Pay attention to the parts in blue of the
article shown below.
I also think Mr. Ishiba will make an
aggressive move. The group which
supports him must have already made a move.
We have to watch out for it.
Masatoshi Takeshita
English translation of an excerpt of a
Japanese article: Ankoku Yakou ～I Give A Thought To Collapsing Japan ～ August 18, 2012
Right-Wing
Shift of Japan’s Major Political Parties
– Keep An Eye Out For Bad Intentions
to Revise Pacifist Constitution and Spell Out “Right To Collective Self-defense”
Recently, Japan’s
relations to East Asian countries such as “Takeshima dispute” and “Senkaku dispute”
have created quite an uproar. Then “right-wing
shift” of Japan’s major political parties and politicians has suddenly come to
the front.
No!
Not only political parties and politicians but major mass media have rather
excessively fanned such shift. As a
result, with their patriotism tickled, even many people also have given “rightish”
comments here and there: “The government’s weak-kneed foreign diplomacy is
unpardonable!”, “Defend the territory of Japan at all cost” and “Take action
with resolution.”
What I want to say here is of course not
denial of “patriotism” but the fact that if we react emotionally, we will play
into the hands of the “power of state” and the “suzerain state” behind it.
What lies ahead is evil intention to revise
the pacifist constitution and spell out Japan’s “right to collective
self-defense,” which we have been down this road before.
So this time I have taken up an article of “The
Economist,” a British weekly newspaper, which reports Japan’s right-wing shift
and the trend leading to constitutional revision.
As this is a little old article, I want you
to speed read the part concerning political situation. To sum it up: It points out that the Noda administration
has embodied “fiscal conservatism” named “consumption-tax increase,” a
long-cherished wish of bureaucrats in the Finance Ministry. It introduces Shintaro Ishihara and Toru
Hashimoto as firebrands, who are stirring up the political agenda, engaging in
China-bashing and union-bashing respectively.
Above all, I want you to pay attention to
the parts on “intentions of the LDP” listed below.
“The LDP hopes to
differentiate the party with a nationalist election campaign that looks likely
to border on emperor-worship.”
“And the party will
seek to change the way constitutionally pacifist Japan defends itself
militarily in an insecure neighborhood, with an assertive China on its
doorstep.”
“The LDP (Shigeru
Ishiba)’s most assertive campaign pledge will be to spell out Japan’s “right to
collective self-defense” if attacked by outside forces, and it tries to
advocate for the revision of Japan’s pacifist constitution.”
“Furthermore, the
party wants that amendment to be part of a long-term effort to rewrite the
constitution, including making the emperor the head of state , who is currently
merely a “symbol of state”, and giving greater weight to the national flag and
anthem.”
“Mr. Ishiba thinks
that the LDP can win over the public by emphasizing the threat of Chinese and
Russian claims to islands the Japanese consider their own, as well as the
nuclear danger posed by North Korea.”
In view of the reckless acts of the three
parties of DPJ, LDP and New Komeito, which were seen at the time of enacting
the consumption-tax increase bill, they are likely to really revise the
pacifist constitution and spell out the “right to collective self-defense.” I believe that I am not alone in feeling like
this.
Namely, as I mentioned above, if we react
emotionally to the “Takeshima” and “Senkaku” disputes, we will play into the
hands of the power of state or the U.S. that aims at revising the pacifist
constitution.