Fuwa's Commemorative Speech in Akahata Festival
Tetsuzo Fuwa, Japanese Communist Party chairman, made a commemorative speech on November 2, to a big audience attending the 35th Akahata Festival. Fuwa's speech was entitled "Let's Promote New People's Nation Building towards the 21st Century."
He said, "Democratic government means the people aiming to build a new nation to replace the Liberal Democratic Party which has failed in `nation building.'" He referred to the JCP 21st Congress decision calling for establishing a "democratic coalition government in the early part of the 21st century," and said that this is not just a desire of the JCP but it stems from the fact that the situation of Japanese society needs the establishment of a democratic government. Fuwa pointed to the political course for new "nation building" to replace the ruling LDP which failed to make any headway in `nation building' during the last 50 years.
Showing the typical examples of Japan which have developed under the LDP, Fuwa pointed out two of its features: (1) "a nation acting in the interests of big companies and general contractors construction companies," and (2) "a nation under U.S. military bases." Both of which diverted Japan's course into being quite abnormal and which is very rare in the world, Fuwa said.
On the reality of "a nation acting in the interests of big companies and general contractors construction companies," Fuwa said, "The outrageous behavior of Japan's big companies and the government acting in the interests of business circles are outstanding in the world," and he gave the following three examples;
First, Fuwa raised the question of the spending of the people's tax money in Japan, and said of the total some 100 trillion yen tax revenue, which includes central and local government taxes, "20 trillion yen is spent on social welfare and 50 trillion yen on public works projects," while in generally, the European countries and the U.S.A., after adjusting their position equal to Japan, spend "some 50-60 trillion yen on social welfare and 10 trillion yen on public works." Fuwa described Japan's way of spending of tax revenue as "upside down and complete money squandering." He said that the LDP-government has compelled local governments to adopt similar systems and this constitutes the main basic cause of Japan's financial crisis today.
Second, Fuwa referred to the prevalent position of politics tied to business circles and big companies. After the Lockheed bribery scandal, a law was enacted which said that company donations should be banned within five years," but instead company donations have increased. And all economic sectors, including social security and welfare undertakings, in which major companies are active, have been turned into hotbeds of money-power and corruption, Fuwa said. A typical example is the recent appointment to a ministerial post of a person, who was found "guilty" of taking a bribe in the Lockheed scandal, which shows that the whole political world is rotten.
Third, in relation to the oppressive and uncontrolled behaviors of major companies and business circles, Fuwa referred to what some top business leaders had said that there was need to change social and economic system to regulate big companies. But the fact is, Fuwa said, what we have is a worsening situation of "capitalism without rules," as shown by spreading scandals of supplying illegal profits to "Sokai-ya" (company racketeers), major companies are ignoring even legal regulations.
He stressed the need to overcome the present situation under the "rule of the big companies and general construction contractors." Explaining the JCP proposal for new democratic "nation building," he said this is aimed at changing the present basic policy to one which makes full use of Japan's political and economic strength in the interests of the people. To this end, Fuwa said, it is necessary to end the collusion between the political world and the big companies, and to change the tax system and the expenditure of tax payers' money to being in the people's interests and to establish a system of democratic rule to curb the arbitrary activity of the big companies. Such measures have been realized or being realized in many European countries, Fuwa said. These achievements of such tasks is "possible within the framework of capitalism," he said.
Fuwa stressed that the various questions facing the people can't be settled without making changes as regards "nation- building." He criticized the government for their series of attacks such as adverse revising and undermining the social security system just when all-out effort is needed by the government to get Japan closer to the European level of social security. He said, "The government is moving to overcome the bankruptcy of its development policy based on favoring the major construction companies by cuts in social security and welfare." On the economic situation, he said the decisive need is to increase the people's purchasing power, but the government doesn't take any effective fundamental steps. The government and business circles are keen to "relax the regulations" on business activity. The Japan Federation of Employers' Association (Nikkeiren) has gone so far as to demand the government abolish the regulations on overtime work and the minimum wages in industries and the penalties under the Labor Standards Law.
Fuwa said, "Whether we shall allow to get away with this has now been become an international question." He pointed out that Japan's negative attitude in relation to December's international conference for preventing the global warming, which arises from the government's deference to big business and the U.S., is now the target of international criticism. Japan's development in the 21st century depends on how soon it can get out of the "nation governed by big business and construction companies."
Fuwa then took up the question of Japan being the "nation of U.S. bases." He said people in their thirties and forties don't know what a Japan without foreign bases is like, and he criticized the government and Liberal Democratic Party's propaganda that the present situation is normal. He said that of the over 20 countries which host U.S. bases on their territory, only three, Germany, Japan and South Korea allow over 30,000 U.S. forces to be stationed in their country. And he said the U.S. forces behave more arbitrarily in Japan than any other country. He said Japan being the "nation of U.S. bases" is shown by the following: (1) U.S. extra-territorial rights allows crimes to be committed by U.S. soldiers and low flying training carried out; (2) the stationing, in Japan, of "strike force" whose mission is expeditions abroad; (3) the U.S. forces freely use their bases in Japan for their operations abroad, as in their attack on Iraq in 1996; (4) the U.S. bases in Japan, for which Japan allocates enormous budgetary amounts and would cost very much more if they are on the U.S. main land. Fuwa said, "The U.S. forces prefer their bases in Japan are more cozy and less expensive." He said this system is like a colonial-type system of bases.
Fuwa said that the LDP in the past supported the "withdrawal of the U.S. forces stationed in Japan" in their political program at the time it was inaugurated. He pointed out this has gone from the new LDP program (1995), which means that the LDP has come to regard the permanent stationing of U.S. troops in Japan as not a shame. Moreover, they are proceeding with new moves to reorganize and strengthen the system of Japan being the "nation of U.S. bases." Under the new system, Japan will not only allow the U.S. forces to have bases but will support U.S. forces in any war with Japan's military and economic power. For this purpose, not only the Self-Defense Forces and the government but the private sector will also be mobilized. Fuwa said, "This is the aim of the new `Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation.' The `Guidelines' will turn Japan further into the nation of U.S. bases with Japan supporting U.S. war."
To go the opposite way for building the country, Fuwa strongly said, "I propose that we stop being a `nation of U.S. bases' as soon as possible and build an independent, sovereign, non-aligned and neutral country with no foreign bases or military alliances."
Saying, "This is not difficult," Fuwa explained that, if Japan's government gives notice to the United States to abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, based on majority opinion among the people, that it wants to become such a country, it (abrogation of the Treaty-ed.) can be realized within one year from the notice. "It is not the civil war era now and no country can freely occupy other countries' territory. That some country some day in the future will suddenly attack Japan for no reason, is pure fabrication and will not happen" he said.
Fuwa said, "If the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is abrogated and Japan starts working, as a peaceful and neutral nation, for peace in Asia and Pacific region, the situation in Asia will drastically change," and "The situation will be mature for putting Article 9 of the Constitution into full practice." He gave a detailed explanation of how any possible trouble with another country can be dealt with by the police. He then said this is just the JCP's view of the future, and the reduction and disbanding of the Self-Defense Forces will actually be carried out step by step based on the people's agreement and their conviction about the new situation in Asia in which Japan adopts a new foreign policy based on neutrality and non-alignment.
Fuwa said, "We are sure that in future the people based on their majority opinion will choose the Japanese model of socialism." But he also emphasized that for solving the problems, which the people are now suffering from, it is important to end the present extraordinary situation which has developed based on Japan being a country in which big companies, general contractor construction companies and U.S. bases are favored and to move forward in the direction of building a new country by all the people's power.
Saying that only a small number of politicians support this idea but a majority of the people want a break through in the current situation, Fuwa said, "There is such a big gap between the intentions of political circles and what the people want. Such a situation will not last long." He said that the democratic reforms which the JCP calls for can be supported by those who think seriously about the current situation in Japan, including people who support capitalism. "A coalition between the JCP and non-party people can be the strong force for opening the way towards a new Japan in 21st century," said Fuwa.
Fuwa described the advances made by the JCP and the progressive and democratic forces in two years since last Akahata Festival and gave various examples such as the last year's general election, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, the mayoral elections in Kobe and Kawasaki cities and the increase in progressive local governments. He called on the audience, "Let's further develop the wave of advance for the JCP so that we constitute a force which can move politics."
Fuwa said the 21st JCP Congress decided that the JCP will work to win 100 seats in the House of Representatives and dozens of seats in the House of Councilors as the first stage of the course for establishing a democratic government. He pointed out that the House of Councilors election next year will be the first national election following this decision. "In this election just before the 21st century, let's make an advance and build a strong foothold for establishing a new country which favors of all the people," said Fuwa. (end)
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