politics

Despite 2011 disaster, pro-nuclear LDP favored to win power

30 Comments
By Linda Sieg

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The LDP stands for a return to nuclear power and turning a blind eye to breaches of safety regulations in return for huge donations from the power companies. Is this what the Japanese people want?

The LDP promises a return to its failed economic policies of wasting trillions on unnecessary construction projects in return for bribes from the contractors. Yet the Japanese people seem inclined to elect these crooks.

The LDP favours big business over ordinary workers, leading to more temporary, insecure, low paid jobs with no benefits. Millions of people have become working poor since Koizumi, yet they vote for more of the same.

The LDP, having bankrupted the country with its years of wasteful spending, now proposes to inflate away the debt, reducing the value of pensioners savings and leaving them in poverty. Yet, like turkeys voting for Christmas, the same pensioners will vote in the son of their previous LDP MP without a second thought.

The Japanese seem to enjoy working unpaid overtime, taking no holidays and enduring substandard living conditions. In the same way, they vote for the party that promises to punish them and make their lives worse. It's a kind of masochism that I just cannot understand; I suppose it's because I'm not Japanese.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

It's a kind of masochism that I just cannot understand; I suppose it's because I'm not Japanese.

Scrote, I feel the same. There are many on JT who support Abe and LDP. I am not so optimistic for Japan. There is nothing we can do. They are the victims.

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Unfortunately, we only get the politicians we deserve (when allowed to vote). Japanese people should stop being passive victims of the system and speak up to become actors of their future.

As for Scrote, I just cannot understand this resignation attitude. I do not believe in the fate.

I cannot read japanese, but according to japanese friends the very first thing to be done to see a change would be to have the japanese media doing properly their job (free, independent & investigative). This assumes obviously the elimination of the press clubs (kisha clubs) that tightly locks the freedom of expression.

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Hopefully the Future Party will win, but I kind of doubt it. At least they will be able to restrain the LDP.

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WHAT !!!!! LDP again? The party that invented Japan's bubble economy. When will Japan learn.

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Japan is never, ever going to learn until it's far too late. I of course don't want any further disasters to occur, but that's what it's going to take. Even then, I suspect the powers-that-be will refuse to acknowledge any hand in it and blame it on factors they could not control.

These people never learn -- they just see dollars. Screw the people that suffer as a result.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

As someone mentioned above, many of Japanese are getting tired of the biased reporting done by the Japanese media, including this article, and how the media (newspapers, TV) and education systems have been hijacked by the Left-wind activists, including the current members of administration, who have started their career as student activists during 60s and later. This issue is very complicated and it is just a beginning.

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a result a baffled Greenpeace activist likens to one of the "wonders of the world."

Of course the Greenpeace activist is baffled - she probably thinks that stance on nuclear power is the one and only and most important issue for every person who votes. Sorry, it is not that simple, and to equate the two could also qualify as one of the "wonders of the world." Please come back to some kind of economic reality Ms Suzuki. She and anyone else around the world who "would be amazed" would benefit from reading this article.

But even if the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wins the Dec 16 election, it will not reflect any groundswell of popular support for nuclear power.

Media surveys have shown a majority of Japanese want to exit nuclear power by 2030 if not sooner.

"The LDP is the likely winner and is pro-nuclear, but it will not win because it is pro-nuclear"

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Japan is never, ever going to learn until it's far too late.

Do you mean Japan as in every person in the country? It sounds like that when ever anyone says "Japan this" or "Japan that". I'd like to see that brush of yours which paints a population of over 100 million people with one stroke. Must be of extremely fine quality to not be missing any, nay millions, of strands.

In the same way, they vote for the party that promises to punish them and make their lives worse.

I'm having trouble imagining voters using this kind of, ahem, reasoning.

It's a kind of masochism that I just cannot understand; I suppose it's because I'm not Japanese.

You don't need to be Japanese. You just have to read more about who votes for the LDP and why.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Baaaa! Literally, baaaaa!

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Daijoboots: "Do you mean Japan as in every person in the country? It sounds like that when ever anyone says "Japan this" or "Japan that"."

It sounds that way do to insecurities, but it's interesting you support the nuclear village and at the same time try to claim people are making generalizations.

Disillusioned is right: Baaaaaa! baaaaaa!

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smithinjapanDec. 02, 2012 - 03:32PM JST

Japan is never, ever going to learn until it's far too late

Hopefully, the world can offer another help to Japan when the next big earthquakes . I seriously doubt it when Japan is for pro nuke.

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Quite frankly, I'm not too surprised if LDP wins. A lot of bad things happened in DPJ's turn at power, showing their limitations, and the LDP platform at least demonstrates something of a strategy.

A lot of you here are anti-nuclear. That's fine, but you MUST realize simple conflict of interest suggests that it is not really likely the power companies were lying when they say nuclear power is cheaper. It is obvious cheaper power will help boost the economy. Thus, you can't really be anti-nuclear and pro-economy at the same time.

Further, I'm sure that recent events by China and Korea are making a significant fraction of Japanese realize the old accomodationist policy has failed completely. DPJ wants to keep playing it while LDP offers something different. That has to be a point in their favor.

At this point, a little more "easing" spending won't really ruin the budget balance worse than it really is. If you want to emphasize balancing the budget at this point, you'll have to raise taxes and cut the welfare budget in a way no party would dare. Thus, the only hope is to try some way to stimulate the economy.

So, why won't the LDP win? Sure, a lot of the current policies originated from them, but the DPJ didn't exactly fix them during its turn but at least the LDP is promising change now.

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So, why won't the LDP win?

No one's saying they won't win. Shouldn't win, more like.

Sure, a lot of the current policies originated from them, but the DPJ didn't exactly fix them during its turn but at least the LDP is promising change now.

Change? Sounds like the same old re-hash of sabre rattling, vague rhetoric and huge piles of cash being thrown away on useless pork barrel projects, with the same boring, mediocre old men in charge. The LDP don't deserve another chance at government, they deserve to be extinct.

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at least the LDP is promising change now.

The comment like this reminds me a battered woman syndrome who is willing to take another physical abuse. She is not willing to stand up for a real change. The real change does not just happen, you need to work at it and you need to make it happen.

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Shimazaki-san summarized the sentiment held by many Japanese today. Assuming that most of the people here are non-Japanese, I am impressed to see how little understanding people here seem to have. LDP is offering significant changes with their policies, to stimulate the Japanese economy, focusing on the expansion of domestic economy as well as international trade by easing Yen. Koizumi days are all in the past.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I am impressed to see how little understanding people here seem to have. LDP is offering significant changes with their policies

Tomoki san,Would you please provide me with the details. We may not be getting enough resources from WSJ, NY Times, Washington Post, and Economist about LDP and its policies. Thanks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I am impressed to see how little understanding people here seem to have. LDP is offering significant changes with their policies

Tomoki san,Would you please provide me with the details. We may not be getting enough resources from WSJ, NY Times, Washington Post, and Economist about LDP and its policies. Thanks.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese does not ask help from other country when the big tsunami strike , nuclear energy is in reality so cheap you don't have to put your company offshore , .. If there is really an alternative to cheap energy like nuclear energy , tell us.. What do you want ? You die from hunger or die from radiation ? Japanese would rather prefer die from disaster rather than die from losing your pride cuz you are poor .. That's the culture !! So they vote for LDP

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The people of Japan once again intents its reputation for being sheep.

Are you surprised? Then please, tell us why....

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WHAT !!!!! LDP again? The party that invented Japan's bubble economy. When will Japan learn.

My thoughts exactly! People see Abe as the second coming....hello? do you not remember that he was ousted just a few years ago??? What makes people think that he has changed???

1 ( +1 / -0 )

pontananagomaDec. 03, 2012 - 06:16AM JST

Japanese does not ask help from other country when the big tsunami strike

okay. Understood.

If there is really an alternative to cheap energy like nuclear energy , tell us..

There are many new energy alternatives available. You need to find your best mix for Japan.

What do you want ?

We want you to live without a fear of radiation. We want you to succeed.

You die from hunger or die from radiation ?

Neither.

Japanese would rather prefer die from disaster rather than die from losing your pride cuz you are poor .. That's the culture !!

Sometime it is okay to put your pride in your pocket and move on. Poverty is not a crime. It happens to all of us sometime in life.

So they vote for LDP

Good luck.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Meet the new boss, same as the old -- literally. It's baffling to me how anyone could be stupid enough to put a right-wing loon like Abe into a position where he could ascend to PM once again.

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Only about 20% of the people support LDP, but that's enough to get them into the majority of power. 20% of the core-right will always support the LDP. The problem is that there aren't any good enough alternatives. The Future Party may change that and they may become a legitimate threat to the LDP.

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Having 50% of the population undecided on which party to vote for just 2 weeks before the election is not a healthy situation for a nation the size of Japan to be in.

Meanwhile, really unfortunate that Hashimoto has turned all quiet and blurry ever since he joined hands with Ishihara, as if the two have already agreed to get the party focused on a post-electoral coalition with the LDP. Ishihara is obviously too old to wait for the so-called third force to gain real independent ruling power and may have convinced Hashimoto into toning down all that third force-like rhetoric promising to do whatever he can to ensure Hashimoto becomes PM at the one after the next.

Good that Watanabe is not giving into all that electoral politics and staying firm with his original principles, but believe he will consequently need to decide to draw the line on his friendship with Hashimoto and focus on differentiating themselves as the true big city salaryman's liberal party, otherwise he may be one of the first to fall victim to all this blurriness which may otherwise only benefit the to be ruling coalition to be formed without his influence.

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This is a message from Noda.

He is trying to phase out the nuke energy while Abe is pro-nuke. I was involved in the rescue mission for victims in Tohoku, and I have seen enough sufferings. I do not want to see any more sufferings. This is a personal moral issue to me, and I just cannot support Abe. I hope some Japanese voters read what Noda has to say on this.

on the 23rd I first of all observed an electric power plant in Ohgishima in the city of Kawasaki. Wind-generated electricity making use of Japan's technological strength. Large-scale solar power generation in which solar panels spread out across a site equivalent in size to roughly five Tokyo Domes. Renewable energy has actually begun to provide part of the electric supply at a location so close to an urban center. It is cultivating this small shoot into something larger that is the driving force steadily pushing forward the major goal of "bringing the operation of nuclear reactors to zero by the 2030's." I intend to include bold policies in the "Framework for Green Development Policy" that will be compiled from now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Shimazaki-san summarized the sentiment held by many Japanese today.

Many Japanese? Most opinion polls give the LDP about 23% support, but it still looks like they're going to form the next government.

LDP is offering significant changes with their policies...

They're offering exactly the same kind of pork barrel politics that might have been all well and good fifty years ago when Japan really did need the infrastructure, but is now only good for motivating their support base to fund them and vote for them. The LDP only cares about winning elections, although they do pretend (not very convincingly) otherwise.

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Many Japanese? Most opinion polls give the LDP about 23% support, but it still looks like they're going to form the next government.

Simon, do you know if DPJ is negotiating with other smaller parties to join them? Hope so. Please let me know. Thanks.

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Really it does not matter which party is going to win. All Japan needs is how are they going to fix up the economy. Of cause all media have a field day during election time including JT.

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