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BOJ policymaker praises Hitler's economic policies

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dear lord these people... what an idiot

11 ( +17 / -6 )

He also built good roads and was kind to dogs. Big deal. The main point is that he was a maniacal socialist who murdered 10 million people and caused the death of 40 million more.

1 ( +11 / -10 )

How many of these Japanese, supposedly "elite" Todai- educated dinosaurs are going to continue to praise Hitler before they get the hint it's not received well?

1 ( +12 / -11 )

To me, It's not so much whose economic policies he is praising, it's the fact that he is praising 80 year old economic policies that have no place in the modern economic environment. I agree that he is an idiot!

13 ( +20 / -7 )

RationalReader: I see what you did there!

Hitler was a fascist with nationalist and then social policies.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Hitler! There was a painter! He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon. Two coats!

3 ( +9 / -6 )

How is this praising Hitler? Reading the article its quite obvious the main point is that economically he did something right while others did not and that advantage let him do all the horrible things he is infamous for. I think is perfectly fine to say that good people should be active and take the opportunities if only to avoid the risk of having bad people doing the same.

11 ( +17 / -6 )

Hitlers economic achievements were far from as sustainable as they are often praised for - the upheaval was based on borrowing money he couldn't, and didn't intend to, pay back, as well as capital confiscated from wealthy Jewish families, all with the intention of starting a massive war he didn't stand a chance of actually winning. That isn't a long-term healthy economic approach.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

There is no practical difference between fascists and socialists - which is why Hitler had no trouble being both. They all want to use government power to impose their policies on their fellow citizens.

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

He is not praising Hitler. I understood he's making a point to show the economics during the Nazi ruling. That's what happened, no reason to whine.

11 ( +19 / -8 )

He is not praising Hitler. I understood he's making a point to show the economics during the Nazi ruling. That's what happened, no reason to whine.

How is this praising Hitler? Reading the article its quite obvious the main point is that economically he did something right while others did not and that advantage let him do all the horrible things he is infamous for. I think is perfectly fine to say that good people should be active and take the opportunities if only to avoid the risk of having bad people doing the same.

Yes exactly. Don't know what all these other people are going on about on here - as usual

4 ( +9 / -5 )

I am not a highly educated titan of business and/or society, but I feel there may have been a better way of making the point, whether it was about monetary policy or political history during the 30's and 40's in Europe.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Aso also praised hitler. he said he admired the way hitler changed the constitution in the middle of the night so when people woke up it was too late to disagree.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

no coincidence that his hand is up in the air like that

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Anything said praising the German govt. during Hitler's reign always causes an uproar.

People need to really listen to what's being said and not just tune out and dish out scorn when they hear the word "Hitler".

The economic turnaround during the 30s was quite dramatic, proactive and better than Germany's economic situation in the 20s. That's all.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

I get its bad to praise people like hitler, but unless he actually was, this is just a baited article.

Move onto real(er) news...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

RationalReader: dude what?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

He may not have been praising Nazi policy directly... but perhaps Japan is the land that is just incapable of making appropriate statements (read: KY). I certainly hear many of them each day.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@RationalReader

There is no practical difference between fascists and socialists

Note how the criticism of the mess Keynesian economics have got the world economy goes flying straight over everyone's head as they rush to do the usual Japan bashing and seeing the world in a simplistic, rigid, white hat-black hat dichomoty.

I appreciate this website is "say something about Japan Today dot com", but we really should be mature enough to examine Hitlerism and see the good, the bad and the effective as this individual did.

And, for Japan, there just isn't the cultural baggage to carry around that is enforced onto the West.

There was never a strong or even ideological alliance, and Japan refused to sign up for antisemitism, so nothing to apologize for. It joined an Anti-Comintern Pact ... an anti-communist pact ... with Germany.

This is what confuses me about "RationalReaders". Whereas they pop a cork over the word "socialism", their own nations actually got into bed and become allies with the communists, and fought to destroy the only nations who were actually fighting against socialism and communists.

And who turned out to be right about that afterwards?

For much of the war, Germany was actually supplying arms and support to China with gentlemen such as our friendly Nazi arms dealers John Rabe and von Falkenhausen deviling away against the Empire. Falkenhausen had come to incite Chiang Kai-shek into fighting a war against Japan. Rabe who represented Seimens working with him.

The article does not even tell us the context in which the comments were made. They are clearly personal, and not policy based.

Hitlerism did actually have many progressive and effective aspects including the anti-communist stance, as it turned out. Those are the facts.

Imagine how different the second half of the 20th C would have been without the effects of the Soviet-Chinese communist experiment.

It could be quite possible to put up a good argument that the UK and US took the wrong side.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To give the devil his due, he also devised a people's car for those roads that RationalReader mentions above. It took time for everyone to see Hitler's true colours.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Surely by even conjuring the name Hitler, Harada new this would create a backlash? Surely.....?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

He is trying to find a bright side to the failure of Abenomics. What he is saying is that with a great economy, horrible things result. As long as the nation is an economic failure, it can't do terrible things. There is a bright side for everything.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

He is not praising Hitler. I understood he's making a point to show the economics during the Nazi ruling. That's what happened, no reason to whine.

Exactly, but whenever anything is said about Hitler that is not completely negative, the Megaphone becomes activated.

Anyway, I agree that Hitler's economic policies were effective at dealing with Germany's problems at that time. Germany was then destroyed, and today the world is 217 trillion dollars in debt. Those who are happy with this outcome are applying great pressure to maximize the demonization and eliminate the praising of Hitler.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Will "abenomics" enable Japan to to horrible/heinous acts towards humanity again??

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

His salute is upside down.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@gokai

Thank you gokai. Is that what he was actually saying in context?

Am I the only dismayed by the click-bait level of reporting of foreign press agencies in Japan, and their many non-Japanese speaking correspondents?

@nandakandamanda

One of the key criticisms of Keynesian Economics is that it encourages big government * which is the other cork popper for these people. And, of course, "big government" is socialist too and therefore evil.

Hitler, on the other hand, was rather keen on "small government". Government by one.

Recently, Rush Limbaugh repeated compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler and his health care policies to Nazi tactics. But that's acceptable to them. Only a Japanese banker is not allowed to say the word.

Ironically, the German social insurance and health care system began in the 1880s under Bismarck and was part of Bismarck’s “anti-socialist” legislation!!!

It was a remarkable success, eugenics aside, and Germany free healthcare system for all still outshines America's, and costs half the price.

(In a recession increased government spending leads to high tax and spend regimes).
-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Good role model Harada-san.

Wonder who Abe's role model is?

Mussolini?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Hitler murdered millions of Jews because he thought they were an evil oligarchy dominating his country's economy.

Stalin murdered more millions of kulaks because he thought they were an evil oligarchy dominating his country's economy.

Mao murdered tens of millions of capitalist roaders because he thought they were an evil oligarchy dominating his country's economy.

There is no difference in substance - only in degree. It's meaningless to use different names to describe the same phenomenon.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

And yet another Japanese policy maker learns that what may fly in Japan will NOT necessarily fly abroad... at all.

""Because Hitler had taken appropriate fiscal and monetary policy steps, tragedy resulted."

It doesn't matter how he tries to spin it later ("I-... I mean that someone should have tried before him!") he is ultimately saying it will end in failure. And in the meantime he praises Hitler for something. Well done!

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Seems the press are making a big deal about nothing again.

But, you also have to be an idiot to not realize that would happen if you so much as utter the word "Hitler"

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

He said, "Because Hitler took appropriate fiscal and monetary policy steps, tragedy occurred."

Not "and then tragedy occurred."

So Harada is excusing Abe's incompetent fiscal and monetary policy steps Because they will not lead to tragedy. Is he? Or was a lot lost in translation?

Hitler was also a vegan, loved animals and children, and lead the first government to publicize the cancerous effects of smoking. "So" he killed millions? Or there is no relation between these items?

Politicians should learn to make a point without envoking Hitler's name, even now, 71 years after his death.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Praising Hitler or any of his policies isn't sensible and can create suspicion. It also leads to people who've read silly books along the lines Atlas Shrugged/Farted posting silly ideas on forums like JT.

A lose lose.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

This guy is bananas get him out !

2 ( +6 / -4 )

At the same time, however, Holocaust-denial and neo-Nazi movements are essentially unknown in Japan.

Completely untrue and a BS statement.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

This is what you get when you put right wingers in power, a slow and almost imperceptible normalization of past right winger atrocities, until it re-enters the mainstream with a new vigour. "Hitler's economic policies were good. So what else did he do that was also good? It wasn't all that bad was it?", etc.

The right winger is very sneaky but their tricks are crude and can be noticed from a mile away. People must be vigilant of the right winger and oppose their every move.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

How many of these Japanese, supposedly "elite" Todai- educated dinosaurs are going to continue to praise Hitler before they get the hint it's not received well?

I've read and re-read this article and he hasn't actually praised Hitler. He's clumsily acknowledged a point about economics and clumsily acknowedged what everyone knows - Hitler was a genocidal, murderous egomaniac.

Luckily, not all Japanese politicians are as clumsy as this and whatever point he was trying to make has been outweighed by the indignation caused by his remarks. It should be more than a lesson for those less erudite officials to think before making any such similar dopey comments.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Policymakers should not be ashamed to tell what they believe. However, they should be ashamed for what they are wrong.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Western Policymakers? Did he forget Hitler's Eastern Partner?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Exactly, but whenever anything is said about Hitler that is not completely negative, the Megaphone becomes activated. and the millions of lives he extinguished from the world war he started, do you think he deserves or has the right to have anything positive said about him. almost 20million Soviets died fighting Hitler and not to forget the 8 million German that died fighting the allies in the war of Hitlers making. To praise or show respect for him in anyway is an insult to those lost and their families.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

So he says it made them do horrible things in the world, and yet he praises that policy?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Sure, if people actually read the article, he's saying what should have happened to avoid Hitler's rise to power.

However, on the other hand, if the Allies had supported the Anti-Communist Pact (Germany, Japan and the guys who made nice suits) and the US not built up the Soviet Russian forces, or at least just given them a free hand,

a) the Russian people would have been saved Stalin's excesses and the Civil War (20 million + 9million)

b) the Chinese people would have been saved Mao's Great Leap (40 million)

c) the rest of the world all the subsequent conflicts. A  total death toll calculated to being between 85 and 100 million people.

On top of which, they would saved most of the deaths during the futility of WWII.

What people like RationalReader don't seem to understand is that genocide was not a conscious, overt policy of those political theories or even regimes but more of a consequence between them and the conflicting capitalist/monetarist regimes seeking to destroy them for the challenge to existing order they represented. A challenge which for the ordinary working classes or peasant, was in their interests. They seem to think it was all about the killing.

Had only the capitalist/monetarist regimes (whatever we are to call them) practised non-resistance and non-interference, and allowed alien cultures to chose their own way, the world would have been a far more peaceful, non-violent and wealthier place.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

PonchToday 11:40 am JST

Just go home if you don't like it, you give a bad name to the vast majority of perfectly content foreigners here.

No matter where it occurs. Praise of Nazi actions should be spoken against. And if you are perfectly content here, or anywhere, well... your finger is not on the pulse. But go on living in your cloud, by all means. I'm sure you are liked by many.

...it's just a space for pissed-off gaijins to rant.

Do you see your own hypocrisy, on multiple levels, there...? ;)

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Not surprisingly this is going to create some commotion among the maybe 50 guys checking this site religiously every hour to post their comments.

Your website is just...bad. It's not a news site, it's just a space for pissed-off gaijins to rant.

Just go home if you don't like it, you give a bad name to the majority of perfectly content foreigners here.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Of course, perhaps there's a whole other agenda going on here and they're trying to damage his credibility, and the Bank of Japan's, because his serious ideas are not in someone's interest?

You can read his typical speech on "Economic Activity, Prices, and Monetary Policy in Japan".

What was this, an off the cuff answer? Why is it not dated to the exact event and the entire talk referenced so that we can read his comments in context?

See here:

https://www.bis.org/review/r170612c.pdf

or:

http://www.boj.or.jp/en/mopo/r_menu_koen/index.htm/

Of course, they are a whole lot more boring and harder work to grasp than re-hashing WWII propaganda.

If I was the J-Gov, I'd chuck almost the entire foreign correspondence community out of Japan for stirring stupid ****.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The Nazi economy wasn’t great at all. Initially it was, but their economy was based on protectionism in order to become self sufficient. You’ll end up a pauper state, where the people have to work for scratch. Of course in the late 30’s and during the war years, they stole all their raw materials from the countries they occupied and millions of people worked for free.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

So does he means: Abe is the modern Furher of Japan?  Yes, very profound!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

A Bank of Japan policymaker praised Adolf Hitler's economic policies on Thursday, but said they enabled the Nazi dictator to do "horrible" things to the world.

Yutaka Harada, a member of the board of Japan's central bank

Mr policymaker, the J-economy has been down for more than 24years now, can you come

up with a policy that will fix the J-country.

You were not hired to talk about Hitler's policy but make the J-economy work.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The BOJ is full of nutcases who think that monetary easing is going to boost the Japanese economy, any day now... just keep on waiting for it, it's bound to work even though it hasn't before, ever.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Hitler, on the other hand, was rather keen on "small government". Government by one.

The key point of "small government" is that it typically implies that the people are free to choose how to conduct their own lives, on the basis of mutual cooperation with one another.

This is obviously not the case under a dictatorship, and certainly less the case the bigger government is and the more rules and regulations it subjects the people it is supposed to serve to.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The BOJ is full of nutcases who think that monetary easing is going to boost the Japanese economy, any day now... just keep on waiting for it, it's bound to work even though it hasn't before, ever.

I kind of picture you in front of your screen monitoring your minuscule FX position, hoping for financial Armaggedon and "Züber-Hyperinflation" running amok in Japan...

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Japan has many image problems, including international trade, WWII wrong doing, etc.

Japan needs to promote a better image . . . and needs to disassociate itself from infamous leaders especially someone who the BOJ policymaker has mentioned.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Think Hirada was indirectly praising the Reichsbank under Hjalmar Schacht in the erst-while Weimar republic. The BOJ was heavily influenced and is based on that model.

One more thing, the BOJ operates as a independent entity, the finance ministry has no control over it.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If every government wants some new ideas of revenues, why you need Central bank at all? Why we need Central bank , it is to say how much revenue you can get for running your government not more not less it says - see today BJP govt run by PM Modi under GST and demonetization generated more funds but just that only bleed the Nation called India as States too would draw similar schemes, and bleed the states, So I don't agree with the speech that Hitler is a good economist - but some arbitrary man just because he misused JM Keynes ideas of paper money, paper money cannot be used as some pepper spray on people sir.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I find the subject matter remarkable for a BOJ policymaker. Knowing full well his influence over present day fiscal and monetary policy could have detrimental effect.

Such foolish vanity when viewed from a perspective that 1930s economic policy either fiscal or monetary in Nazi Germany was not powerless to Hitler rearmament programme.  When mirrored against the human and economic global lose and cost it renders his position untenable.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hitler's economic policies basically consisted of looting the countries he invaded and stealing from the Jews. The only real problem was that the quantity of countries to invade and Jews to murder was finite. Otherwise well done, great job.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

He's just saying the economy could do with a little lebensraum.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Because the inflationary stimulus type policies are just what the BoJ is doing.  all we need now is to declare war on someone and job done.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It seems everyone in these comments has missed the important point:

How on earth could you call Hitler's ideas economically successful?!

The entire Nazi philosophy was to print money (IOU's) and simply not pay them back.

The inability of Hitler to pay back the IOU's before the ever nearing payment date was one of the big reasons Germany entered the war earlier than it had intended to.

These kinds of news articles prove that Japanese leadership is not only stupid (Who in their right mind tries to justify Hitler's decisions? Nothing he did was good for his country), but criminally irresponsible and that they have absolutely no business managing the economic situation of a nation.

Just outrageous.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Your website is just...bad. It's not a news site, it's just a space for pissed-off gaijins to rant.

It's a news site for English speakers; be they gaijin or Japanese. Yes, there are some eternally peeved people who like to sound off (and not just at the Japanese) but I'm guessing the majority are very happy and realise how lucky they are to live here.

Just go home if you don't like it, you give a bad name to the majority of perfectly content foreigners here.

Again; it's wonderful to be entirely content where you live but at the same time; it's healthy to question what's going on around you. As you would naturally do anywhere you call home.

In this particular case; it's been blown out of proportion and that's what this energetic debate is about. Some of the posters feel that Harada could have phrased it a lot better and that he was clumsy with his economic examples. Others feel this is indicitive of Japan as a whole and it's time to send in the troops.

Personally, I think he needs to reflect on what he said (as I'm sure he is!) and it may signal to public officials to avoid such mistakes in future.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I wonder what reactions would have been if the headline were, "BOJ policymaker warns of dangers of complacent economic policies."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Because of Hitler's economic policies, the Reich was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1939. Going to war was a way to avoid going bankrupt, so I am not so sure that praising Hitler's economic savvy is such a good idea.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@paradoxbox

Almost but slight edit required. It should read,

"These kinds of news articles are designed to make the Japanese leadership look stupid and criminally irresponsible and that they have absolutely no business managing the economic situation of a nation."

To which you can add, and are written by people who cannot read or speak Japanese at a native level nor know or care about the original quote or context.

The other factor sometimes being involved, when they are actually Japanese, is "went off to America to be re-educated into some kind of 'liberal', anti-Japanese agenda".

After a short time of watching, you tend to find the same kind of stories all comes from the same press agencies, all anonymous as to who the original author is, and are copy and pasted all over the world without question.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A Bank of Japan policymaker praised Adolf Hitler's economic policies on Thursday

Move your hand a little bit more and you will have the perfect mustache made of shadow to go with your rhetoric

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It's the old "Axis Pact" support.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

From the economical standpoint, he is correct, Hitler did miracles with the economic system to bring about the rise of the "Third Reich". However, I doubt he denounced the attrocities and crimes against humanity associated with the Hitler's state system. Can't blame him, politicians over there are evidently devoid of basic human decency. The leading ones.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Also, boy, local neo-nacist apologetics...

Sorry world is sorry, lads. For each wrong turn you make, I ask it for forgiveness.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What Harada fails to mention is that the medicine which may have worked in the 1930's is no longer effective now.

In those days regulation was minimal, taxation low, relative to today, and there were few fetters on industrialized society. Populations were exploding, industry was expanding and unprecedented rates, along with demand for goods and employment. The state could easily afford to deficit-spend to get through rough patches because future economic growth would more than supply the means to repay debts.

What Harada doesn't understand is that was then, and this is now. Japan's economy has passed the maturity level. Populations are no longer growing. Consumption is falling, driving down demand, shrinking industries, and reducing public and private streams of revenue. Vast deficit-spending is no longer a workable option because the means to repay the resulting debts is diminishing instead of increasing.

Another thing which Harada fails to mention is that Germany largely intended to repay the debts incurred by it's massive deficit spending by looting the wealth of the territories it conquered, which it did to a great extent until it was stopped.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Another thing which Harada fails to mention is that Germany largely intended to repay the debts incurred by it's massive deficit spending by looting the wealth of the territories it conquered, which it did to a great extent until it was stopped.

Could you go into this "repayment plan" in more detail? Repay? Repay whom?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Repay the reparations and debts it has to European superpowers and Great States of America? Even if such an insane plan did exist, US would never agree to be payed with bloodied and stolen money. Not THAT US anyway...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Hitlers economy was based on massive government pork projects and deficit spending.... no matter that policians love that, and not only in Japan. What is funny is the fake outrage about it, seeing that most governments do this, and that Keynesian fools like Krugman get the Nobel prize for it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

US would never agree to be payed with bloodied and stolen money. Not THAT US anyway... oh but starting wars in the name or terrorism but where access to cheap oil and continually feeding of the war industry being the endgame, that perfectly fine!?!?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I knew I must have elaborated on "THAT US"... oh well, when do I learn...

The USA pre-cold war had retained bits of its dignity and is not to be mistaken with the militaristic abomination second World War had given birth to. I mean... you even undrelined "THAT US" part. WHAT DID YOU THINK IT MEANT ENLIGHTEN ME I BEG YOU!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Talking about somebody missing the ole "good" days. He misses the time where bankers could do whatever they want without an ounce of accountability.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hitler has done horrible murders on many nations. Horrible medical experiences. Lots of people died of starvation and cold in inhuman conditions. Small babies were trampled after birth and thrown to the wall like dolls. Outrageous freight trains brought millions of people to "slaughter." This is a dark history card that Germany is struggling to deal with today

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The economic crash of 29 would have been out of the way long before Hitler came to power except that the interventionist economic policies of Governments distorting the natural operation of markets converted it in to the Great Depression. Creating the fertile ground for his (and others of the period on both left and right) evil philosophy to grow.

Harada is wrong in his economic analysis and stupid to reference a murderous monster to support his analysis (even though he attempted to differentiate between the economics and the murderous political agenda).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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