Japan’s Not-Quite-So-Nationalist Leaders
-The Nazi comments by Japan’s Finance Minister is misled or intended?-
Kiyotaka ISHIKAWA
Japan’s deputy prime minister Taro Aso is quite famous for his usual off-the-cuff remarks in the past, and here is the latest gaffe at the study meeting about the Constitution revision in the final week July. He said that: “The German Weimar constitution changed, without being noted, to the nazi German constitution. Why don’t we learn from their tactics?” No matter what intension behind his speech, the statement proves how deeply he is interested in revising the constitution which is the most sensitive topic for both the domestics and the neighbors. Nevertheless, Aso’s political ideals may sound rather reasonable, surrounded by emerging Chinese military in East Asia and recent territorial disputes with China and Korea.
Is he a true nationalist who even tries Nazi’s tactics into practice, or a right-wing politician with good reasons to have such a political goal?
What is his thoughts behind the Nazi comments?
Facing criticisms over the Nazi comments, Aso retracted his statement and excuse himself by saying that he meant it as a bad example of changes made without a substantial debate or understanding among citizens. Actually, earlier in the same talk, he had criticized the Nazis for repealing the Weimar Constitution, which he praised as the most progressive in Europe at the time.
However, he also advocates revising Japan’s pacifist constitution as the Liberal Democrats had held quiet and extensive discussions about its proposals. In another speech, he blamed older Japanese, who historically respect the current constitution, especially Article 9 of which forbids Japan from having a standing army, for the lack of support in the discussion over the revision. Therefore, he possibly admires how smoothly and stealthily the Nazi party changed Germany’s pre-World War Ⅱ constitution, because even attempts to change would raise protests among Japan’s elder citizens who are also the major supporter for the LDP.
Yet, either case is still unclear about what Aso really meant, so it would be helpful to refer to recent political contexts over his comment as follows.
The rightist political goal that Abe administration hold
The argument over the constitution is undoubtedly rooted in changing geopolitics of East Asia mainly due to the emergence of China. The scene of a dangerous standoff with the country over the Senkaku Islands, which are so far controlled by Japanese, has been a usual diplomatic problem since Aso had led his own administration in 2008 and 2009. Even if not cause a violent confrontation, this issue reminds the bottleneck in Japan’s constitution which restricts its self defense forces to do any military action until they themselves were shot at.
This provides Japan’s foreign policy with a very good reason to shape nationalist agenda with popular prime minister’s political rhetoric. In fact, when Abe took office after the campaign that featured talk on territorial disputes and defense, he promised to revise the pacifist constitution, loosen restrictions on Japan’s armed forces and post government personnel on the islands claimed by China. His political goals and ideals basically remains nationalistic since he took office for the first time in 2006 and so does Aso’s, as he has been placed at the executive post in Abe administration.
Moving rightwards to even reach the middle
Although revising the constitution is Aso’s (and also Abe’s) political appealing point and his motivation behind the Nazi comment, he seems unlikely to realize it at any cost. As foreign minister mentions, improved ties with China are a high priority of the government, which is practiced in diplomacy-conscious manners by Aso and Abe. Aso suggested that Japanese politicians should make visit Tokyo’s Yasukuni war shrine quietly to avoid controversy. Moreover, Abe made China his first overseas visit to strengthen relations and avoided Yasukuni while in office.
From these above, Abe and members of his government including Aso, who have spoken of restoring Japan’s pride over foreign affairs, can hold the politically successful moderate line without drawing unnecessary tensions from neighbors by pushing for any extremely rightist changes, except this time’s careless Nazi comments. It depends on individuals to regard this as whether the lack of diplomatic ability or just another episode of his sense of humor, but at least he is nothing like Nazi’s extreme nationalist.
References
Japan Deputy PM Taro Aso retracts Nazi comments, BBC News, August 1, 2013,
retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23527300
Japan’s Finance Minister Retracts Statement on Nazis, Martin Fackler, NY Times.com, August 1 2013,
retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/02/world/asia/japans-finance-minister-retracts-statement-on-nazis.html?_r=3&
Japan’s Aso Refuses to Resign Over nazi Comment, Elaine Kurtenbach and Mari Yamaguchi, AP, August 2, 2013,
The Identity Crisis That Lurks Behind Japan’s Right-Wing Rhetoric, Roland Kelts, TIME, May 31, 2013,
retrieved from http://world.time.com/2013/05/31/the-identity-crisis-that-lurks-behind-japans-right-wing-rhetoric/
Japan’s Not-Quite-So-Nationalist Leader, Kirk Spitzer, TIME, January 3, 2013,
No comments:
Post a Comment