politics

Shinzo Abe: Comeback kid with conservative agenda

21 Comments
By Linda Sieg

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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012.

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21 Comments
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Why is anyone happy he is back. He was an inept leader the first time around. Now offering equally bone headed ideas to "improve" Japan's situation. And appears to have learned nothing in the mean time since his prior failure.

What is to celebrate or to admire? It is clear that the LDP have scraped the bottom of the political barrel and could come up with no other option. Abe is the proverbial burned debris at the bottom of the pan of a starving party desperate for relevance after failing to do anything good for the nation for years.

This election is a choice of the lesser of incompetent evils. There is zero hope for improvement here. Abe will wreck the future with pointless misguided spending policies. Noda will continue austerity that will further depress the economy and the loonies in the right wing will try to kick off some kind of arms race in Asia.

If any of you see a silver lining in these clouds, do be kind enough to point it out. And equally prepared to defend your rationale.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

If any of you see a silver lining in these clouds, do be kind enough to point it out. And equally prepared to defend your rationale.

silver lining.... confrontation with neighboring countries, it is quite apparent and doesn't require detailed explanation.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Gambare Abe-san!!

-15 ( +2 / -17 )

some14some. Seriously? Conflict is your silver lining? Let's think about reality for a moment, shall we?

How much lost revenue did that stunt Ishihara started with the island lose Japan and her companies? How many Ma and Pa shops have lost tourist income because of the strains with neighboring countries.

Right wingers love to imagine that conflict is good. But Japan is a tiny island nation. Unlike your potential enemies, you cannot move your population out of harms way. You cannot move your means of production. You lack natural resources to keep pace in an arms race or a war. And then there is population, age and other demographic issues.

Japan had zero chance of winning WWII when it was hard to fly from an enemy country to bomb Japanese industry and cities. It lost before the first shots were fired. And it would do so even more now today thanks to the wonders of technology that would assure the destruction of this beautiful country and her wonderful people for no reason at all.

So the right wing running for office now is offering you a pipe dream. One that is just as self destructive as the first time Japan decided to be in conflict with her neighbors. Some people never learn from history and are doomed to relive it. Is that what you want?

9 ( +11 / -2 )

come back-kid? geeze

Imagine any other country in the world where a leader quits because the stress of the job cause health problems. Even if they attempted a 'come back', people would have none of that.

Foreign opinion of Japan is going to sink even more sharply after he gets elected.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Good campaigner (read: deliverer of party sound bites), terrible leader.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

'I have experienced failure as a politician'. You don't say. We are bracing ourselves for your next one.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Excellent article above. Had to read it over because there are so many things in there that tell me Abe is not the one to "save" Japan. He admits to being a loser. He fills his cabinet with his pals ... which he is now promising to do again this time around. He goes to Yasukuni Shrine ... which angers the Chinese, the Koreans ... and if he does so again will surely anger them even more.

The article says "Abe rose to national fame by adopting a tough stance toward Japan’s unpredictable neighbor North Korea in a feud over Japanese citizens kidnapped by Pyongyang decades ago." Well, only five of those kidnapped people (plus one American) have been released ... and "released" probably isn't the correct word here. Why didn't Abe work toward the release of the rest of them?

Could go on ... but must start bracing myself for Abe's expected return ...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Abe is the only politician who is offering the comprehensive policies for the future of Japan. He is touching the heart of both young and old alike. His economic policies are very aggressive in terms of easing the money supply and public investment. I believe his diplomacy will be active by nurturing closer relationships with countries such as India, Vietnam, Philipines, etc and will be more tactful and assertive with China and Koreas. He is good for japan and probably not so much for a few other counties.

-16 ( +1 / -17 )

Good night and good luck!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tomoki,

Abe is the only politician who is offering the comprehensive policies for the future of Japan. He is touching the heart of both young and old alike. His economic policies are very aggressive in terms of easing the money supply and public investment. I believe his diplomacy will be active by nurturing closer relationships with countries such as India, Vietnam, Philipines, etc and will be more tactful and assertive with China and Koreas. He is good for japan and probably not so much for a few other counties.

I totally agree with you!

-13 ( +1 / -14 )

Abe san still looks like he's suffering from intestinal condition ( judging from the pic )

1 ( +1 / -0 )

tomoki,

Abe is the only politician who is offering the comprehensive policies for the future of Japan. He is touching the heart of both young and old alike. His economic policies are very aggressive in terms of easing the money supply and public investment. I believe his diplomacy will be active by nurturing closer relationships with countries such as India, Vietnam, Philipines, etc and will be more tactful and assertive with China and Koreas. He is good for japan and probably not so much for a few other counties.

I totally agree with you!

All Abe and his equally useless friends are good for is lining the pockets of the construction company bosses bankrolling their election campaigns. He'll be gone in under a year, after another spectacularly disastrous premiership, but unfortunately the cretins who elected him as their leader will still be around in government.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

All Abe and his equally useless friends are good for is lining the pockets of the construction company bosses

If that's the worst he does, we'll be lucky.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I'm sure that all the Japanese companies who do business in (and with) China can't wait for Abe's next visit to Yasukuni.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@billy

It'll be interesting to see whether or not he goes as Prime Minister. He didn't last time. But then he said he "regretted" not going, after he left office. As the Meatloaf song goes, "What's it gonna be boy, yes... or no?"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

All this nonsense about escaping from the post war regime. The present government tried that and got a huge slap in the face. Abe does not in fact want to escape from the post war regime. On the contrary, he wants to keep it exactly where it is and them manouver within that sphere.

All very back to the future for Japan, I'm afraid.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Abe is the only politician who is offering the comprehensive policies for the future of Japan. He is touching the heart of both young and old alike.

Yes, very touching. Touching populist rhetoric for the shallow thinkers that could help Japan sever even more vital economic ties with its neighbors and "comprehensive policies" such as forcing the Bank of Japan into actions that, if actually carried out, could send the country into a complete economic nosedive. And you were probably right to have "heart" in the singular because the LDP will win the election on the back of the abject failure of the Minshuto government and certainly not because of the popularity of (the still very unpopular) Shinzo Abe.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

tomokiDec. 15, 2012 - 03:48PM JST

Abe is the only politician who is offering the comprehensive policies for the future of Japan. He is touching the heart of both young and old alike. His economic policies are very aggressive in terms of easing the money supply and public investment. I believe his diplomacy will be active by nurturing closer relationships with countries such as India, Vietnam, Philipines, etc and will be more tactful and assertive with China and Koreas. He is good for japan and probably not so much for a few other counties.

issa1Dec. 16, 2012 - 02:25AM JST

Why be afraid to make an honest mistake? Yankes go home!

Congratulations to both of you! We are thrilled for you. This is a democracy, right? You have voted for issues listed below:

1) You won for military expansion of Japan. You are ready to go to war. Hope so, so that Americans can come home to rebuild our own country. This is a great news for all Americans.

2) You won for nuke energy plants to re-start and blocking alternative energy exploration opportunity on eargthquake prone islands. Hope you know how to deal with next radiation spills just in case. Good luck on that.

3) You won for more Japanese debt. You won for no power of BOJ.

5) You won for more geo political and economic uncertainty in globe.

6) You won for more low wage jobs.

Well, your job well done.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Abe-san, what is your plan? - "Hmm make Japan strong of course." How do you plan to do that? - "By making Japan strong, of course." Any details? - "Yes, by making Japan strong. It is time." Specifics? - "I mentioned building more roads, interfering with the Bank of Japan more. But yes, make Japan strong." Anything else? - "We will make Japan strong by defeating Noda and his wretched party."

Conclusion? - "I'll try to stay PM without any real ideas as long as I can."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not someone I wanted to see back in power, but it's better than Kazuo Shii or Shintaro Ishihara taking control. I hope the people have not made a grave mistake in pulling the LDP back in control.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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