No. 1383 A Path to Take Responding to General Election Results
In the recent general election, the electorate barely could prevent those lawmakers who want to amend the Constitution from occupying over the two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. However, analyzing the results, people have been further divided and the pro-Constitution camp as a whole has receded. In what way should the leftist parties and pro-Constitution groups, including us, the New Socialist Party, behave?
PRIORITY LIES IN SECURITY FOR PEOPLE
Young voters have cast ballots to the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) in the recent general election and the party has consequently grown tremendously; 26% of those in their 20s and 20% in their 30s have chosen it. Certainly, the party’s narratives of ‘abolition of the taxing barrier of 1.03 million yen’ and ‘an increase of real-term salary of young people’ have successfully attracted the voters’ attention.
But analyzing these pledges, sharp ‘divisions’ are found. The phenomenon indicates accumulated dissatisfactions among the youth, who cannot imagine a promising future.
The will of the people is floating ‘adrift’
Let’s look at the world. Wealth is concentrated to the hands of a tiny number of people while social gaps are widening, but the social structures are unable to overcome these discrepancies. Instead, the social atmosphere has been fomented to be more chauvinistic; a nation pursues own national interests and an individual seeks for his/her own earnings and immediate profits as is shown in the today’s exclusion of foreigners.
In the July election for governorship of Tokyo we witnessed the so-called Ishimaru phenomena (Candidate Ishimaru was elaborately involved in the SNS campaigns) and in the succeeding election for Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, we saw reelection of ex-Governor, Saito Motohiko, though he had been impeached unanimously by the local assembly. Thus, we could say that the will of the people is floating ‘adrift’. In particular, concerning Governor Saito, because of his power harassment, his aid had been forced to commit a suicide. The election has been proven to justify the misconduct of Governor. The fact reflects crisis-ridden democracy of this country.
In other words, people cannot afford to see for themselves a ‘right form of the society’. That is to say that the neoliberal politics has reached the final end point.
These phenomena are prevalent in the rest of the world. Disasters in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine following the intrusion by Russia reflect ‘self-interests first’ and ‘military build-up to prevent adversaries from assaulting.’ Such notions spread as a major trend in the international community.
Today, the principles of the Constitution of Japan – non-armament, non-alignment and neutrality – and rigid maintenance of its Article Nine seem to be ‘something beautiful’ in the Japanese society.
‘Inclusiveness’ must be emphasized
Under these circumstances in what way should the leftist parties and pro-Constitution groups behave? A policy of division, seen in the DPP’s one ‘to increase salaries of young people (only),’ must be encountered with an ‘inclusive policy to treat everyone in the society equally with respect’. Abolition of taxing barriers of ‘1.03 million yen, 1.06 million yen and 1.30 million yen’ should be cleared, and, at the same time, we must demand a policy to build up a society in which we could lead a decent life if we work normally. This means ‘the minimum wage of \1,500 per hour as an immediate task to be implemented. Small-and-medium-sized business entities should be provided with official assistance to reach the goal’ and ‘discontinuance of workforce dispatching and prohibition of disguised outsourced jobs.’
I would like to mention, concerning the so-called military build-up to evade attacks from adversaries, that ‘Palestine/Gaza is a hell and that the destination of Ukraine is also a hell as the country is forced to fight ‘a war in which no victory is allowed’.
I suggest here policies to carry out security for peoples; prevention of contingency around the Taiwan area, Japan’s diplomacy on the East Asian region that is independent of the United States, ending genocide in Palestine and ceasefire of the conflict in Ukraine.
先の総選挙では、改憲派の３分の２議席占有は阻止できた。しかし、結果を概括すれば国民の分断はより一層進み、護憲派総体は後退した。新社会党を含む左派・護憲派はどう振る舞うべきか。
国民民主党への若年層支持が伸び、20台で26％、30代で20％と得票率１位だった。「１０３万円の壁撤廃」「若者の手取りを増やす」という訴えが奏効したことは間違いない。
しかし、この訴えには「分断」が影を落とす。将来の希望のなさへの不満が、若者の間に鬱積している現れでもある。
「さまよえる民意」
世界中で富の一極集中、貧富の格差拡大が進み、それを克服する社会構造ではなく、移民排斥など自国の富、自分の利益、それも目の前の利益を優先する空気が醸成されてきた。
東京都知事選での「石丸現象」や兵庫県知事選での斎藤元彦氏の再選を見れば、「さまよえる民意」と言わなければならないかもしれない。ことに、部下を自死にまで追い込んだパワハラすら正当化された兵庫県知事選の結果は、この国の民主主義の危機的な姿を映し出した。
「社会の正しい姿」を見る余裕すらない状況、新自由主義の行き着く姿が露わになったと言っていいかもしれない。
それは世界中に蔓延している。中東の混乱やロシアのウクライナ侵攻を前に、「自国中心主義」「敵に攻め込まれない軍備増強」が国際世論の多数を占めている。非武装・非同盟・中立、憲法９条堅持が「きれいごと」と受け止められる雰囲気が広がっている。
「包摂の政策」掲げ
そうであるなら、左派・護憲派はどう振る舞うべきか。「若者（だけ）の手取りを増やす」分断政策の対抗軸は、「社会に暮らす者誰しもが大切にされる包摂の政策」である。
「１０３万・１０６ 万・１ ３ ０ 万の壁」の徹廃はもちろん、普通に働けば暮らせる社会を実現する政策として訴えるべきは、「直ちに最賃１５００円の実現。そのため中小・零細企業への支援」、「派遣労働の原則廃止・偽装請負労働の禁止」などだろう。
外国に攻められない軍備増強には、「パレスチナ・ガザの状況は地獄だが、『勝つことを許されない戦争』を続けさせられるウクライナの行先も地獄でしかない」と主張したい。
台湾有事を起こさせない、アメリカに追随しない東アジア外交やパレスチナにおけるジェノサイドストップ、ウクライナの停戦など世界的な「人間の安全保障政策」を訴える。
英語版↓
No. 1383 A Path to Take Responding to General Election Results
In the recent general election, the electorate barely could prevent those lawmakers who want to amend the Constitution from occupying over the two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. However, analyzing the results, people have been further divided and the pro-Constitution camp as a whole has receded. In what way should the leftist parties and pro-Constitution groups, including us, the New Socialist Party, behave?
PRIORITY LIES IN SECURITY FOR PEOPLE
Young voters have cast ballots to the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) in the recent general election and the party has consequently grown tremendously; 26% of those in their 20s and 20% in their 30s have chosen it. Certainly, the party’s narratives of ‘abolition of the taxing barrier of 1.03 million yen’ and ‘an increase of real-term salary of young people’ have successfully attracted the voters’ attention.
But analyzing these pledges, sharp ‘divisions’ are found. The phenomenon indicates accumulated dissatisfactions among the youth, who cannot imagine a promising future.
The will of the people is floating ‘adrift’
Let’s look at the world. Wealth is concentrated to the hands of a tiny number of people while social gaps are widening, but the social structures are unable to overcome these discrepancies. Instead, the social atmosphere has been fomented to be more chauvinistic; a nation pursues own national interests and an individual seeks for his/her own earnings and immediate profits as is shown in the today’s exclusion of foreigners.
In the July election for governorship of Tokyo we witnessed the so-called Ishimaru phenomena (Candidate Ishimaru was elaborately involved in the SNS campaigns) and in the succeeding election for Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, we saw reelection of ex-Governor, Saito Motohiko, though he had been impeached unanimously by the local assembly. Thus, we could say that the will of the people is floating ‘adrift’. In particular, concerning Governor Saito, because of his power harassment, his aid had been forced to commit a suicide. The election has been proven to justify the misconduct of Governor. The fact reflects crisis-ridden democracy of this country.
In other words, people cannot afford to see for themselves a ‘right form of the society’. That is to say that the neoliberal politics has reached the final end point.
These phenomena are prevalent in the rest of the world. Disasters in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine following the intrusion by Russia reflect ‘self-interests first’ and ‘military build-up to prevent adversaries from assaulting.’ Such notions spread as a major trend in the international community.
Today, the principles of the Constitution of Japan – non-armament, non-alignment and neutrality – and rigid maintenance of its Article Nine seem to be ‘something beautiful’ in the Japanese society.
‘Inclusiveness’ must be emphasized
Under these circumstances in what way should the leftist parties and pro-Constitution groups behave? A policy of division, seen in the DPP’s one ‘to increase salaries of young people (only),’ must be encountered with an ‘inclusive policy to treat everyone in the society equally with respect’. Abolition of taxing barriers of ‘1.03 million yen, 1.06 million yen and 1.30 million yen’ should be cleared, and, at the same time, we must demand a policy to build up a society in which we could lead a decent life if we work normally. This means ‘the minimum wage of \1,500 per hour as an immediate task to be implemented. Small-and-medium-sized business entities should be provided with official assistance to reach the goal’ and ‘discontinuance of workforce dispatching and prohibition of disguised outsourced jobs.’
I would like to mention, concerning the so-called military build-up to evade attacks from adversaries, that ‘Palestine/Gaza is a hell and that the destination of Ukraine is also a hell as the country is forced to fight ‘a war in which no victory is allowed’.
I suggest here policies to carry out security for peoples; prevention of contingency around the Taiwan area, Japan’s diplomacy on the East Asian region that is independent of the United States, ending genocide in Palestine and ceasefire of the conflict in Ukraine.
December 18, 2024