Noda warns against jingoism as parties draw election battle lines

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged voters to shun jingoism

In yet another sensible comment.

Then Abe.

We will regain a strong economy

How?

We'll restore foreign policy

How?

the Japan-U.S. alliance, which was badly damaged by the Democratic Party government

Rubbish.

In recent days Abe has called on the central bank to print "unlimited yen" and set interest rates at zero or below zero to boost the economy, remarks that sent the yen falling the most against the dollar since central bank intervention in 2011

Oops.

Healthy nationalism is necessary, but if one goes to extremes, it becomes jingoism.

This guy have a special talents to be a comedian. Noda-tian,the best thing to do now is put their tail between their legs to sneak out.

Might not always agree with Noda's policies but I do agree with his sentiments and logic here.

Jingoism? A few names pop to mind. Hashimoto, Ozawa and that other idiot from Osaka. When will these stoned-headed old fogies realize that Japan needs to progress, not regress?

Jingo - a person who professes his or her patriotism loudly and excessively, favoring vigilant preparedness for war and an aggressive foreign policy; bellicose chauvinist.

"It said it would achieve nominal economic growth of 3% or more." Makes me wonder how the LDP is going to achieve that in the current environment. Do they know something the rest of us don't? I doubt it! I do not think that putting Abe at the helm of the country (again!) will do the country much good. DPJ may not have been doing a marvellous job, but I still seem them as the lesser of two evils in the absence of a real alternative with a true leader.

Bottom line- Japanese politicians suck. If Abe and his Fascist LDP get back into Power, Japan will go fown the plughole even quicker.

“That will help us defend our beautiful country, territories and national interests,”

What "territories"? Japan lost them all after the war. The man's a fool.

Noda, by contrast, was very dignified on TV yesterday. We need more like him. I hope we haven't seen the last of him.

Noda warned of the dangers of just talking tough in diplomacy. “Healthy nationalism is necessary, but if one goes to extremes, it becomes jingoism,” he told a news conference. “Diplomatic and security policies influenced by such an atmosphere are a danger for Japan.”

I'm not a big fan of Noda, but this is the most sensible thing said by any of these politicians in a long time.

Exhibit A of crazy rhetoric:

In recent days Abe has called on the central bank to print “unlimited yen” and set interest rates at zero or below zero to boost the economy, remarks that sent the yen falling the most against the dollar since central bank intervention in 2011.

And Exhibit B:

“Or whether because the LDP created the mess, we should have a stronger more intelligent leader, like Hashimoto,” the lawmaker added, referring to popular Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who leads the small Japan Restoration Party.

For those who think Abe would be a suitable replacement, remember that his plan to "print more money" would likely lead to hyperinflation, which would completely destroy the value of our money.

Notwithstanding the political sideshow, plse expedite delivery of rare earth so we can expedite delivery of precision components to keep the wheels of industry turning to put food on the table.

Patrolling territorial waters cost taxpayers & hand-to-mouth fishermen. When extraction becomes feasible, neighbors must establish joint ventures.

Noda warned of the dangers of just talking tough in diplomacy. “Healthy nationalism is necessary, but if one goes to extremes, it becomes jingoism,” he told a news conference.”

Spot on, Noda.

Japanese voters should guard their hearts against JINGOISM. If they are for Abe, Hashimoto, Ishihara, they are promoting JINGOISM. They have been sending these messages already without shame. Japan cannot afford to go backwards to nationalism and JINGOISM that led Japan into the WW2. Move forward, Japan, not back.

"With the party’s prospects dim, DPJ lawmakers were scrambling to defect." this shows how much they care about themselves. "Smaller parties are scrambling to try to join forces despite major gaps in their policies and competition over who would lead the bigger bloc." and this again reflects personal gains. Do the people of japan get any consideration ???? I think not.

What "territories"? Japan lost them all after the war...

Karafuto, Takasago Koku, Chosen, Manchukuo? Abe has been consulting at Yasukuni.

I should add this to my previous comment above that the world will not tolerate Japanese Jingoism and aggression. Japanese voters will pay for the consequences sooner or later. I just want to warn you in advance.

The the locals really dumb enough to vote back in the party that started the downfall of Japan? I fear they do. And print more money? Is this guy for real?

Come on Noda!!

The the locals really dumb enough to vote back in the party that started the downfall of Japan?

Yes because all they do is blame everybody else (i.e. Minshuto) for all their problems...

I'm not sure what he meant by "nationalism". It was probably "patriotism" in Japanese.

In recent days Abe has called on the central bank to print “unlimited yen” and set interest rates at zero or below zero to boost the economy

Hmmm - remind me, how did that work out for Weimar Germany?

It is incredible to me that the senior citizens of this country are going to elect a man who - by his own admission - can't even control his own bowels, to the job he ran away from after a year of unelected incompetence half a decade ago.

Maybe too much of Mickey mouse and AKB48 result in wishing upon the peace of many Japaneses. Japan is surrounded by adversaries and any shown of weakness would entice more bully neighbors to take advantage. Some count on China as reliable friend and they found out big hidden surprises. Today is territorial dispute, tomorrow will be economy, and next one might be history with never ending squeeze on Japan. Strong Japan-U.S alliance is only deterrence factor for Japan; for stronger Japan will bring more stability in Asia by placing bully one in check. Having a good strategy for peace has no ca-notation with war. All negotiations must be made from the position of strength, and not weakness. How about enjoying ENKA for a change. Cheers.

Strong Japan-U.S alliance is only deterrence factor for Japan; for stronger Japan will bring more stability in Asia by placing bully one in check.

It is not that simple as you think. If Japan goes to extreme jingoism, the history will be repeated.

Patrick, I informed the husband last night that if Hashi or ishi ever run this country I am leaving. I will not live in a country under their rule.

And I fear they ARE dumb enough to vote this guy back in. Do they not get that HIS party ruined this country?

Abe has called on the central bank to print “unlimited yen”

... I think the opposition party should jump on this. All the senior citizens can remember the post-WW2 days when they tried this last, and the memories of that brief period of hyperinflation are the reason that many senior citizens keep their money under their futons and grow their own vegetables. Frankly I find this sort of comment from Abe all the reason anyone needs to keep him out of power.

Realistically though both the LDP and DPJ are so right wing that nothing is really going to change.

likely to return the long-dominant Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) to power under a conservative former premier, raising concerns about the future of Tokyo’s already chilly ties with Beijing

And here I thought the worst thing that could happen to Japan was the Tohoku/Fukushima disaster. Now it looks like Abe will return to power, and lunatics like Hashimoto and Ishihara will be leading prominent minority parties. Glad I left before this became the Japanese reality. Blame nature or "god" if you will for 3/11, but the Japanese can only blame themselves for whatever outcome the election brings on 12/16.

tmarieNov. 17, 2012 - 11:46AM JST

Patrick, I informed the husband last night that if Hashi or ishi ever run this country I am leaving. I will not live in a country under their rule.

And I fear they ARE dumb enough to vote this guy back in. Do they not get that HIS party ruined this country?

tmarie, let's hope you do not have to.

I have just written my strong support to PM Noda. nodasblog.kantei.go.jp Your voice should be heard.

For Japan, it took over 60 years to be a peaceful and a prosperous country the way it is, but some idiots are willing to destroy Japan back to ashes. They are willing to send a sheep generation of Japan into war machine. What Japan needs today is a political stability to move forward, not back. Let's hope we can stop this nonsense.

the Japanese can only blame themselves for whatever outcome the election brings on 12/16.

I think you meant to say the Japanese who voted for the LDP for whatever outcome the election brings on 12/16.

We’ll restore foreign policy. We will strongly appeal to voters on the need to restore the Japan-U.S. alliance, which was badly damaged by the Democratic Party government,” said Abe.

Japan/US alliance is doing fine now after Hatoyama and Kan were removed.

In recent days Abe has called on the central bank to print “unlimited yen”

Well, Abe would be creating more people in poverty. Printing unlimited yen means Yen becomes worthless paper. Abe is a failing social engineer, period.

@Bgood41Nov. 17, 2012 - 10:53AM JST

Maybe too much of Mickey mouse and AKB48 result in wishing upon the peace of many Japaneses. Japan is surrounded by adversaries and any shown of weakness would entice more bully neighbors to take advantage.

Is it that simple? In your comment, China was brought up as the bully. You didn't mention the others.

How about the U.S.? I remember Japan once said it would take the dispute of Takeshima/Dokku to the ICJ by the end of October. Then the other day I read that Japan would not be able to do it because her main ally doesn't want it. Any comment from any PM in-waiting?

The U.S. has not said much about Japan's revisionist view on history. Unlike Beijing, I can't recall Washington's ever complained about Japan's use of 'the end of war' instead of defeat at the end of WWII. However, Hatoyama is a case in point in case anybody who doesn't pay enough attention to the American interests shows up. Japan can say all it wants about why Hatoyama not only lost his seat as prime minister but also has no policy followers. Washington has achieved its goal while Buick is doing better in China as well. If BMW has also benefited, so what?:-)

All negotiations must be made from the position of strength, and not weakness.

Very well said.

Here is one to match: ' Thus to fight a hundred battles and win a hundred battles, is not a reflection of the most supreme strategy. The ability to subdue the enemy without battle is a reflection of the ultimate supreme strategy.' (by Sun Tzu, Art of War, Chapter 3)

Let the Japanese people vote. We all need their rubber stamp once again, which may be negated by themselves in the near future. The media and the opposition will make sure that happens by making sure that nothing said and done by ministers is too trivial. As for Jingoism, Noda knows first-hand it is never a problem so long as it is directed towards the politically correct targets. If the second biggest economy needs Japan more than both ways or the other way around, who else will ever matter so long the alliance with the US is strong?:-)

Everyone has their own opinions about what's right and what's wrong for Japan. And we don't have the time to test them all out. I personally believe DPJ would be better for Japan than LDP. Abe's rhetoric and strong brand of nationalism as well as the fact that he already failed once at the job, I believe, makes him a less viable candidate to lead this country. And Noda's logic in his remarks is good.

I am not familiar with this, but is jingoism a local word to say fascism in Japan?

For those who think Abe would be a suitable replacement, remember that his plan to "print more money" would likely lead to hyperinflation, which would completely destroy the value of our money.

+1

In recent days Abe has called on the central bank to print “unlimited yen” and set interest rates at zero or below zero to boost the economy, remarks that sent the yen falling the most against the dollar since central bank intervention in 2011.

That's probably the only point I would be able to find agreement on with Abe.

The yen is artificially high based on a skewed international system, reflecting nothing at all with respect to Japan's economic fundamentals, much in the same way that the Italian Prime Minister has described with respect to the high debts costs for Italy.

Slam the currency traders.

...and give China back the Senkakus...er, Daiyo rocks, as they're referred to on Japanese maps from the Edo period...

ubikwitNov. 18, 2012 - 01:03AM JST

In recent days Abe has called on the central bank to print “unlimited yen” and set interest rates at zero or below zero to boost the economy, remarks that sent the yen falling the most against the dollar since central bank intervention in 2011.

That's probably the only point I would be able to find agreement on with Abe.

The yen is artificially high based on a skewed international system, reflecting nothing at all with respect to Japan's economic fundamentals, much in the same way that the Italian Prime Minister has described with respect to the high debts costs for Italy.

Slam the currency traders.

ubikwit, so you are endorsing JOB printing more Yen?. What you do not realize here is that printing Yen drives to more poverty because Yen becomes worthless paper. What Abe is doing is to bailout BIG Japanese business at expense of middle Japanese business and middle income Japanese citizens.

globalwatcher

I don't know.

Why did the Swiss set a threshold level for their currency?

I think that it is necessary to stop the demise of Japanese industry at the behest of the Western finance cretins.

The yen has been unreasonably high for an extended period of time, causing companies to fold and generally wreaking havoc in the Japanese economy.

Slam the currency traders.

ubikwit, you can slam the currency traders as much as you can, but it does not change anything as we are all globally connected. Remember, Soros drove Bank of England to mess beyond repair? Be aware China is waiting for the perfect storm to do the same against BOJ. FYI

I suspect that it is not printing more money per se, which weakens the currency, but substantial increase in social payments, budget based salaries and pensions and similar payments for millions of people. Then, prices go up, and currency goes down. It is not clear what Abe meant by "unlimited printing" and where he planned to use the money.

If he indeed planned to go socialist and boost social payments out of the printing machine, the danger is that in a Democratic society with high frequency of elections (such as Japan), it will be almost impossible to stop, which will lead to bad consequences at the end. Not to say that before thinking about devaluating the currency, one must take into account the size of the internal debt and the respective annual payment to sustain it.

All in all, an "unlimited printing of money" is not a good idea for Japan at its current state. It is better to use more capitalist-type measures. If Abe is not stupid, he will not follow his own promises after elections, which may, in turn, lead to a new elections afterwards.

Soros drove Bank of England to mess beyond repair? Be aware China is waiting for the perfect storm to do the same against BOJ.

After they made a huge currency swap agreement with Japan???

you can slam the currency traders as much as you can, but it does not change anything as we are all globally connected.

Yes, but in that context, you still haven't answered my question about the Swiss.

You could follow by commenting on what the implications of a similar move would be for Japan, I suppose.

This is about saving the manufacturing sector and jobs, basically.

ubikwitNov. 18, 2012 - 03:00AM JST

Soros drove Bank of England to mess beyond repair? Be aware China is waiting for the perfect storm to do the same against BOJ.

After they made a huge currency swap agreement with Japan???

Yep. We are in middle of currency war.

ubikwitNov. 18, 2012 - 03:04AM JST

Yes, but in that context, you still haven't answered my question about the Swiss.

Keep it mind Swiss is not Japan.

The difference Swiss to Japan is that Swiss was fighting against EU while Japan's object is to get out from the uncontrollable debt beyond repair that many do not want to admit. Debt ratio to GDP of Swiss is about 48-50% unlike Japan.

Swiss economy has been relatively healthy. Swiss econmy unlike the European Union economies is a developed economy with BUDGET SURPLUS year after year, and its credit rating of AAA. Therefore, they took the risk to devaluate the currency.

This is about saving the manufacturing sector and jobs, basically.

This is a bottom line of JOB printing more yen. Baiout Japanese big business and sell- out Japanese middle class business and people are not the correct action.

I am pretty sure Abe's solutions will be something like more debt for more pet projects and more hours of school.

Although Japan is a pretty good place to live it is the responsibility of every parent to prepare their children to be able to do well. So every parent in Japan had better be preparing their child to get the heck off the sinking ship and go elsewhere.

Back on topic please.

The Japanese have no faith in their leaders Why? because they have no more faith in themselves so its time to wake up and change it for your own future and stop complaning.

Well, Abe would be creating more people in poverty. Printing unlimited yen means Yen becomes worthless paper. Abe is a failing social engineer, period.

I agree, Globalwatcher. Note also that the pension payments of Japan's precious elderly are indexed to the price level, so they won't suffer anywhere near as much as working-age stiffs who have to beg their employers for raises after prices have soared, and who will see their savings disappear.

NO to inflation, NO to money printing. Clear out all that corruption and balance the national budget first!

The DPJ tried to take back the leadership from bureaucrats and resulted only in the sales tax hike and even let bureaucrats embezzle the post-3.11 restoration budget of 1 trillion yen. Noda a retiring loach will never return unlike Abe anyway. And next premier has to clear the mess caused by what Ishihara and then Noda did about the islands at the instigation of the Heritage Foundation which on the other hand has supported financially the Chinese military as a kind of payback for purchasing military technology. Jingoism somehow rumbles hollow. Well anyway China tries to take Senkaku and even Yaeyama but probably Abe will try to keep his head cool by remembering that Xí Jìnpíng is a friend of Henry Paulson.

I agree, Globalwatcher. Note also that the pension payments of Japan's precious elderly are indexed to the price level, so they won't suffer anywhere near as much as working-age stiffs who have to beg their employers for raises after prices have soared, and who will see their savings disappear.

NO to inflation, NO to money printing. Clear out all that corruption and balance the national budget first!

The GDP growth is a key. Second, reform the corruption of J. bureaucrats and politicians for spending cut. Third, increase the revenue by marginal tax hike. Japan just needs to spend money for what the people need.