No. 1294 Policy Speech of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio
Premier Kishida Fumio delivered a policy speech, justifying his version of political path of Japan; to convert the nation to be one that could stage a war against others. The crucial point lies not in the options whether to spend 2% of the GDP or to raise taxes for military spending. The idea is politics that will ignore and destroy the Peace Constitution.
PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT SEE PEOPLE’S LIFE
The prime minister outwardly showed an arrogant posture, disregarding the majority of people. He said that a key decision should be made by the government, referring to the recent revisions of three documents on national security approved in the Cabinet’s meeting, and added that representatives of people should discuss it in the Diet for implementation.
Military build-up and soaring taxes will come
The government tells it will allocate 43 trillion yen for military spending in five years and explains its financial sources, but that is self-contradictory. In fact, however, the budget of 2% of GNP in the next five years will exceed further, over 52 trillion yen. Surplus money to be collected then will be drained. Big tax surges will come.
‘Enormous’ expansion of the military budget must be rigorously checked as this policy will severely worsen people’s livelihood.
Prime Minister Kishida has an obligation to observe the Peace Constitution, but he takes initiative in carrying out policies violating the constitution. This fact itself constitutes abuse of the Constitution. He stirs up anxieties among people by prompting threats and states that attacking an enemy base or headquarters is defined as legitimate ‘in the concept of the exclusively-defensive posture’. Is he really a politician?
Concerning nuclear power generation, the leader pledged to enhance the industry by replacing the running reactors with ‘next-generation innovated reactors’ and by extending the life of reactors. He also declared to build final waste disposal sites, though that is beyond control. The reprocessing plant located in the village Rokkasho-mura, Aomori Prefecture, is a model for final processing job of radioactive materials, but its operational plan is not even ready.
Poor steps to save people from poverty
Let’s look at the polices to ensure people to enjoy a safe and protected life. Many suffer from social gaps and poverty, while the government policy package serves big businesses and contributes to the military industries which support the US government. Premier Kishida has not shown concrete steps as for wage hikes, child care and revitalization of local communities around the country. Even when he referred to, his remarks were off the point.
If the government tries to raise salaries of workers so as to meet soaring prices, it is essential, as prerequisites, to set up a new scheme on wages and to improve productivity. The current policies to fill gaps between big businesses and smaller-and-medium-sized entities do not work well. The controversial Invoice System, which will be effective in October amid the official rejection of harsh opposition voices, is the same as an increase in the consumption tax rate.
To irregular workers, who are not benefitted from the wage hike campaign, a big surge in the minimum wage is needed, but the government is unwilling to respond to the repetitious demands to seek for another rise from the current standard.
The Kishida government boasts of its policies to double the spending on child care, reportedly saying, that it will announce a plan in June to allocate a-twice-as-big budget ‘in the future’. Here we find a clear difference between doubling the military budget in five years and doubling the budget for education, which implies the nature of politics led by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito.
Policies on local communities
Premier Kishida specified ‘shifting to the digital society’ - an awkward vision. What is needed to exhausted rural municipalities is an actual development plan to boost agriculture, forestry and fishery. Vital is an income compensation scheme. Agriculture, forestry and fishery are effective industries to manage climate change. If a country depends heavily on food import, it will be eroded from within.
演説は、国会や国民的な議論も経ずに「安保三文書」を閣議決定したことを、重要な決断は政府が行い、国会で国民の代表に議論させる手続きを踏んで実行に移すという、多数を背にした開き直りが露骨に表れた。
軍拡大増税が必至
５年で43兆円の軍事費の財源は、辻褄合わせで、その次の５年間のＧＤＰ２％予算は52兆円をはるかに超える。その時かき集める剰余金などは費消され、大増税となる。
国民生活をさらに圧迫する軍事費の「異次元」の膨張は、徹底的に追及されなくてはならない。
平和憲法を遵守する義務を負う首相が、違憲の政策を先頭に立って進めること自体が憲法違反。脅威を煽って不安をかき立て、敵基地や敵の中枢を攻撃するのも「専守防衛の枠内」と言うに至っては、政治家失格だ。
原発政策では、「次世代革新炉」による建て替えや運転期間の延長など、原発推進をあらわにし、できもしない最終処分場建設推進を公言した。最終処分の前提となる青森県六ヶ所村の再処理工場の運転は、目途すらたっていない。
お寒い貧困対策
大企業に奉仕し、米政府を支える軍需産業の利益に貢献する方針に対して、格差と貧困に悩む国民生活に安心を生む課題はどうか。賃上げ、子育て、地方活性化に具体策はなく、言っても的外れだ。
物価高を超える賃上げは、新たな賃金体系と、生産性向上が前提になる。大企業と中小企業の格差対策は実効性がなく、反対の声を無視して10月に強行しようとしているインボイス制度は、消費税増税に等しい。
賃上げの恩恵を受けられない非正規労働者には最低賃金の抜本的な引上げが必須だが、物価高に対応する再三の再引き上げ要求には応じようともしない。
的外れ地方対策
地方対策は〝デジタル社会への転換で〟と的外れな夢想。疲弊する地方に必要なのは農林水産業の具体的な振興策であり、所得補償が不可欠だ。農林水産業は気候対策に有効で、食料の海外依存は国の足元を揺るがす。
英訳版↓
No. 1294 Policy Speech of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio
Premier Kishida Fumio delivered a policy speech, justifying his version of political path of Japan; to convert the nation to be one that could stage a war against others. The crucial point lies not in the options whether to spend 2% of the GDP or to raise taxes for military spending. The idea is politics that will ignore and destroy the Peace Constitution.
PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT SEE PEOPLE’S LIFE
The prime minister outwardly showed an arrogant posture, disregarding the majority of people. He said that a key decision should be made by the government, referring to the recent revisions of three documents on national security approved in the Cabinet’s meeting, and added that representatives of people should discuss it in the Diet for implementation.
Military build-up and soaring taxes will come
The government tells it will allocate 43 trillion yen for military spending in five years and explains its financial sources, but that is self-contradictory. In fact, however, the budget of 2% of GNP in the next five years will exceed further, over 52 trillion yen. Surplus money to be collected then will be drained. Big tax surges will come.
‘Enormous’ expansion of the military budget must be rigorously checked as this policy will severely worsen people’s livelihood.
Prime Minister Kishida has an obligation to observe the Peace Constitution, but he takes initiative in carrying out policies violating the constitution. This fact itself constitutes abuse of the Constitution. He stirs up anxieties among people by prompting threats and states that attacking an enemy base or headquarters is defined as legitimate ‘in the concept of the exclusively-defensive posture’. Is he really a politician?
Concerning nuclear power generation, the leader pledged to enhance the industry by replacing the running reactors with ‘next-generation innovated reactors’ and by extending the life of reactors. He also declared to build final waste disposal sites, though that is beyond control. The reprocessing plant located in the village Rokkasho-mura, Aomori Prefecture, is a model for final processing job of radioactive materials, but its operational plan is not even ready.
Poor steps to save people from poverty
Let’s look at the polices to ensure people to enjoy a safe and protected life. Many suffer from social gaps and poverty, while the government policy package serves big businesses and contributes to the military industries which support the US government. Premier Kishida has not shown concrete steps as for wage hikes, child care and revitalization of local communities around the country. Even when he referred to, his remarks were off the point.
If the government tries to raise salaries of workers so as to meet soaring prices, it is essential, as prerequisites, to set up a new scheme on wages and to improve productivity. The current policies to fill gaps between big businesses and smaller-and-medium-sized entities do not work well. The controversial Invoice System, which will be effective in October amid the official rejection of harsh opposition voices, is the same as an increase in the consumption tax rate.
To irregular workers, who are not benefitted from the wage hike campaign, a big surge in the minimum wage is needed, but the government is unwilling to respond to the repetitious demands to seek for another rise from the current standard.
The Kishida government boasts of its policies to double the spending on child care, reportedly saying, that it will announce a plan in June to allocate a-twice-as-big budget ‘in the future’. Here we find a clear difference between doubling the military budget in five years and doubling the budget for education, which implies the nature of politics led by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito.
Policies on local communities
Premier Kishida specified ‘shifting to the digital society’ - an awkward vision. What is needed to exhausted rural municipalities is an actual development plan to boost agriculture, forestry and fishery. Vital is an income compensation scheme. Agriculture, forestry and fishery are effective industries to manage climate change. If a country depends heavily on food import, it will be eroded from within.
February 8 2023