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Do you think Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has done a good job since his election a year ago?

29 Comments
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Abe actually did a decent job so far! Better than the last 5 PMs before him. Of course there's always the complaining mob who is never really satisfied with any prime minister. For them, no matter how you turn it, it's always a bad job.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

Just curious to the "NO" responders. Why pls? I agree with CGB

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

He's done a great job. All that anyone of his position can hope to achieve is to lay the framework for a recovery in economic activity in Japan while the country picks up from there. He's done particularly well with securing big increases in foreign investment (both ways) and winning the Olympics.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Done a good job?

For his country?

NO.

He has totally failed to handle the problem with the Senkaku islands.

He has also - in ALL this time - failed to handle the problem in Fukushima.

And he has failed to say "NO" to US plans to build a superbase in Okinawa.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

A Super Base? Wow. Your barrage against the US keeps you away from facts and actual terminology.. There's no such thing as a "Super Base."

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I have fear of Abe. He is a Nationalist, and one with aggressive tendencies.

One undeniable factor is the new secrecy laws that prevent The People from finding out what THEIR government is doing to them.

Anybody who wants to hide something has something to hide!

Fukushima will be the end of Abe and his desire to rule Asia.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

You only have to count the amount of times he's been on the news giving the 'it's regrettable' speech for either a mistake or a policy change to know he is not doing a good job.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

A recent Kyodo poll put support for Abe at under 50% with 80% wanting the secrecy bill scrapped or amended. His 'Abenomics' isn't making people feel better off and is increasingly being seen as warmed-up, relabeled LDP debt-creating failures of the past. He's on the slide and I doubt he'll last a full 2014.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Abe had a promising start with his aggressive plans to get the economy going. These plans were based on the so-called "three arrows". Unfortunately, the first two arrows were simply printing more money, and then letting the government spend all of it. The third arrow apparently doesn't exist.

Unless Japan can get it's economy in order, it will be less able to deal with other problems like the Senkakus, Fukushima, or American "super bases".

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Very good job up to now, only problem is he hasn't gotten rid of Article 9!

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

Hmmm, nationalist tendencies, left Fukushima in a mess, lied in order to get the Olympics, and more recently the secrecy law. Like every predecessor he lacks the guts to make the unpopular decisions and do what Japan needs, instead bowing to the right....

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Reasons against Abe in no particular order.

He keeps claiming that Fukushima food is safe. He instigated the State Secrecy Law. His Abenomics is and always was a bad idea. He keeps apologizing for things but without real remorse(Olympics, Fukushima). His nationalistic agenda is leading the country towards war.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Looks like someone's gonna lose the next election.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Except for that whole "appearing to be impotent as a vastly larger and aggressive nation takes his islands" thing. Almost takes one's mind off of the "big giant open sore spewing radiation all over the frigging place" thing. Of course, none of this will even get discussed because of the state secrets act, so, good votin' Japan!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Let's see... taxes are up (and consumption tax soon will be!), utility costs are up, corporations have gotten cuts, a secrecy law that puts Japan back to pre-war days was rushed through despite the majority of Japanese citizens against it, tensions are at an all-time high, defense spending is going to cost us even MORE tax money, there's been no progress in Fukushima -- worse yet, he's given more and more handouts to TEPCO while people still sleep in shelters, he's pushing to restart NPPs despite public opposition, etc.

Nah, I wouldn't say he's doing a good job at all.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

He's done a great job so far.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Abe actually did a decent job so far! Better than the last 5 PMs before him.

He WAS one of the last 5 PMs before him.

He's the guy who quit due to uncontrollable diarrhea.

He's a hard core 1980s free-market kind of guy - historically that's good for the rich but kind of screws over the poor. On balance I'd say that's not a good thing.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

His natural home is with Ishihara and Hashimoto on the far right. He does have the power of the bureaucracy and the compliant media behind him though. The Abenomics narrative was written by the bureaucracy and handed to the press before he even started, there is no such thing as Abenomics, it is a made up story to make people feel good. He is now pressing for his nationalist agenda and being successful. They have effectively turned Japan into a one party democracy again with a very dangerous man at the helm. Frightening I would say that the whole country has bought this cooked up story.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

not so easy to say. Good job insofar as he has actually acted with force, direction, and commitment, something the last 15 PM seems to know nothing about it. Has all of his decisions been great. no!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I don't personally like the man and his conservative views - particularly his propensity for revisionism regarding history, and the disgraceful Secrecy Law which will hopefully get scrapped somewhere down the track. I don't think he is a decent diplomat or statesman's bootstrap either. But, he has attempted to take meaningful steps towards economic reform in Japan and the increase in GST is good, despite the bleating of the myopic crowd.

So, whilst I naturally don't like him, I applaud some of the things he has done. But certainly not all.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

No.

He has devalued the yen to make all of us poorer. In effect we all earn less. The trade deficit is being blamed on the cost of imported fuel, which costs more in yen now. His theory is Japan will sell more if the yen is cheaper, but Japan will have to sell a lot more to cover the increased cost of imports such as raw materials, fuel and weapons from the U.S.

He is causing trouble with China over the Senkakus so that Japanese people think that China, not Abe, is what they should worry about.

He is increasing the government's debt even though it was higher than Greece's when he came to power.

He shows complete disregard for the will of the people, who do not want nuclear power or his secrecy act, which gives the Prime Minister the power to declare a state of emergency and suspend civil rights.

He chooses right-wingers for his cabinet, one of whom thinks people who protest against the government are terrorists and another who wants Japan to copy the 3rd Reich.

No, he hasn't done a good job and it will get worse. There is a good article here from the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/16/opinion/japans-dangerous-anachronism.html?hp&rref=opinion/international&_r=1&

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@gaijintraveller. Not correct, some of us earn more a lot more actually due to Abe's policies.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Abe is not a revisonist as many say. South Korea has been too demanding on apology for a long time and Japan yielded too much in contents of apology statements. SKorea promised each time that it would be the last to demand apology, so Japan yielded.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Abe has done a stellar job thus far. He is modernising Japan's military and liberalising the markets. His policies are finally unlocking the shareholder value that has been locked up in Japan for the past two decades. The first step is always to make conditions easier for the job creators, then make things better for the job seekers. Abe is pushing forward with concrete reforms to give women better opportunities in the workforce, and this will help companies, which in turn will push of salaries and spending. I would have liked to see more military expansion and the elimination of Article IX by now, but we still have time to make things right.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Falseflagsteve, how do you measure what you earn, in yen, and but that I mean weaker yen, or purchasing power, which will soon be further reduced by a tax increase? Of course, it is possible you earn more by selling military hardware on commission, but the vast majority of the population has lost not gained wealth and earnings in real terms even if they do think they have gained in yen terms.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How the heck should I know? Let's face it, none of us know what's really going on. And anyway, isn't it up to History to say? Ask me again in fifty years...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I don’t care about Abe's nationalist policies, they are just a sham for some of his right-wing voter base. In reality, he is just another neoconservative lapdog of the US, selling his country to multinational corporations (TPP).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No PM has done a good job. It's just a matter of whether one has done better or worse than another.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Don't ask me about economics. Economics are not nearly important enough for me to keep track of. And basically, its best if the government just keeps its paws off. I hear Abe is not doing that.

The issues I care about are peace and privacy. And no, Abe has not done a good job. All was bad enough, but then he just had to go pay is respects to Hideki Tojo and friends. Abe is dangerous. Only people who love danger love Abe, and some people court it like its a beautiful woman from a rich family. Japan will pay for having this nationalist buffoon in office.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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