality here. Abe has little to show for his time as PM other than a long list of failures and an increase in the debt our great-grandchildren will have to pay.

And a myriad of scandals, nepotism.

With 34% support, which is the lowest ever, it will still carry LDP to another landslide victory even if the election are to be held today.

Japanese vote based on the candidate’s family background anyways. It is impossible for the political families to ever lose.

Japan continues to do relatively well, assuming economic growth/GDP is your yardstick (which I don't think it should be... not by itself anyway). Personally, I put that down to the spirit of the average Japanese drone, rather than the perennially incompetent ruling class.

I don't understand with haters. It's clearly more Japanese liking him which makes him seat for over 2000 days. If you are against, then why don't you and your team fight for it to reach the top and you will have same haters like you.

You obviously dont know much about Japanese politics. It's not about how the entire population thinks about the PM, it's about how the party in power is run by the president, who becomes, by default, the PM of Japan.

Abe was and has been elected by a tiny fraction of the entire population, to represent one district, and he rose to power, on the back of his pedigree, to the top of the LDP, and since they have the majority, he is PM.

Also you have to remember that the overwhelming majority of posters here have no voting power here in Japan. This is about the only forum that they can vent their anger and distrust of Abe and Co.

Abenomics has been a mess because it's based on faulty economic theory. The negative effects are only beginning to become clearly evident. The double consumption tax increases, for example, evidence the reality vs the theory.

Even if he was a good leader, it's healthy for the political climate to get some fresh faces in with new thinking. Oyaji japan is never going to improve if people like this keeps leading all parts of society.

I don't understand with haters. It's clearly more Japanese liking him which makes him seat for over 2000 days. If you are against, then why don't you and your team fight for it to reach the top and you will have same haters like you.

Not really. He's not elected by popular vote. He's the leader of his party. So long as his party maintains power and backs him, he will continue to be the prime minister. While its admittedly a small sample and arguably skewed, I don't think I have ever heard any Japanese person I know say they back Abe. Invariably they'll say something along the lines of, "I don't really like Abe, but I don't see any other viable options."

I don't understand with haters. It's clearly more Japanese liking him which makes him seat for over 2000 days. If you are against, then why don't you and your team fight for it to reach the top and you will have same haters like you.

With all due respect, it is by way of marriage Abe Sensei is a relative of former PM Sato.

Abe ?

The Japanese PM to emit the most CO2

of any Japanese PM ever, on his trips around the world...

According to a NGO working in India, 90% of Indians prefer to do number Twos in nature even when community toilets are provided.

under Abe’s rule we moved from second biggest economy to third. Thanks Abe, India will be number 3 and japan number 4.

Great job.

The fact that the man whose record he broke was his own great-uncle speaks volumes.

Congrats, PM Abe! Haters gonna hate...

Pray tell, other than the length of time Abe has been in office, name ONE concrete thing he has done for the betterment of EVERYONE in Japan?

Come on, put your money where your mouth is here!

Quantity does not mean quality here. Abe has little to show for his time as PM other than a long list of failures and an increase in the debt our great-grandchildren will have to pay.

What a disappointment he has been.

The Japanese people must be so proud................................not.

I likes.

Congrats, PM Abe! Haters gonna hate...

He’s certainly lasted longer than most, but I still can’t fully accept your description of him as ‘a street fighter from Yamaguchi’ who, along with ‘Aso Sensei’, is the envy of electorates around the world.

Congrats, PM Abe! Haters gonna hate...