politics

As campaigning begins, Japan gears up for decisive election

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Ah. Get rid of labor laws and lower corporate taxes. Sounds great for the top 1%!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The beginning of the end of Japan as we know it today.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Across the sea in China, over a billion people can't vote for their leader and in HK people are protesting they don't have a full say in how their local leader is chosen. Then over here, most adults are allowed to vote, and yet half, if not more, choose not too and the rest end up choosing the same old crap. Well, you gets what you deserves.

There are no surprises here.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Politicians only run to win, we need more statesmen who run to serve.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I cannot vote here but I have the feeling that this guy is popular only because all the others look so worse. Lock-down & the lack of alternative are really scary in a democracy because it makes the democracy not look different than a disguised dictatorship.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Conservative right...here we come!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If there's something I've learnt from politicians in Japan it's that they can do one thing very well: yelling! None of the politicians seem to have the charisma needed to articulate themselves in a calm and confident manner.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Let the circus begin. A big round applause for " The Abenomics"

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The Soka Gakkai clowns

Just what do you actually KNOW about the Komeito? (The word "new" is only added in English btw). While I am not a "religious" person and do not adhere to the followings of the Sokka Gakkai, as a party they have tried and succeeded on many issues that affect foreigners in Japan.

Komeito has tried to get the vote for foreign residents of Japan, it has made sure that foreigners living in Japan have many of the same rights and privileges in the social welfare system that Japanese have.

You should do a little research about the Komeito before calling them all clowns. That is a link to their platform, and other related information as well. They are moderates and more to the center than just about any of the other parties here in Japan today.

< https://www.komei.or.jp/en/about/platform.html>

2 ( +3 / -1 )

His reforms to the labor laws, business taxes and the constitution are quite scary. You can also bet he will be attempting to lower the minimum wage or abolish it altogether. It is a typical liberal government that will make the rich richer and the poor poorer. However, the constitutional changes are the most threatening. He also intends to change the process of changing the constitution so a public referendum is not necessary. If you think relations with their Asian neighbors are bad now, wait until the reaction to the changes in the constitution. It should also be noted that, there is no mention of any sort of internal infrastructure reforms to things like, the failed pension system, aged care, the Tohoku clean up, the Fukushima clean up, etc. He has very eloquently left out any reference to these issues. He is not interested in fixing Japan. He just wants to be famous - or infamous as the case WILL be.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I agree with Citizen, Abe is lucky in his opposition. I've never seen a bigger group of wimps, whiners, losers, and has-beens in my life. The opposition would make Walter Mondale look like an ass-kicker by comparison.

I have real concerns about the Abe administrations social policies, but as a mildly-informed, third-party observer, I think he's going to wipe the floor with the opposition and have total control of both houses for the next three years.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yubaru I know quite a bit about Soka Gakkai and Komeito as it happens. I take issue with a party which is a political arm of a religion carrying with it a history of bribing voters, forging ballots

The way you wrote this sound like to me anyway that you know how to find a wiki page about the history of Komeito.

Do me a favor tell me what religious group NOW does Komeito affiliate itself with officially?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Its not just that everyone "doesn't care," but often that they are just too busy.

There is something seriously wrong with a society where people claim they are "too busy to vote", let me tell you. Change comes from people commited to make their societies better, and it takes effort.

I wholeheartedly disagree with your opinion that people are too busy. The Japanese are among the most politically disconnected people in the world, lured by Disneylands, shopping, shopping and more shopping. Try to talk politics with a Japanese and you'll see them start squirming and feeling uncomfortable right away. Well, good for them, I say. Let them be disinterested and see a minority of engaged voters put these clowns in power. Let them see their constitution be changed behind simplistic catch phrases like "Abenomics". Let them wake up too late and in 20 years time realize they made a grave mistake believing Japan had some magic recipe to go back to the heydays of the Bubble. In 20 years time, when this country has changed beyond what is now comprehensible, I will laugh and say "Told you so".

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That's fine. Please just do not scream at me from your sound trucks.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"The Soka Gakkai clowns"

I can't wait to hear in what way the Komeito candidates are clowns.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I actually hope Abe gets it. Best of a bad bunch and all that.

And Pukey - I agree with your sentiments, but lets not forget that those people who work don't get time off to go and vote, nor any pressure from their companies to do so. My hubby wants to vote, but he works from 7am to (usually) around 7-8 pm, Sometimes more, and the polling station is not near the area in which he works. Wifes are not allowed to vote for their husbands either. Its not just that everyone "doesn't care," but often that they are just too busy.

I suspect that is the reason that many dont... and I also suspect that is why the elderly have such a high turnout.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Let's have a look at the alternatives to the LDP. The Soka Gakkai clowns, the completely discredited DPJ, the Communists, the Ishihara/Hashimoto comedy duo and other assorted non-entities and crackpots. An unbeatable hand? A pair of twos would beat the rabble Abe is facing.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I am with Yubaru, etc.

In what way is Soka Gakkai and Komeito clowns? Yes, I am a SG & SGI member as are some other postets here.

We got members in over 192 countries, etc our leader has received around 350 peace awards and honourable doctor ships globally. Do some research as was said.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Jimizo.

Which religious group is Soka Gakkai associated with, give us the name.

Granted in the past it was with Nicheren Shochun but that was decades ago. Obviously you don't know all that much.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Yubaru I know quite a bit about Soka Gakkai and Komeito as it happens. I take issue with a party which is a political arm of a religion carrying with it a history of bribing voters, forging ballots and using its members to harass half-forgotten elementary school classmates to vote for them around election time. Neither do I buy the argument that it doesn't violate the separation of church and state, one of the key aspects of a free democracy. The comical attempts to distance Komeito from Soka Gakkai have been repeatedly shown to be farcical, a case in point being former Komeito leader Junya Yano filing a suit against the religion for what he saw as threatening behavior and libelous comments from the religion's 'newspaper' ( not the first time this ridiculous parody of a newspaper has been in court ) after he left this rather shadowy group. Thankfully, the majority of Japanese people treat Soka Gakkai/Komeito with the suspicion it deserves.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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