New year 2015 has begun. It commemorates the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. This year, however, here in Japan means a start of arbitrary behaviors of the Abe government, which wants to liquidate democratic accomplishments built up on the basis on the Peace Constitution since the end of the WWII. Premier Abe has guaranteed four years more to govern following the December general election. Those who advocate Constitution amendment are ready to go. It is we who are required to counter rightly violent drives of the administration.


LET’S KEEP STRUGGLING WITH FIRM DETERMINATION!


Has the Abe government gained carefree power to dominate people for four years more in a real sense? Definitely, it hasn’t. Poverty has prevailed, accompanying bigger disparities in the society since Premier took office two years ago. Everyone is aware of outcomes of the so-called Abenomics policy package.


The governors’ elections held from last summer through autumn in the prefectures of Shiga, Fukushima and Okinawa have revealed debacle of the Abe’s policy; contradictory consequences have come out intensely, especially, in the rural areas. These elections closely related to the issues of state’s politics, which are execution of the right of collective self-defense, nuclear power generation and the US military bases. Exactly under these circumstances Premier Abe decided to hold general elections in December to reset the political framework in order to survive himself and clear up the post-war regime.


Far from People’s Wishes


The Abe administration maintained the Diet’s majority in the election, but it is not stable. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decreased votes in the proportional representation count, which results in a lower support rate, just one out of every six voters.


As domestic demands remains dull, transnational corporations, to which the Abe government gives the highest priority, are obliged to amplify profits by sacrificing smaller-and-medium sized companies, workers and the primary industries, including agriculture which is the most important sector in the rural districts. Big Business withdraws swiftly without hesitation after satisfying greed. These corporations have shifted production sites abroad with a prospect to expand markets as they undoubtedly see that the domestic market is saturated. In addition, they become more belligerent and do not refrain from waging a war, seeking for potential markets.


Tasks of New Socialist Party


Commercial media are reluctant to tell truths of the Abe government and provoke apathy and submission among people. We, members of the New Socialist Party of Japan, can foresee destinations of these circumstances ? fascism and wars. The year 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of war means a year of tough struggles to us.


The government has already determined to present bills to revise the labor code in order to remove clauses on protection of workers and to finalize relevant laws to execute the right of collective self-defense. The already aggravated relations with China and the countries on the Korean Peninsula imply a convenient and essential tool to justify plots of the Abe government.


As for TPP negotiation, or Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, which could undermine the very basis of the Japanese society, the government will take every step to reach an agreement by any means. It will distort the school education system on the ground that education guarantees ‘a great project of a hundred years’. It is ready to re-operate nuclear power plants, crushing efforts to develop renewable energy sources.


Resistance and organized struggles are required. Every one of us must get united to strengthen ourselves. In April local elections will be held across the country. Time is short. When people are conscious of ability after taking part in the politics, they will not give up aspirations for changes of the society. Various forms of our commitments in local election campaigns link to the national level politics. We must recover Constitution as a pivot of the nation’s politics.


Let’s enhance prospects to commit in the scheduled 2016 Upper House election. The coming local election is a stage of participation. Let’s continue struggling.


January 1, 2015