A first political deal has ended with approval of the bill to raise the consumption tax rate. That was made by the three parties, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the opposition, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito in order to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold subsequent general elections. The three had behind-the-closed-door meetings. A second deal will be committed by the Noda government which approves re-operation of nuclear power plants and deployment of US military aircraft Osprey in Okinawa. How will the administration suppress mass movements spreading in the country with a call, 'life is the most important'? The first task of ours is to topple the Noda government.


LET'S PRODUCE WAVES OF MOVEMENTS TO DEFEAT NODA CABINET!


Even the opposition LDP criticizes the ruling DPJ, saying that 'Manifesto is a pledge with voters. A party, at the risk of life, must fulfill what is written in it and must not do what is unwritten'. The DPJ government has broken pledges. It had secret meetings with opposition politicians to raise the consumption tax rate.


Tax Money Will be Injected to Public Construction Works


The opposition LDP and New Komeito members were absent in the Diet session when a bill to discredit the Noda government was voted, though they had demanded to dissolve the Lower House. Furthermore, the two parties do not take people's opposition in account and refrain from working to relieve defects of the consumption tax, including its regressive character and harsh blow onto small and medium-sized businesses. Consequently, social policies will be aggravated.


As for tax money brought by the hike, the new law provides in the Annex to allocate it to public construction works, emphasizing financial reconstruction efforts. That is absurd.


This direction is clearly specified in a bill compiled by the LDP, called Basic Bill to Strengthen National Territory. According to it, in total 200 trillion Yen will be spent in ten years to come to build 'a network of express highways across the country and a connection work of the two axes of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan'. That reminds us of a phantom of the era of fast growth in the economy.


The DPJ government has withdrawn their pledge, a development shifting 'from reinforced concrete to human being', and it cannot keep itself from violating the words in the Manifesto. Stuck in the opposite direction 'from human beings to construction works', it has approved to build new Shinkansen bullet train service and expand the highways to four lanes.


Premier Noda emphasizes 'politics with concrete decisions' and 'politics not to postpone decisions'. Now, let's look at his decisions; what is contained? How were they made?


To surge the consumption tax rate: which is absent in the Manifesto. Re-operation at the Oi Nuclear Power Plant of the Kansai Electric Power Co.: nobody is assigned to take right responsibility. Deployment of US military vehicles, Osprey, defective aircraft, to the Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, the world's most dangerous airfield: Premier says that 'due to the status of bilateral security treaty, Japan is unable to advise US how to behave. I will not demand to review or postpone the plan'.


These issues directly link with people's life and livelihood. That is why mass movements to demand 'life is the most important' prevail throughout the country. Demonstrators gather on Friday evenings around the Official Residence of Prime Minister to demand to stop nuclear power generation. The campaign grows every week, but Premier Noda does not hear the voices and says that something 'sounds'.


No! to Corrupt Politics


Mr. Oe Kenzaburo, a writer, has handed lately over signatures of 7.5 million people to stop nuclear power generation to the office of Prime Minister. The list was, however, not paid due attention. The writer said: 'we live in an insult. Will we keep living in it? Or will we be killed due to another Fukushima in the insult?'


We cannot foresee how the mass movements will develop. A sit-in campaign in Okinawa to refuse construction of a new base in Henoko has lasted over 3,000 days. Civic movements to reject deployment of Osprey have incorporated all residents of the island. A big rally will be held, uniting inhabitants of the prefecture.


In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after 67 years of the atomic bombings, struggles continue to demand the state's recognition of victims. People accuse 'black rain' and demand to aid 'those affected by the bombing'.


'Life is the most important' - people appeal in Fukushima, one more nuclear-contaminated area, and in the Tohoku region hit by the gigantic earthquake and tsunami. Citizens join street demonstrations. The facts reflect people's objection to the corrupt politics. The state power wants to rout people's voices, and therefore, seeks politics behind the closed door. We must get united to produce great waves to pull down the Noda Government.


August 21, 2012