Noda eyes snap election after backing TPP

Have to give Noda credit for sticking to his guns and at least trying to get something positive accomplished in his term. More than can be said about any PM since Koizumi.

Have to give Noda credit for sticking to his guns and at least trying to get something positive accomplished in his term. More than can be said about any PM since Koizumi.

lol Noda is just doing what he's told. And what did Koizumi achieve?

Noda is a puppet to the rich beauracrats that run this country. After Noda puts Japan into a bankruptcy stage, he will have an election and be voted out of office. Another Prime minister will be put into his place to make thing worst for everyone that are still living and working in Japan. If no one believes what I am saying, just sit back and watch to see what I just said here will come into your reality.

The latest NHK poll today gave Noda and the DPJ some of the lowest poll scores of any government in history.

Noda is perfectly aware that a backroom promise made with fingers crossed behind his back to Sadaharu Tanigaki is not worth committing ritual suicide over. Noda has no choice but to keep lying and playing things out as long as possible in the hope that things turn around so he and his party are not destroyed, as all indications are they will be if a snap election is called.

Ronald Reagan established the new wave of Free Trade agreements (NAFTA) which opened the markets and cheap labor to the US fortune 500. It seems that everywhere there is a "Free Trade" agreement, cheap commodities breaks down all BARRIERS, poverty and unemployment is always in its wake. In the middle to the late 1800's the British East Indian Trading Company brought to Asia opium from the shores of India, on the threat of Free Trade. The battle of Free Trade has been the longest and most protracted war of humanity. The Free Trade War began with Chattel Slavery and the addiction of opium in China. In 1839 and in 1856 Britain waged two wars in order to prevent the opium 'commodity' from being brought into China, under the banner of Free Trade Britain fought to keep opium flowing into Asia.

Free Trade, you get what you pay for.

Okaerinasai Abe-sama!

The TPP is less about free trade and more about the establishment of a regional bureaucracy controlled by the US and major corporate interests. For free trade to be effective, one must have free markets, something that does not currently exist. This thing will be a disaster for the Japanese people. Noda is merely a stooge for the US, trying to give them everything they want before he is kicked to the curb. Japan needs less US, not more.

This is unbelievable! This guy along with his friend kan-kan have to take the trophy from Japan's biggest liar. He lied when he said he would not increase taxes;lied when he said he would trade the approval of the tax increase for a new election; and lied again when he said he would defend the interests of japoneses in UN, but his party is on the verge of approving a law that calls "Jinken YouGo Houan" that restricts the rights of all Japanese citizens to express themselves freely.

issa1Nov. 13, 2012 - 07:23AM JST This is unbelievable! This guy along with his friend kan-kan have to take the trophy from Japan's biggest liar. He lied when he said he would not increase taxes;lied when he said he would trade the approval of the tax increase for a new election; and lied again when he said he would defend the interests of japoneses in UN, but his party is on the verge of approving a law that calls "Jinken YouGo Houan" that restricts the rights of all Japanese citizens to express themselves freely.

So, we have a few helpful lessons. Yes, sometimes politicians break promises. Sometimes they shatter them in a memorable, sharded frenzy. But, more often than not, they do their best,or do something, at a minimum to follow through on those promises. Despite a world of present minded concerns, and of often depthless media flaring, politicians generally stand by their word. And in times when they do not, it may even prove for the better.

Dear Kristianna Thomas

I am outraged at the opium wars too. On the other hand, the way in which the "free trade" of opium resulted in poverty and death, does not seem to be the same as that of commodities. Enforced importation of narcotics - addictive, expensive, poisons - and that of manufactured goods and agricultural staples such as rice do not seem at all the same. Yes, there will be tremendous negative impacts for some. People will go out of work in industries that can not compete, but their will not necessarily be poverty and unemployment overall due to the importation of non-poisionous goods.

Furthermore the biggest exporter of goods these days is China. To argue that free trade such as surrounded the opium war is bad,so therefore we should curb free trade now, is to have it all our own way since when we were the exporters we demanded free trade. Indeed, I think that this will become an issue as Western countries, such as Britian and the US start to wish to prevent free trade with China, the Chinese may well remind them, as you remind us, of the history, but for exactly the opposite reason.

On the other hand, the way in which the "free trade" of opium resulted in poverty and death, does not seem to be the same as that of commodities.

In fact, it is exactly the same. Moral considerations aside, free trade then and now is motivated by money and control. There would not be a call from developed nations for free trade today except that they have lost their competitive advantages in a global market. Free trade allows them to establish better conditions for their corporate patrons and a measure of control over developing economies. This is simply a cover for the failure of maturing economies who find that protectionism is no longer their friend.

China was brought into the modern economy because of the desire of corporations to take advantage of low wages, low regulations, and low taxes and to get a foot in the door of 1.3 billion potential consumers. That China has managed this situation for their own benefit (as they should) has caused the US to seek other avenues which would afford them greater control. Thus, after generations of protectionism, from which Europe, the US, and Japan built high levels of prosperity, free trade has suddenly become the rage, the newest assault on Asia by the West.