But Abe is facing big protests in Japan too!
Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ares-2020-goal-new-constitution/#.WQqRi8Yrric
Big stuff going on in Japan right now. Nothing to overlook.
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Abe declares 2020 as goal for new Constitution,faces massive protests
- Thread starter Blablurn
- Start date
But Abe is facing big protests in Japan too!
Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ares-2020-goal-new-constitution/#.WQqRi8Yrric
Big stuff going on in Japan right now. Nothing to overlook.
Septimus Prime
Member
All these "conservative" sacks of shit always want to rewrite their constitutions, but like the whole point of calling yourself conservative is that you supposedly want to interpret your constitution more literally.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with a country having its own military, especially since Japan de-facto has one already and this wouldn't overturn their renunciation of war, so it would really be symbolic.
What's troubling is what underlies this. I'm re-reading a biography of Hirohito, and some of the stuff the Japanese Right is getting up to is scary when you read about the era that they want to restore.
What's troubling is what underlies this. I'm re-reading a biography of Hirohito, and some of the stuff the Japanese Right is getting up to is scary when you read about the era that they want to restore.
Japan's constitution is essentially one of a surrendered nation, written and drafted primarily by the US. It is poorly written with vague and broad even Americanized terms. Additionally, Abe is a war hawk. He hates that Japan has forever renounced the right to war, wants to remilitarize Japan. With an increasingly assertive and hegemonic China, coupled with an erratic North Korea on the verge of nuclear miniaturization and ICBM technologies with most predicting they will have it by the end of the next decade, he wants Japan to draft their own constitution and also remove some of the vague wording around the JSDF. With people like Trump saying Japan needs to pay for security, this kind of change is inevitable. Mostly just an update with more economic and social policy. His 'military' wording will be watched with the most care.
Why are people protesting Trump even though he won?
The article does a pretty poor job of conveying this.
PdotMichael
Banned
The lack of constitutional legitimation for the self defence forces is absurd.
Sectorseven
Member
Can Japan's dwindling population afford going to war?
VendettaRed07
Member
Abe knows the time to move on something like this is now because a competent US President wouldn't let this fly
Doubtful. Even Obama and Bush would have okayed it because it would counter a rising China and also provide a barrier to NK. This is more about Abe striking while the NK tension is high. Another missile test or nuke test and he can get more public support. The protests are not 'as large' as you would think and he has more support than against. External threats are always a good way to pass these things.
That's what I was thinking. If he wants this, Japan has to make more babies.
Do Trump and the Republicans overwhelmingly win all the time?
We see opinion polls where people are against these sorts of reforms and then when it comes time to do something about it, they vote the LDP in again.
This time, it seems people are actually support the changes, possibly because of North Korea. Oh well.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
As much of a shithead Abe is I can't blame him for trying to push the SDF more into the forefront with how rapidly the tensions with North Korea have escalated.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Japan is already in the top ten of countries with the highest military expenditures.
Not that it matters much when North Korea is threatening nukes and not a conventional military.
Zeus Molecules
illegal immigrants are stealing our air
This is somewhat true a more competent president would have likely made promises to expand our forces in the region
I actually think for all his faults Bush was such a war ready president NK would likely fall back on the threats.
As for Obama I think we would just continue to shoot their missles out the sky like motumbo blocked shots at the rim and never gotten into the fear mongering, considering the grand picture of things I think Bush would too. Trump feeding into the fear mongering is Making Abe's goal seem a lot more needed than it is.
Abe is Nationalist-Right and is taking advantage of the political atmosphere to gradually push for the remilitarization of Japan.
Many would agree that Japan needs a constitution of its own, but this is clearly the wrong time for it, with the wrong person at the helm.
Dynamite Shikoku
Congratulations, you really deserve it!
Interesting to hear there are people protesting. Most Japanese I've talked to have little to no interest in or knowledge about politics
He's affiliated with the Nippon Kaigi, a far-right ultranationalist organization intent on reviving the values of Imperial Japan.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Kaigi
CoffeeExpress
Member
When does Neo-Tokyo become a thing ?
Dash_Riprock
Member
How is that different from anywhere else?
MadraptorMan
Member
I've lived in Japan for 7 years now. I am not a fan of Abe--I truly believe he is not-so-well-hidden nationalist who wishes for a reprise of the militaristic Japan of old. I think many people share my sentiment and that's why they are protesting. As an American it's becoming very easy to draw parallels between Abe and Bush--he loves to remind of us of all the scary stuff that require a strong military. Abe has been very careful with his words but it's not that hard to figure out his true intentions. It's pretty scary.
I also love how everyone has seemingly forgotten about the bullshit nationalistic preschool funding Abe and his wife are involved with--I think any other prime minister would have resigned by now.
I also love how everyone has seemingly forgotten about the bullshit nationalistic preschool funding Abe and his wife are involved with--I think any other prime minister would have resigned by now.
Dynamite Shikoku said:
Because from what I understand, there isn't really an alternative. Abe is part of the Liberal Democratic Party, and they've been in power since Japan has been a democracy. That's all well and good when the economy is booming,, but things changed when the 90s came and the 'crash' happened. Ever since the party and government have been trying to come up with some solution to get back to the path they were on in the 80s and such. It's been touch and go, and the LDP has only really lost power two short times: once in the mid 90s (around the time of the downturn, at the hands of a opposition coalition) and recently after the global financial crisis in '08 and '09. They gained power again in '12.
Thing is, no one really knows what to do to get Japan out of it's economic 'malaise'. Any traction an opposition gains quickly fizzles out, and it's back to the LDP. To their credit, their leaders do try a wide variety of ideas to kick start the economy again, and to also give the Japanese people a sense that it will get better- a recent example of the is Abenomics.
But no matter who the Japanese people elect, or what plans they implement, the debt just grows, and the economy is still stagnant. Meanwhile they look to the west of them to see the economies of South Korea and China take off and be what they use to be (especially the latter, having surpassed them as the second biggest economy). Combine that with demographic and social issues, and there is a sense of hopelessness to it all. That is present in many advanced democracies today, but it is especially prevalent in Japan. They want change, but there isn't really anyone else other than the LDP. So Abe and the LDP are there.
This is just a very simplified take on the Japanese political economic situation. Any Japan Gaffers could probably tell you more.
2Smashed4U
Banned
What kind of country is Japan politically? Pretty conservative I'm guessing?
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
The yakuza
Are honor and shame huge parts of it?
And here I was, thinking from the thread title, that Zombie Lincoln was running for US President on a bold platform.
While I think Japan could definitely use some constitutional reform, even just to have, in principle, a constitution that was written by them, it's hard to imagine Abe drafting an ideal one.
While I think Japan could definitely use some constitutional reform, even just to have, in principle, a constitution that was written by them, it's hard to imagine Abe drafting an ideal one.
Lord Frieza
Member
Damn
Currently Japanese politics is pretty conservative, but not exactly in the same ways it is in America. You basically trade the religious right for a strong nationalistic group who isn't really big into social issues, but is really hawkish on war, immigration and "restoring" Japan to former greatness.
Psychoward
Banned
At least they've got a dope name.
entremet
Member
It's still big, plus weaponry scales up.
You don't need many people to launch a missle. We're not talking about land wars anymore.
Alex_Mexico
Member
New constitution, huh? Who does one have to ask for them to include "hereby we shall uncensor our porn!" in it?
When it comes to the Nippon Kaigi, of which many LDP members are also a part, State Shinto is a component of their ideology, so it is a religious right in a certain way.
Master Of Illusion
Member
Otomo's a goddamn prophet.
"Freedom of the press/speech"
Alex_Mexico
Member
It's ridiculous how in this day of globalization and the internet that they're still doing that. And no one tries to change it!
andythinkpad
Member
Around the time when the 3rd Chinese carrier is ready.
2Smashed4U
Banned
Woo, yikes. That does not sound good.
Laevateinn
Member
Japan's system is a mix of a proportional representation and our shitty system. There are 300 member of the Diet who are elected based on a plurality in a geographical district and 200 that are elected based on their share of the vote. With multiple parties and an opposition who sucks at organizing and maintaining unity, many of those 300 seats easily go to the LDP.
Japan also has terrible voter participation rates.
One of my Japanese friends believes that Japanese people do not believe in democracy because it was imposed on them. They did not have a sustained movement to create a democratic system of their own.
Also, there is a lot of historical revisionism in their education system.
Does Japan need a revised Constitution for the modern world? Absolutely. But you know what? Anything Abe and his party does will taint that change and shift Japan further into a disgusting direction. He can fuck off, and his supporters can fuck off with him. Bet they're all over 60. Wait, that's 90% of the Japanese population isn't it? Hohoho.
It needs babies to fuel the economy and take care of the catastrophic numbers of elderly who are of course voting against those very solutions.