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Poll in Japan
- DR. ABDUL RUFF
[Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal, Specialist on State Terrorism ;Chancellor-Founder of Centor for International Affairs(CIA); Commentator on world affairs, Analyst on Middle East, Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.) Former university Teacher; website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com]
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The regime deliberately increases electricity charges to force the people to accept the capitalist nuclear terror methods for nukes-electricity generation.
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In terrocracies or so-called democracies, polls are conducted as mere rituals to obtain legitimacy to loot resources and thus they are the central tool to control resources and people.
People in Japan, the world's third largest economy and financially strong notorious NATO member, voted on 15th December in a general election in Japan, where former leader Shinzo Abe , 58, of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is challenging the current Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda of Democratic Party (DPJ).
Although people gathered at the polling booths, many voters remain undecided, amid disillusionment in Japan over politics. For Japanese voters, coming to grips with difficult economic choices may be what is needed to jolt their nation out of ongoing stagnation. But it is something not many want to hear.
Japan regime needs to be able to boost growth, end falling prices, reduce its mammoth debt and weaken the Japanese yen. All the while, keep the voters happy by not resorting to unpopular policies.
Capitalists decide policies
Japan political parties promote capitalism and fiancé global imperialism. All policies therefore are being charted exclusively for supporting that goal.
Japan, the victim of US nuclear terror attacks in 1944 during the WW-II for global resources exclusively for international capitalists and imperialists, is now a strong ally of America and eager to terrorize the populations with nuclear terror projects. The debate over nuclear energy, forceful restart of suspended nuclear reactors on false electricity generation pretext and his perceived flip-flopping on the issue have also affected his popularity. Noda lost public support over the move to double sales tax, something he said was necessary to tackle Japan's massive debt. Japan looks like it is about to take a dramatic turn to the right.
The DPJ promised more welfare spending and a better social safety net, but struggled to deliver amid the economic downturn and 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. It has also seen several leadership changes - Yoshihiko Noda is the third DPJ prime minister since 2009.
Abe's centre-right LDP was swept from office by the DPJ in 2009, ending more than 50 years of almost unbroken rule. Promising more public spending and a more assertive foreign policy as tensions with China run high, Abe's is however expected to oust Noda's after just three years in office. Abe has also called for a tough stance on the territorial row with China over East China Sea islands that both countries claim. Relations between Japan and China, which are already poor, could be about to get worse.
Abe served as prime minister from 2006-2007 before stepping aside amid plummeting poll numbers, citing illness. He says he will now use public spending in an effort to end 20 years of economic stagnation, and that nuclear energy has a role to play in resource-poor Japan's future despite last year's nuclear disaster at Fukushima.
All 480 lower house seats are up for grabs in the election. Democratic Party of Japan, in power since 2009 but seen as inexperienced. Liberal Democratic Party, the giant that ruled Japan for half a century before being ousted by the DPJ. Japan Restoration Party, led by two right-wing leaders who say Japan needs a "third force", the Tomorrow Party, led by the Shiga governor who is campaigning on an anti-nuclear platform. Latest figures indicate that the LDP will win a clear majority, together with its traditional ally, the New Komeito Party.
Regime against people
The regime has hiked taxes affecting people except the capitalists. A hike in the consumption tax shoppers must pay on everything they buy. It is currently 5% but the Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, along with the two main opposition parties, pushed through a bill to raise it to 8% by 2014 and 10% by 2015 in August. Big businesses will lose nothing as they may be able to pass on the hike to consumers but we cannot raise prices because we'll lose customers. The consumption tax hike is often seen as political suicide because almost every administration that suggested or imposed the introduction or the hike of the tax failed to win the next general elections.
Noda said the hike was necessary to rebuild Japan's finances. But more than 50 lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan opposed the bill, resulting in their departures and the formations of many small political parties.
A huge new free trade area around the Pacific Ocean called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The pact began six years ago and its current members are Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Mexico and the United States. Participation has been discussed in Japan for many years but the Mr Noda expressed Japan's desire to become a negotiating partner earlier this year.
To put it simply, big businesses and exporters support the move. Farmers and their strong unions strongly oppose it.
Made in Japan" produce is known to be much more expensive than its overseas rivals and without tariffs on imports, many farmers would struggle to survive global competition. The regime claims it could mean cheaper vegetables and rice, etc.
There has been heated debate over whether Japan should abandon Nuclear energy altogether and majority of population terrorized by Tsunami and the regime’s nuclear plans. All but two nuclear reactors remain shut. Before the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011, nuclear accounted for 29% of Japan's electricity supply. But in the past 21 months, the anti-nuclear movement has been gaining momentum.
Japan has been importing other sources of energy. Japan now buys a lot more products from overseas than it sells abroad and the gap between its exports and imports - called trade deficit - has been widening.
The regime deliberately increases electricity charges to force the people to accept the nuclear terror methods for electricity. It has also resulted in regular hikes in electricity prices. Big businesses want Japan to continue using nuclear power more to increase their net profits less to reduce the impact on the economy but a large number of protesters have been taking to the streets every week. Small business owner Kunio Ueno is also against nuclear power plants even if it means he will have to pay even more for electricity. "We have to look at a longer term goal and we don't want to have any more accidents at nuclear power plants". "We changed our light bulbs to save energy and to cut costs." But electricity is costing more.
People choice limited to capitalists
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Shinzo Abe is fundamentally no different from the current Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda of Democratic Party (DPJ) as both these leaders and parties promote capitalists’ multinational interests, including nuclear terror proliferations.
So what are the stances of Japan's main parties vying for 480 seats in the lower house of parliament on 16 December? And this is the challenge that the parties face - tough economic issues on which tough decisions have to be made. But would taking these decisions make them unelectable?
The pro-multinational ruling DPJ pushed through the sales tax hike and Noda said Japan should join the TPP. As for nuclear energy, after changing its position a few times, it has promised to phase it out by the 2030s. And voters see Mr Noda as someone who has restarted the first nuclear reactors since the Fukushima accidents.
Economic policy of the fringe parties that are expected to form part of a coalition remains vague, although the Japan Restoration Party - a tie-up between two populist figures - backs the sales tax rise to fund local governments. Capitalists support Japan joining the TPP because we have little natural resources and our economy grew by selling goods and services to the rest of the world." "Having free trade with the growing Asia is crucial and I believe joining the TPP is the first step," he adds.
Ruling and opposition parties have common programs and interests and hence they coordinate their operations even while pretending to be arch enemies. Its main opposition Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) also supported the tax hike in August. Its leader Shintaro Abe has recently said in a television debate that the hike is not definite, but most analysts believe Abe will raise the tax once he is in office. The LDP wants Japan to join the TPP if tariffs on imports are not removed and it says Japan would need some forms of nuclear energy.
Polls - whether in Japan or USA or Russia or India, do not actually change anything on ground for the common people but provide the necessary legitimacy to loot nation’s resources jointly by ruling and opposite parties.
People remain silent spectators and mute witnesses of these anti-national operations by politicians and capitalist-imperialist allies.
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