politics

Campaigning starts for Japan's upper house election on July 10

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Did Kyodo, and I am sure they did, pick the worst pitch/quote from the JCP?

Japanese Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii said in Tokyo, "War or peace. Japan's fate depends on this election. We seek to advance by appealing we will stop war and bring hope to people's lives."

The JCP cannot even stop the LDP' s corporate welfare, much less conflict in the world. It sounds like a meaningless quote by Kishida to "protect the lives of Japanese people" while he gifts his cronies.

It should be a drumbeat of:

Failure to help the people of Fukushima over a decade later.

Japanese workers poorer in real terms than South Korean workers.

LDP response to the pandemic, Ukraine, inflation has been no assistance to workers just more corporate welfare. Socialism for the rich and rising inequality.

Some do not have the incentive to win.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

If you're out on the streets, put in your earplugs!

11 ( +13 / -2 )

I see a total of two people under the age of 50 in this picture.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

Great to see the breakdown of campaign pledges by party.

The 'Japan Innovation Party' doesn't seem very innovative though! Most of their campaign pledges are exactly the same as those of the LDP.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I see a total of two people under the age of 50 in this picture

Being generous on the "50", I would have said 60! It's because everyone else is slaving away when they held this rall

Oh, I would also bet the one " younger" looking guy was working there and not part of the actually audience!

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

So how soon after this election will it be that PCR testing be dropped and tourists allowed back in? Not a peep about it from any party, presumably to keep the Jimin's racist fans quiet.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

HBJ,

Yes I am personally a fan of Japan Innovation Party (I note that the commie party calls for me to pay more tax, but that doesn’t seem like a fair deal to me at all), but the Innovation Party is saying some somewhat tame things.

But take a close look:

-- work on an exit strategy for monetary easing.

This is a very direct repudiation of the ridiculous and now hated notion that forcing prices to rise would be a wonderful idea. No, everyone hates the idea and now the reality of rising prices. In a year when the Russians have invaded another country, Japan’s former safe haven currency should have gone up, but rather it has been tanking - one American commentator I saw this week was observing this and suggesting it could be a sign of a black swan event.

So the Japan Innovation Party is not saying let’s continue, they are talking about an exit. This is something in common with one of the other opposition parties.

I would be glad to hear what the Japan Innovation Party would really like to do, but seems to me they don’t want to frighten the horses too much… and they no doubt no more about the Japanese voter than I.

But frankly, I am disappointed to see them also talking about a consumption tax rate cut, without saying what they will do about Japan’s horrid finances.

Frankly the government needs to slash spending in half, and then use what trifling revenues remain to start paying down the 300% of debt to gdp that those LDP and Komeito disasters have racked up. I mean, the article is even mentioning examples of subsidy programs. Slash those.

But to talk of cutting consumption tax (giving a tax break to wealthy folks in the process) without also talking about spending cuts that have to be made, is dishonest politically.

The Japanese people aren’t so dumb that they can’t handle the truth. The debt is not a secret. Come out and honestly say that we need to deal with it, and I don’t think the Japanese voter would react so badly.

On the contrary, this reset is needed for Japan to start showing some life again.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The Japanese people aren’t so dumb that they can’t handle the truth.

Yes they are not dumb and grasp the truth that fiscal austerity schemes are to wring austerity from the people to pay off the corporate welfare and QE of decades of neo-liberal policies by the LDP.

Unfortunately the media and one party oligopoly has done a fine job of excluding any alternatives.

The regressive consumption tax is another mechanism to lay this burden for the bad finances of the LDP and their Japan Inc. cronies on the workers of Japan.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Defense posture is necessary in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine

Has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Ukraine !

Japan should mind its own business , stay neutral and pacifist and take care of it's own people.

Make peace with China and Russia and Korea's and show the world this new great Japanese democracy !

A leader of peace and unity.

That's the best way .

Going to war is not a wise decision .

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

The biggest lie :

The LDP will take powerful and flexible measures against rising prices of goods and energy.

We can all see that the LDP has done exactly the opposite.

The LDP has taken powerful measures that has raised the prices of goods and energy.

If the LDP continues - then costs will continue to rise and war will be inevitable !

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Not one party argued for keeping the border closed to foreigners - meaning the travel ban was falsely touted by media outlets as an election-year justification.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Brought and paid for, why bother. Oh yer cos it’s another way of moving tax funds into ya mates pockets.

rinse and repeat

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I see no mention of the individual parties' stances pertaining to restarting of the tourism industry, and if their parties will push to increase the numbers of us gaijin tourists back to Japan or not. As a gaijin, I hope that Japan will reopen her borders again after the election. I mean, I read recently that only 1,600 tourists have applied to travel to Japan under the "guided tours" program over the next two months. Crazy stuff.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

i wonder how is the weather like in Japan these days. Am I the only one who feels somewhat ‘poor you’ while looking at people wearing masks in this unbearable heat and humidity, some even a jacket...

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

How many women can you see in the photo ?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

I wonder if the JIP is intended to eventually replace Komeito as the LDP's primary partners as Komeito are not happy with abandoning constitutional constraints on military action?

quote: Heading into the upcoming poll, the [opposition] bloc remains fractured.

So the LDP and allies to win by a country mile then. A one party state with elections. Xi must be green with envy. Someone buy the opposition a book on politics.

quote: I see no mention of the individual parties' stances pertaining to restarting of the tourism industry.

Because restarting tourism would lose you votes from everyone except the ritually sacrificed remains of the tourist industry. Japan no more wants tourists than it wants migrant workers. Abe's economic nationalists have been replaced by ideological nationalists, happy to pay any price for nationalist purity.

quote: How many women can you see in the photo?

Five plus one or two blurry possibles, but some of those blokes might self-identify as women. It doesn't say which party is involved. 5+ might be a record for an LDP photo.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I was forced to listen to them all and only the Communist Party has any clue. 25 years of decline will continue in this one party state.

listen to @trevor if you care about your health. Plug up!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

just a lot of crap.

as always.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

and only the Communist Party has any clue

they have a real marketing problem though. Whenever I see a JCP poster on someone’s property, the property is a dilapidated mess. Wouldn’t they do that to the country, too?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Kishida has rejected he is to blame over inflation, attributing the inflationary trend to Russia's invasion of Ukraine since late February that has sent energy and raw material prices soaring, a headache for resource-scarce Japan.

Russia's invasion didn't cause the rise in energy prices. It was the self imposed sanctions by the west. Russia will happily sell you some cheap oil and gas...especially if you pay in Rubles!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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