Smells Like Fascism

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines fascism as “an extreme right-wing political system or attitude which is in favor of strong central government and which does not allow any opposition.” In the presidential election of Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reelected with no other candidate, allowing no opposition to his presidency. He is willing to exercise stronger leadership for his policy. Well, is LDP really liberal-democratic?

For the election, all seven major fractions in LDP decided to support Abe’s reelection. They justified themselves, raising necessity of party unification in the time of discussing the security bills in the Diet. Only one possible candidate was Seiko Noda, former chairwoman of General Council, who had been skeptical for Abe’s handling of politics on the security bills. Although she tried to collect twenty lawmakers to recommend her, required for qualification as a candidate, Abe and his colleagues kept on pressuring every lawmaker not to support Noda in whack-a-mole way. As the result, she failed to run for the election, lacking necessary recommenders.

Most LDP lawmakers did not respond to Noda’s appeal for diversity. “Selecting the leader through election makes our party stable,” Noda reiterated. But, majority of the party was deeply afraid of counter action from Abe, when they oppose to Abe group. Leaders of fractions competed each other in praising Abe’s leadership. After the election with no vote, Abe insisted on integration of LDP. “I think that most lawmakers thought continuation as force and urged me to continue my tenure,” told Abe.

Abe kept on stressing the importance of economic policy called Abenomics. But, it became clear so far that its success would be dependent on world economy. Abe must have known that. Then, the main reason for seeking party integration is likely to be establishing firm basis for constitutional amendment. After passing security bills, constitutional amendment will be the greatest political issue for him. LDP has not obtained mandated two-third majority in the Diet. To get that majority in next election, possibly a double election of both Houses next summer, Abe is hoping to reinforce conservative movement.

Born in 1955, in Cold War structure, LDP has been called “national party.” That was because it represented wide range of people with diversity in party governance. After seventy years from the end of war, that diversity disappeared. All members of LDP are marching to the same direction. This monolithic structure of politics was what Japan had seen in the eve of that devastative war.