Translated "Avante!" article by Luis Carapinha, member of the PCP International Department

Great surprises were not expected upon the elections for the Senate last Sunday. Shinzo Abe, the prime-minister’s Democrat Liberal Party (DLP) victory was confirmed . An hegemonic right-wing and Nippon policy, practically since the post-war. A dull electoral triumph, with the abstention growth ( round 50%), the expression of the wide existent distress amid the Japanese society. But, results from the DLP and its satellites recovery of the majority within the Dieta, the national parliament two chambers. At the same time, the confirmation of the great fall of the Democartic Party (DP), following the defeat in the elections for the Low Chamber in December, which ended 39 months of a DJP government - by the way, the DLP’s longest period away from power, since 1955. It is an evidence that, upon the historical defeats in 2007 and 2009, Shinzo Abe’s party poll reframing, is much more due to the DJP’s fiasco than to his own merit. A result from the social-democracy incapability of corresponding minimally to the millions of Japanese desire for change, amid a framework of economic stagnation and aggravation of social inequalities, for decades, confronted by Japan, the third world economy.

It is within this framework, that an important growth of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), which has duplicated its seats ( from 6 to 11 ), has taken place. A vote which surmounted the preview by the majority of the probing, the Japanese communists reinforce their positions in several of the most important towns, including Tokyo. A signal to take into consideration for the struggles ahead.

Expectably, and following the 21st July election, Abe’s and the great Japanese revanchist capital agenda will enhance.And round two great axes: the “deregulation” and wealth concentration policies’ deepening, which strongly hit the workers revenues and rights together with the 1947 “pacifist” Japanese Constitution revision, resulting from the Nippon militarist defeat during World War II. During the last years, Japan has repeatedly violated the fundamental Law, via its hindered participation, side by side with the USA and NATO, according to the strategic partnership agreements signed with both, supporting the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The Rising Sun empire shelters, amid its territory, thousand of USA soldiers and is part of a Pentagon antimissile shield strategic plan. Tokyo intends to go further currently and eliminate all obstacles to the total change of the Nippon self-defence forces within a bellicose army and alter the famous article 9, which rejects war and forbids the use of force in international offensive actions. Abe, at the same time, has warned he pretends to renegade the 1995 Tokyo bid for apology, for war aggressions and crimes , committed during a near past.

From the other side of the Pacific, the North -American imperialism incites Tokyo’s hardening. The “territorial escalade” against Beijing during the China Oriental Sea disputes, serves its interests in the region, currently openly qualified as priority by the USA. At the economic level, Abe intends to accommodate the Japanese capital interests to TPP, promoted by the USA between the two Pacific banks, a “free-trade” agreement which excludes China. And Japan joins the USA and the “voices” which urge London to hold a leadership position amid the EU.

Schemes imperialism builds… and to which one must be attentive in the analysis of the dominant system’s movement, during these times of fundamental contradictions’ aggravation.