- by William Briggs
- The Guardian
- Issue #2124
Photo: Artanisen – Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Japanese election, the uncertainty that came with it, and the loss of a majority for the almost perpetual ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has set more than a few political cats among the pigeons. Before this ‘snap’ election, the LDP had been in power for all but six years since it was formed in 1955.
For some , the fact that the LDP has been enveloped in scandals, operating ‘slush funds’ for corporations that fund the party and guilty of broad and general corruption, is at the heart of voter dissatisfaction. That discontent is why former prime minister Kishida stood down was replaced by Shigeru Ishiba. Nothing changed. It is true that there was a degree of dismay when the close links between the LDP and the rabidly anti-Communist cult of the Korean Unification Church, or ‘Moonies’ were revealed.
Others point to the LDP’s determined push towards militarisation as a driving force behind the result. Japan has been advocating for longer-range missiles, removing restrictions on arms exports and in reconsidering its ‘anti-war’ constitution. It has been openly hostile to China and the DPRK, and avowedly pro-US.
These issues; corruption and foreign policy have an effect, but there is something deeper at play.
The last time the LDP lost majority government, there was a strong sense that the Japanese people wanted change. That was less evident this time around. Rather, there was an almost audible sigh and a feeling of ennui and apathy. Only half of the electorate voted. The Pew Research Centre report that only one third of Japanese are ‘satisfied’ with the ‘state of Japanese democracy.’ Even fewer express any belief in any of the major parties.
As former US president, Bill Clinton, once said “it’s the economy.” The global capitalist economy is in deep crisis. Japan is no different. In some ways the crisis is sharper in Japan. Years of deflation have been biting. Prices of consumer goods and services have been badly affected.
Real wages have been declining. There have been calls to get rid of Japan’s sales tax but Ishiba rejected this on the grounds that money was needed to pay for social security. Prices were rising, wages falling and there was a huge social security bill to support. Some saw the vigorous spending on the military as exacerbating the problem.
Since the 1980s, there has been a steady decline in the share of national income that goes to working people. It had been 60 per cent in 1980. It has since shrunk to 55 per cent. This means a transference of wealth from labour to capital.
When former PM Kishida came to office, he promised a ‘new capitalism.’ It was a foolish pledge. Capitalism is simply capitalism. Kishida implied he would reject “neoliberalism,” and support small business in order to “level up” society. The neoliberal strategy had attacked the working class, cut pensions and welfare spending, and deregulated the entire economy. Kishida’s ‘new capitalism’ went the way of all hastily developed ideas to save a system that was collapsing.
Today there is low productivity, zero GDP growth and recession.
Politically there is lethargy and there is uncertainty. Many Japanese are not interested in scandals, corruption, and slush-funds – one reason for the malaise. Another is dislike of the LDP’s push to remilitarisation, and a lack of clear alternatives to being the USA’s original ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier.’
