A Beautiful Country

In the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election, the tripartite race between Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki has heated up. Of three candidates, Mr. Abe is most likely to be elected as LDP president and thus the next prime minister.

Therefore Mr. Abe's policy platform and the ideology behind it need examining carefully. The Japan Times also tells:

Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006
The Japan Times EDITORIAL
What is expected of Mr. Abe

In his platform, titled "A Beautiful Country -- Japan," "building a nation that cherishes its culture, traditions, nature and history" comes first. Under this same heading, he calls for revising the Constitution to make it one "that is conducive to a Japan that cuts open a new age," among other things. It is clear that he is targeting the pacifist principle of the Constitution embodied in the Preamble and the war-renouncing Article 9 -- a principle that has restrained Japan's military activities and helped it to gain a respected position in the international community.

Mr. Abe's antipathy toward the Constitution's Preamble has been expressed in his book "Toward a Beautiful Country," which plainly discloses his ideology. Certain phrases in the Constitution's Preamble -- "We have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world" and "We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society, striving for the preservation of peace, and the banishment of tyranny and slavery, oppression and intolerance for all time from the earth"-- are characterized by Mr. Abe as a degrading "signed deed of apology" from Japan to the Allied Powers.

.....On the diplomatic front, Mr. Abe calls for "establishing strong fraternity in an open Asia" and promises to strengthen "trustful relations with neighboring countries such as China and South Korea."

Mr. Abe also calls for strengthening "the Japan-U.S. alliance for the sake of the world and Asia" and establishing a system in which "both Japan and the United States sweat blood." He needs to elaborate on this so that the candidates can meaningfully discuss how to shape the future of the ties between the two countries and what roles Japan should and should not play in the bilateral security arrangement.

As for the nation's financial rehabilitation -- an issue vital to the nation's economic health, Mr. Abe and Mr. Aso give priority to reduction of spending while Mr. Tanigaki proposes raising the consumption tax rate to at least 10 percent by the latter half the 2010s.

Mr. Abe and Mr. Aso are not clear on the size of spending cuts and what effects such cuts would have on the economy while Mr. Tanigaki does not talk about the possibility of a higher consumption-tax rate dampening the economic recovery.

All three candidates also fail to convey a strong message on how to rectify the gap between the rich and the poor. They should realize that what is needed is not piecemeal measures but a broad policy orientation that will contribute to rectifying overall social imbalances and instability. The candidates should discuss policy measures based on their philosophies on government and politics.


The problems Mr. Abe should tackle are put into three points:

(1) Diplomatic Policy

Mr. Abe calls for establishing strong fraternity in an open Asia and promises to strengthen trustful relations with neighboring countries such as China and South Korea. That's right. Now Japan can't do without the interdependences with China and South Korea. So Japan should clear its own position, that is, say what it should do as a country.

Mr. Abe also calls for strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance for the sake of the world and Asia and establishing a system in which both Japan and the United States sweat blood. Japan should place emphasis on the relations not only with the Asian countries but also with the U.S. Japan and the U.S. are both economically largest countries in the world and so should try to take the initiative for promoting the prosperity of the Asian-Pacific countries and building a safer and stable community in the Asian region.

(2) Spending Cut

Mr. Abe gives priority to reducing government spending. In this point he is also right. On the other hand Mr. Tanigaki proposes raising the consumption tax rate. Mr.Tanigaki is somewhat irresponsible for stating that suggestion in this point. If the consumption tax rate increases, the consumers reduce spending and the economy as a whole again goes down to a recession. He hasn't learned it from the Hashimoto tax rise of 1997. However consumption tax rate should be raised someday because ever-increasing spending for social security has to be financed.

(3) Social Security

Mr. Abe fails to convey a strong message on how to rectify the gap between the rich and the poor. But he said he wants to revise the pension system and to build firmer social security system. And he is earnest in tackling the economic inequality. He suggests that the poor and the unhappy be provided with many chances to work for company and to brush up the skills. In an aging society, there are many things for Mr.Abe to do.

You may say I agree with Mr. Abe. Yes, I am for Mr. Abe. I' ll write again later about what Mr. Abe should do as next prime minister.