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Japan's Former Leader Urges Political Debate on Nuclear Ban - Bloomberg
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who last year presided over the initial response to Japan's biggest crisis since World War II, today urged the nation's political leaders to debate banning nuclear power generation. Submission of legislation on a nuclear-free mix of energy sources would mean each party, or even individual members of the Diet, would have to show support or opposition, Kan, 65, said in Tokyo. "Forming a green party may be one option," Kan said at a symposium at International Christian University. "We could have significant influence through a political force in which every single member supports a nuclear-free Japan."
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who last year presided over the initial response to Japan's biggest crisis since World War II, today urged the nation's political leaders to debate banning nuclear power generation.
Submission of legislation on a nuclear-free mix of energy sources would mean each party, or even individual members of the Diet, would have to show support or opposition, Kan, 65, said in Tokyo.
"Forming a green party may be one option," Kan said at a symposium at International Christian University. "We could have significant influence through a political force in which every single member supports a nuclear-free Japan."
.. Which is not a development to be hoped for.
On the other hand, given Japan's draconian laws regarding political speech and advertising, it may have a hard time getting its message out.
What - if anything - would be the effect on those laws if the amendment is passed making the claim of nuclear being an issue of "national security" law? Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se
Another example: most Japanese mass media vocally supported the Iran sanction, in the spirit of supporting the US, who is, they claimed, trying to contain the nuclear DPRK. This logic is in fact a copy of the conservatives' logic to support the Iraq war back in 2003 ("Get Saddam to get Kim"). Now it has belatedly become the only permitted discourse in Tokyo, as most readers easily buy into this logic because of national security concern.
The recent choice of the defense minister (Morimoto) who is a conservative national security academic was widely welcomed by the media and the public. Needless to say, Morimoto supported the Iraq war and Japan's involvement there. I will become a patissier, God willing.
That Mayor, Hashimoto, however is not a green candidate. For example, he tried to pass legislation to prohibit political activities of public employees. He also threatens to fire public school teachers who refused to sing the Imperial national anthem. He is a populist with a style of his own and not one of the "left".
In the current political climate where sinophobia dominates practically all mainstream discouse, he is likely to get carried away by that sentiment once he succeeds at the national level. I will become a patissier, God willing.
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