Counter Attack from Media

Unusual offense against major media organizations is taking its toll. Although Liberal Democratic Party discharged Director of Youth Division, Minoru Kihara, who was responsible for the controversial meeting in which young lawmakers required political pressure on unfavorable newspapers and TV stations, criticism on the top leading party has not ceased. Media organizations are retaliating with freedom of speech against freedom of speech. LDP’s spit to the sky fell down on its face.

Editor in Generals of two regional newspapers in Okinawa expressed strong disgust on offensive discussion in LDP meeting to crush down them. “It was an excessive argument based on the notion that they were right. It ridiculed the people in Okinawa and I withhold anger,” told Editor in General of Okinawa Times, Kazuhiko Taketomi, against the argument that opinion in Okinawa had been twisted, in the press conference at Japan Press Club.

Editor in General of Ryukyu Shimpo, Yoshikazu Shiohira, the biggest daily newspaper in Okinawa and firmly critical on Shinzo Abe administration, was more aggressive. “It was extremely regrettable that they thought to confiscate freedom of speech from media organizations with unfavorable opinion through ‘logistic embargo,’” told Shiohira. He also argued that Abe was responsible for the inappropriate discussion of his colleagues.

Leaders of LDP are also accusing their young colleagues of the naïve diffusion of ideology located on ultra-right side. One of the participants of the meeting, Representative Hideo Onishi, was a big target of them. Onishi’s argument that advertisement for wrong media needed to be restricted was inappropriate as long as recognized as authoritarian nature of LDP. Last year, Onishi apologized to a female lawmaker, to whom he yelled urging marriage and giving birth during her speech in the House. It was not surprising that Onishi made another gaffe.

It is unclear, however, whether discussion over security legislature will be delayed by this scandal. Hastened by confusion in LDP, Abe and his administrative staffs look like leaning on forcible passage of the bills before the scandal gets further complicated. The opposite parties are offensive, making this issue a problem of not only some members, but LDP as a whole.

Different from ordinary argument over unusual speech of Abe, this scandal came from the deep inside of LDP. Historical revisionism of Abe is basically connected with old ideology that elite leaders should govern the people. It is not something called democracy.