2012.2.18

What Is A Conservative?

/Page 28-30, TIME,  February 13, 2012/

Introduction

We are now in the great depression and distrustful of our government. This is not a domestic trend but seems to be a global trend. Americans also concern about unstable society and economy in recent years, and that’s why they need the political reform and why the Republican Party collecting people’s supports. But American’s demand for the government seems to be opposite to Japanese one, because they are, what is called, ‘a conservative.’

Briefing

• What’s the conservative?

The conservative is a typical traditional value of the Americans, and forms the national characteristic of the U.S. Conservative people tend to prefer to the small government which does not interfere themselves and neighbor countries. 

• Why the Republican Party is collecting more supports now?

Of course the conservative votes to the Republican candidates. They are going to impose the budget reform, including tax cutting, no health care, and fixing the federal finance by those. But the Republican program is drawing not only the conservative but the whole country’s interests. 

• Why the Republican policy is supported across the boundary of the conservative?

One reason is that every American’s political belief is based on conservatism and they feel like going back to it when they faced unstable situation. Another reason is that not only the conservative but everyone consider the budget reform as necessary. The U.S. finance holds $15 trillion in debt and can’t afford to proceed the Democrat’s health care program. 

Opinion

Japan also suffers from a huge debt which reached ¥5 million per capita the government rent from its citizens. But what the conservative means in Japan is wholly different from the U.S. It means the bold government programs, the strong regulations, and the control by the central authorities. If Japan is heading to the conservative in its policy, it need to change the idea of the conservative, because there’s no money to rebuilt such a government.