Another Pointless Election

[Yokohammer]

The linked article (in the JT) is really a very good read. The writer, Colin P. A. Jones of Doshisha Law School in Kyoto, actually knows what he's talking about and expresses it well. Depressing, but very well written and informative:

Electoral dysfunction leaves Japan’s voters feeling impotent

[J.A.F.O]

This is totally bogus. There is no way you can listen to a walkman while kickboxing.

Seriously though. Good article, much how I have felt about Murica for years. I figured the best way to vote is to create a lobbying firm.

[Wage Slave]

Who is that commenter Japanese Bull Fighter? What a fuckwit.

Anyway, yes, a very good article. Straight talking and pulls no punches. And he's right - Until the crisis descends and responsibility can be shifted and evaded, then nothing will be done. Think the Potsdam Declaration and what happened next. History doesn't repeat but it does rhyme from time to time. Unless of course, this time, the Japanese people decide that enough is enough and demand better. I'm not holding my breath but at least it's within the bounds of possibility unlike in 1945.

[matsuki]

So pull up a microscope and research this slab of whale meat while I explain how pachinko is not gambling. Just don’t think too much, because in the land of the surreal, mere realists just go insane.

I mean thinking people who are so disillusioned that they see crisis as the only way to achieve meaningful change, and policymakers who will be able to do what it takes despite the pain and without any attendant responsibility because, hey — CRISIS!

I don't think even the crisis will change the mentality...we'll just see more victim mentality and "ganbarenippon!" stickers

[wuchan]

there has been a result but no one knows if they can discuss it or if the decision is a secret.




only 52% showed, the lowest since WWII. Voting by not voting or do the Japanese people not give a shit anymore.

[Yokohammer]

there has been a result but no one knows if they can discuss it or if the decision is a secret.




only 52% showed, the lowest since WWII. Voting by not voting or do the Japanese people not give a shit anymore.

What has happened is that the LDP has increased their majority, and Abe now has greater power to railroad his pet policies through legislation. This is all exactly as planned, of course.

Quite the farce, as far as elections go.


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[matsuki]

Abe understands Engrish?

Abe attended USC (University of Southern California) in the 1970s, but did not earn a degree from the University.

Despite only having studied at the school while working on graduate work in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development, as the saying goes, "once you join the Trojan family you are a Trojan for life."

[SovietSupreme]

Comrades! Let us celebrate Japan's Communist Party's glorious victory in yesterday's election and the ultimate destruction of the running dog lackeys of the capitalist class!

Star-Wars-Comrade-Stalin.jpg

[IparryU]

Never seen one of these before.... WTF is it?

[yanpa]

Never seen one of these before.... WTF is it?

A very small and well-lubricated wooden horse.

[IparryU]

Never seen one of these before.... WTF is it?

A very small and well-lubricated wooden horse.

I need to get a box or two of these or a vasectomy.

/stoping before this turns into another one of my vasectomy threads.

[yanpa]

We need to collect those in a thread called "Another Pointless Erection".

Meanwhile, the yen has failed to collapse dramatically or anything. So far.

[Yokohammer]

It is also interesting to note that the only place where the LDP did suffer a crushing loss was Okinawa.

... how nice, four huge images of condoms in what started out to be a serious political thread ... *sigh* ...

[IparryU]

... how nice, four huge images of condoms in what started out to be a serious political thread ... *sigh* ...

Well, you can guess where everyone's mind is at this monday....

Back on topic, my ex's family who regularly go and vote, decided not to vote purely cause it was just a sham. The whole thing is just a burden on our tax yen and shows how fucked this (or any for that matter) political system is.

[Yokohammer]

Back on topic, my ex's family who regularly go and vote, decided not to vote purely cause it was just a sham. The whole thing is just a burden on our tax yen and shows how fucked this (or any for that matter) political system is.

And do they realise that by not voting they actually voted for Abe?
This is why people need to get out in force and vote for anyone but, just to limit his power as much as possible.

[yanpa]

The Mrs. said that when she went to vote, there were no young people there at all, apart from her everyone was late thirties or older.

[IparryU]

Back on topic, my ex's family who regularly go and vote, decided not to vote purely cause it was just a sham. The whole thing is just a burden on our tax yen and shows how fucked this (or any for that matter) political system is.

And do they realise that by not voting they actually voted for Abe?
This is why people need to get out in force and vote for anyone but, just to limit his power as much as possible.

They know that... just gave up on it more or less.

The Mrs. said that when she went to vote, there were no young people there at all, apart from her everyone was late thirties or older.

Yup... then again, how many young people are in this cuntry? >50% old fogies right?

[matsuki]

... how nice, four huge images of condoms in what started out to be a serious political thread ... *sigh* ...

Sorry...I was actually looking up some shit about the Supreme Leader's past and got side tracked when I saw he was claiming "USC educated." The condom was just a representation of that...spent some time inside but ultimately there was no fruit born of the endeavor.

Back on topic, my ex's family who regularly go and vote, decided not to vote purely cause it was just a sham. The whole thing is just a burden on our tax yen and shows how fucked this (or any for that matter) political system is.

And do they realise that by not voting they actually voted for Abe?
This is why people need to get out in force and vote for anyone but, just to limit his power as much as possible.

Pretty much THIS!!!

To quote the article:

I was also going to expound on the even-more-vacuous polls that will be held contemporaneously to confirm the retention of the five Supreme Court justices appointed since Abe’s landslide victory in 2012. Of course, nobody knows who these people are, so many voters leave these ballots blank. Asked to rule in the past on what these blank ballots mean, the Supreme Court declared that they should be treated the same as “yes” votes, in favor of retention. It is, therefore, a complete certainty that no justice will ever fail to be reappointed.

[Yokohammer]

And do they realise that by not voting they actually voted for Abe?
This is why people need to get out in force and vote for anyone but, just to limit his power as much as possible.

They know that... just gave up on it more or less.

Damn ... I guess the mind-numbing intransigence of Abe's approach is having the desired effect.

There's no way you could call a 52.66% voter turnout a resounding victory, unless of course you're Shinzo Abe and aren't really interesting in the will of the people. Staying in power and pushing a personal agenda are all that matters.

[wagyl]

The Mrs. said that when she went to vote, there were no young people there at all, apart from her everyone was late thirties or older.

Is this a sly admission of cradle snatching?

Pretty much THIS!!!

To quote the article:

I was also going to expound on the even-more-vacuous polls that will be held contemporaneously to confirm the retention of the five Supreme Court justices appointed since Abe’s landslide victory in 2012. Of course, nobody knows who these people are, so many voters leave these ballots blank. Asked to rule in the past on what these blank ballots mean, the Supreme Court declared that they should be treated the same as “yes” votes, in favor of retention. It is, therefore, a complete certainty that no justice will ever fail to be reappointed.

Choko that part of the article is about the election to dismiss Supreme Court Justices, a hyperdemocratic thing adopted from some states or counties of the US, I understand. Basically, you can vote a judge off the bench. A lack of a vote just means that you don't register a vote to have them dismissed, so regarding it as acquiescence is not a problem in my view. After all, there is no compulsion to vote one of the Justices off -- this is not a cheap Reality TV show -- and there is no mechanism to show your support for a Justice continuing other than not voting for his or her dismissal. I have previously wondered whether the system has ever resulted in the dismissal of a Justice, and what happened to them (whether they retired completely, or just dropped down a rank) and if I have the time I might engage in a little research later.

Edit: returning after brief research.
As I suspected, no Supreme Court Justice has ever been dislodged by this process. It, like the Supreme Court itself, was introduced by the MacArthur occupation, and there was controversy about how useful the whole system would be at the time too. The occupation insisted on either the present system, modelled on Missouri, or on the Diet approving appointments, modelled on the US Federal system, and of the two, it was felt that direct democratic dismissal of Justices was the better choice, since the Legislature was not exerting power over the Judiciary.

The vote is at the first General Election after appointment, and every 10 years thereafter, but since Justices retire at 70 anyway so far only one Justice has been in two such elections.

In the event of a dismissal vote, the Justice is ineligible to sit on the Supreme Court Bench for five years.

Extreme results so far: most votes ever received, 15.17%. Least votes, 4.01%. Looking at results, it seems to be more "lots of angry people this election" rather than "This one particular guy has GOT to GO!"

[matsuki]

The Mrs. said that when she went to vote, there were no young people there at all, apart from her everyone was late thirties or older.

Is this a sly admission of cradle snatching?

attaboy!!

Pretty much THIS!!!

To quote the article:

I was also going to expound on the even-more-vacuous polls that will be held contemporaneously to confirm the retention of the five Supreme Court justices appointed since Abe’s landslide victory in 2012. Of course, nobody knows who these people are, so many voters leave these ballots blank. Asked to rule in the past on what these blank ballots mean, the Supreme Court declared that they should be treated the same as “yes” votes, in favor of retention. It is, therefore, a complete certainty that no justice will ever fail to be reappointed.

Choko that part of the article is about the election to dismiss Supreme Court Justices, a hyperdemocratic thing adopted from some states or counties of the US, I understand. Basically, you can vote a judge off the bench. A lack of a vote just means that you don't register a vote to have them dismissed, so regarding it as acquiescence is not a problem in my view. After all, there is no compulsion to vote one of the Justices off -- this is not a cheap Reality TV show -- and there is no mechanism to show your support for a Justice continuing other than not voting for his or her dismissal. I have previously wondered whether the system has ever resulted in the dismissal of a Justice, and what happened to them (whether they retired completely, or just dropped down a rank) and if I have the time I might engage in a little research later.

Yeah, was just quoting it in the spirit of "your proud non-participation isn't the argument you think you're making."

[Russell]

Maybe someone can explain this to me, but the LDP held 295 seats before the election and 290 after. Komeito is up 4 seats to 35. So in effect the coalition lost 1 seat. Even worse, it may have become more difficult to convince Komeito to give up on the pacifist constitution.

That hardly looks like an overwhelming victory, especially since so few voters turned up.

[Yokohammer]

Maybe someone can explain this to me, but the LDP held 295 seats before the election and 290 after. Komeito is up 4 seats to 35. So in effect the coalition lost 1 seat. Even worse, it may have become more difficult to convince Komeito to give up on the pacifist constitution.

That hardly looks like an overwhelming victory, especially since so few voters turned up.

I was under the impression that the ruling coalition gained seats (but not by much). Getting a little confused myself though.


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[wagyl]

Not that I was at all aware of this until I looking at the results, as a result of the confusion here, but this is also the first election after a redistribution, and in fact the total number of members of the House of Representatives has decreased this time from 480 to 475. In the case of the coalition government parties at least (I haven't bothered to check the rest) English Language wikipedia and Japanese language wikipedia give different figures for the seats held before the election, but the same figures for results after the election -- I am guessing that one of them is out of date in relation to party defections to the minor opposition parties. In any event, keeping much the same overall numbers means that with a slightly smaller number of members, there is a very slight improvement in power.

Russell, reading further down that article, one of the successful candidates who had campaigned as an independent joined the LDP on Sunday, bringing the number up one again. You've got to ask what the people who voted for him or her thought about that move.

The next mystery is that the LDP seems to have enough numbers to not need a coalition. I now wonder why they still keep Komeito hanging around. (although the article Russell linked suggests that a two thirds majority is useful to override a decision in the House of Councillors)

[Yokohammer]

According to an article in the JT this morning the ruling coalition now has 325 seats.

Abe tightens grip on power as ruling coalition wins 325 seats in Lower House election

[Salty]

... That hardly looks like an overwhelming victory, especially since so few voters turned up.

But IMO, that is indeed the plan, since it keeps the LDP in power. It will be a cold day in hell before the vote value disparity reaches less than 0.1. And without a fairer system, voters will stay away.

They now have a supermajority, so I would look for those constitutional changes to be rammed through.

[Yokohammer]

They now have a supermajority, so I would look for those constitutional changes to be rammed through.

Exactly. And there's the real problem. It only takes one seat to go from a majority to a supermajority, and once they have that they can pretty much do as they please.

From the article linked above:

With the 325 seats, the ruling coalition will garner the chairs all of committees in the lower chamber and have the ability to override Upper House vetoes.

That's the kind of power Abe and his cronies really should not have. I guess the only hope now is that some coalition members get disillusioned with Abenomics or see the danger in the way things are going and drop out one way or another.

[Russell]

Unlike political parties in the west, the LDP is not unified. Fortunately, they have various factions competing with each other. Hopefully, that will be enough...

[matsuki]

Unlike political parties in the west, the LDP is not unified. Fortunately, they have various factions competing with each other. Hopefully, that will be enough...

That doesn't appear the trend here...

[Yokohammer]

As expected ...

Abe claims mandate for economic, security policies despite lowest turnout ever

Indeed, no strong enthusiasm for Abe was seen during the election. Observers pointed to the lack of viable opposition parties, not positive support for Abe and his LDP, as the reason for the ruling bloc’s huge victory this time.

The guy threw a party and nobody came. This is such a sham.