New Year Has Begun	No.616 January 1, 2009
		People’s Sovereignty and Resurgence of Labor Movements The world depression caused by the financial crisis in the United States trembles the very foundation of our society. The scheduled dissolution of House of Representatives for general elections is postponed. Politics in the country comes to a standstill. Where will Japan go? We must comprehend the situation to prepare ourselves for a timely counterattack. The current economic plunge is sudden, extending to all the industry sectors and individual companies, and is worldwide. Surveys tell that it will prolong. How many times we have heard of crisis since 1970s when the Nixon Shock and Oil Shock took place? Capitalists have survived every crisis thanks to aids from the government which enabled them to transfer the devastating losses to the working population. They have taken advantage of the very crises. Overproduced Merchandise Stock holders and CEOs can earn money under any circumstances in the jungle society: even if their companies are worn out, they make money. They boast of a phrase, ‘God helps those who help themselves’. The current world recession is an outcome of this structure. ‘Depression’ is a situation in which the society cannot control the excessive productive force. ‘Work, work more. Only an overwork make you purchase all marvelous merchandise in front of you’ – this is a phrase found in the book ‘Class Society’ written by Jeremy Seabrook. They work overtime, which may lead to his/her death, they overwork robbed of the rights and then they are sacked to be hungry, watching full of commodities. Temporary-basis workers are fired instantly. They are kicked away from the dormitory, left without money. Japan, an economic power, allows this type of injustice. People get angry and stage struggles to persecute employers’ responsibilities. A traditional cycle to encourage business, heighten productivity, boost economic capabilities, defend employment and improve people’s life is shattered down. It is time to think in another way, time to create contemporary New Deal policies. To increase the number of doctors, nurses, care workers and teachers to secure the health care, welfare and education sectors and to motivate people toward agriculture, forestry and fisheries. If the government promotes policies to build apartments with a low rent, reinforce school buildings so as to resist strong earthquakes and stimulate environment protection measures, jobs are created for workers. Is it a dream? Change Politics Cuba is poor, but it provides with the world top level medical services, though it has been imposed on the economic blockade by the United States. Cuba practices international solidarity programs in developing countries, and, in particular, in the countries damaged by natural disasters. As you see it, this is a political will. As for our struggle, it must be a practice to exercise the constitutional principles in the every day life. Japan has financial resources. The larger is the number of working people, the greater is the total tax revenue as people lead a stable life. The first job is to appropriate money from where it is piled up. Big Business has accumulated huge assets and the rich make money through stock transactions and speculations. Missile launching tests from the Aegis destroyers have failed in vain. A test costs 6.2 billion Yen. It costs 3 trillion Yen to transform US military installations in the country and another 250 billion Yen to maintain the troops here. The budget not only wastes the tax money, but threatens peace in Asia. If the government opts to spend this amount of money for economic cooperation schemes with the Southeast Asian nations in the framework of diplomacy, it will contribute to peace in the world. We cannot trust the coalition government of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito. It is time for people to exercise the right of people’s sovereignty. In particular, it is an urgent task for us to reorganize labor movements. The overwhelming number and organizational abilities are potentials for the working population. If workers do not have a right organization, let’s learn from the phrase, God helps those who help themselves, as capitalists do. Workers must wage their struggles. In some workplaces struggles have begun. Let’s link Spring Labor Offensives with the coming dissolution of House of Representatives for general elections. Matsueda Yoshihiro, Secretary General