Yes, the Japanese citizens wanted change - so it seems.
‘But what explains the enormous pendulum swing in
Japanese politics? The answer isn’t as puzzling as it might seem.’
(*1)
As far back as 2001, the Japanese were already seeing the
"obvious
ramification of
Japan's aging, shrinking
population.
There was widespread sense of worsening quality of
life, and growing inequality in income and in
economic opportunity.
The LDP appeared incapable of fixing any of these problems, when
in 1998 a reorganised LDP was supposed to have taken care of
these problems.
With the LDP divided internally amongst different
interest groups, the election of 2001 saw Junichiro Koizumi
galvanising the public and rallied them to the LDP.
In a showdown with his internal LDP rivals who rebelled
against his policies to revamp the Postal Savings Bank in Japan,
Koizumi held a snap election in 2005, and won again
overwhelmingly.
The polls after the election showed that 58 per cent of
respondents viewed Koizumi as the reason for LDP's victory,
compared to 18 per cent who cited support for LDP.
Unfortunately, a year later, Koizumi stepped down from the Prime
Minister post, handing over the party to his successor - Shinzo
Abe, who promptly agreed to re-admit the "postal rebels" banished
earlier by Koizumi. The old LDP was back.
In the three years after Koizumi left, the LDP returned to the
old politics that were characterized by unpopular cabinets
hamstrung by the internal party politics, and controlled by the
bureaucratic civil service that wielded the power behind the
party.
Many of the problems that were present before and during Koizumi
term continued to haunt the LDP, and had worsened in the interim
despite a long period of economic growth.
This 2009 general election has been driven by the same desire
for effective government that led the public to rally behind
Koizumi in 2005.
The DPJ won the election despite substantial skepticism
regarding the DPJ's policy program and its ability to change Japan
for the better.
The LDP has shown itself to be incapable, and the DPJ - for all
the doubts about its manifesto - is promising a new form of
government in which addressing the economic insecurity of the
Japanese people is the top priority.
Significantly, while the Japanese people appear ready for
'regime change' - the DPJ's slogan - they do not seem to want
radical change, but rather change in the sense elaborated by former
DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa: "change so that things remain the same".
Or, in this case, so that things might be as they once were.
Are we not facing similar problems as in Japan ?
Aging and shrinking population that had
economic ramification with the increase of new migrants
arriving into our society.
Worsening quality of life since the recession
cycles began with the Thai currency crisis in 1997, that was
followed by 9/11 in 2001, followed by SARS in 2002, Bird Flu in
2003, economic downturn leading to mass retrenchments in 2005
through 2008, and now again in 2009.
Growing inequality of income and economic
opportunities with the free and open door policies to
"Foreign Talents".
Similar to the Japanese situation, our problems have been with
us even before 1997, as the malaise had begun with the economic
downturn in 1987.
The economic problems have been lingering around us
for 20 years - since 1987 - and despite the recommendations
of two Economic Review Committees in 1987 and 1997 - the
Government resisted recommended changes to both the political
and economic perimeters.
It was recommended that changes in these two areas dominated by
the Government will allow more openess in politics that lead to new
economies in arts and culture, open competition that will encourage
a new spirit of entrepreneurialship.
Is it time for Singaporeans to drop the "kiasi and kiasu"
mentality ?
The stomach is no longer well fed, it is time for the mind to be
awaken, to seek new opportunities for our own future.
Time to find new directions. Time to help ourselves with change
as the conservative Japanese has shown us the way forward to a
brave new world.
As the SAS - special forces have for their motto - "Who
Dares Win"
