Japan's young turn to Communist Party as they decide capitalism has let them down

[KurtFF8]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/3218944/Japans-young-turn-to-Communist-Party-as-they-decide-capitalism-has-let-them-down.html


With its gleaming designer stores, the world's second largest economy and an insatiable appetite for luxury labels, Japan has long been regarded as the land of the rising capitalist.


By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo
Last Updated: 9:19AM BST 18 Oct 2008


But a wave of discontent among its younger workers is fuelling a change in the nation's political landscape: communism is suddenly back in fashion.
What many young Japanese view as an erosion of their economic security and employment rights, combined with years of political stagnation, are propelling droves of them into the arms of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), the nation's fourth largest political party.
New recruits are signing up at the rate of 1,000 a month, swelling its ranks to more than 415,000. Meanwhile a classic proletarian novel is at the top of the best-seller lists, and communist-themed "manga" comics are enjoying soaring success.
A further sign of disaffection among young Japanese - who in recent years have been more renowned for their political apathy than their revolutionary zeal - is the increasing frequency of rallies by workers on the streets of the capital.
Earlier this month, crowds of up to 5,000 young Japanese workers marched through the streets of central Tokyo to express their growing discontent with the government over working conditions.
And the job losses, financial insecurity and social dissatisfaction that are expected to go hand in hand with the current global credit crisis are expected to increase the ranks of the party further.
Spearheading the lurch to the Left are young Japanese in their twenties and thirties, who have become increasingly disillusioned with changes to employment laws which they blame for creating a climate of insecurity.
Some 44 per cent of country's workforce are part-time only, while a profusion of short-term contracts has created a generation of freelancers who are often between jobs.
Kimitoshi Morihara, deputy director of the Japanese Communist Party's international bureau, said: "Working conditions dramatically changed for younger generations in 2002 when new temporary working laws were introduced.
Today, more than one in three Japanese is in temporary work. They have almost no rights, no security and no future.
"The political climate in Japan is changing and more young Japanese are becoming politically aware because these issues have long been ignored by other parties." The revival of hard left politics comes as Japan faces the prospect of an general election in coming months, following the parliamentary deadlock which led to last month's sudden resignation of Yasuo Fukuda, the third prime minister in less than three years.
The country's schlerotic political system has enabled the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to hold power for an almost unbroken five decades, although its powers were critically curtailed last year when the main opposition party won control of the upper legislative chamber.
Resurgent Japanese communism is deploying all the tools of the 21st century, with the internet and on-line video sites playing a vital role.
The party's charismatic chairman, Kazuo Shii, triggered a rush of new recruits with a rousing parliamentary speech attacking the "exploitation" of young workers, which has become cult viewing among young Japanese on video websites.
With his grey salaryman suit and glasses, 54-year-old Mr Shii appears a far cry from conventional revolutionary stereotypes. However, after eight years at the helm of the party he has been propelled to prominence to become something of a media personality.
Among those who have recently come under his sway is Miki Tomohiro, a 34-year-old freelance writer from Fukutsu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. "When I saw Mr Shii speaking, I felt as if he was exposing capitalism in its crudest form," he said. "I surfed the internet to find out more about the party before joining." Oomori Shuji, 30, a temporary worker for Toyota, from Aichi Prefecture, who joined the party in June, added: "Since my graduation, I have never been fully employed. At a JCP workshop, I learned about the realities of temps hired by the day and the working poor, who are without social security or bonuses, and are often easily fired.
"The party is considerate of the plight of young people, including their jobs and living conditions. It has a concrete policy on these questions." Another sign of the growing allure of the Left is the sudden surge in popularity of a classic Japanese novel, Kanikosen - the Crab-Canning Ship *- about embattled factory workers who rise up against their capitalist oppressors.
Nearly eight decades after it was written by Takiji Kobayashi, a communist who was tortured to death for his political beliefs aged 29, its sales have leapt from a slow annual trickle of 5,000 to 507,000 so far this year, unexpectedly catapulting it to the top of the nation's bestseller lists.
A "manga" comic book depicting the same Marxist tale is also winning over young Japanese, with 200,000 copies sold in a year. Kosuke Maruo, editor at East Press, which publishes the manga version, said: "The story succeeds in representing very vividly the situation of the so-called working poor today.
"They cannot become happy and they cannot find the solution to their poverty, however hard they work. Young people who are forced to work for very low wages today may have a feeling that they are in a similar position to the crew of Kanikosen." Kyudo Takahashi, 31, a freelance writer from Tokyo, attributed the popularity of the story to a growing sense of displacement among his generation.
"Kanikosen was a textbook in school but we didn't read it seriously then," he said. "Now, we're reading it again because we're frustrated with the government.
"In the book, people are exploited again and again. They are not treated like humans, more like cows at a hamburger factory. That is how many people feel today. When we find work, someone is always exploiting us. We cannot feel secure about the future."


Interesting. Although from what I hear, the JCP isn't the best way forward for Japan. I have a feeling it would at least be a better alternative than their current major political choices however.

[RedHal]

seriously, comrades who know Japanese should do a translation of the manga, scan it and post it on torrents and other file sharing networks. There's a huge portion of western youths who are obsessed with anime culture. It's a great way to introduce leftist ideology to a huge portion of western youth who never would've considered communism.

[Red October]

The JCP is similar to other first-world communist parties in it's reformism and basic rejection of revolutionary tactics. While it's good to see youth and workers speaking out against capitalism, the JCP is not the way to go.

[zimmerwald1915]

The JCP is similar to other first-world communist parties in it's reformism and basic rejection of revolutionary tactics. While it's good to see youth and workers speaking out against capitalism, the JCP is not the way to go.
Why do I agree with you so often?

[Enragé]

^thirded

but, it seems from their wikipedia page, that they're at least not stalinist ^^ and in principle in favour of an end to capitalism, be it through reformist tactics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Communist_Party

[RedScare]

The JCP is similar to other first-world communist parties in it's reformism and basic rejection of revolutionary tactics. While it's good to see youth and workers speaking out against capitalism, the JCP is not the way to go.
The thing is, it seems to be the only even slightly viable alternative to the capitalist parties. Is there a better party out there in Japan? I know for a fact that most young people have no idea about the sectarian nature of the left, and if they swing that far left so quickly, they'll join up with the first thing that comes to mind, which is usually the local communist party. I'm watching it happen on a much, much, much smaller scale in the US. I recently finally convinced a friend of mine, and the first thing he thought of doing was joining CPUSA. There's simply not enough awareness that alternatives exist.

[Saorsa]

but, it seems from their wikipedia page, that they're at least not stalinist

So it's better to be reformist than to have a favourable view of a dead communist who led a now non-existent state?

[Followthewhiterabbit]

Hopefully a more radical revolutionist party is founded if theres not one already which can try to advantage off the situation there. Or perhaps someone would take over the CP and revolutionize it.

[DesertShark]

What do you think it would take (or what would need to happen) to get more people in the US to start moving against capitalism? Or to move against the government? It's disheartening that people in the US are so apathetic, what happened?

-DesertShark

[Pogue]

I'm an Anarchist, but if we had a party over here with that much support, especially among the young, I'd be tempted to get involved.

[Enragé]

So it's better to be reformist than to have a favourable view of a dead communist who led a now non-existent state?

if said favourable view would lead them to follow in the footsteps of the now dead communist, yes. Just as I'd rather work with radical reformists than fascists, i'd rather work with radical reformists than hardline stalinists (i say hardline since there are parties who have simply pushed their stalinism of the past to the background and in practice aren't stalinist, though they have still to denounce it).

[Enragé]

Hopefully a more radical revolutionist party is founded if theres not one already which can try to advantage off the situation there. Or perhaps someone would take over the CP and revolutionize it.

I think the biggest chance consists out of a revolutionary faction within this CP. Judging their size and relative radical-ness, there probably is one.

[Kitskits]

if said favourable view would lead them to follow in the footsteps of the now dead communist, yes. Just as I'd rather work with radical reformists than fascists, i'd rather work with radical reformists than hardline stalinists (i say hardline since there are parties who have simply pushed their stalinism of the past to the background and in practice aren't stalinist, though they have still to denounce it).

So you say that hardline (?) stalinism = fascism and in your previous post yo say that radical reformists can put an end to capitalism. How? Vote for a constitutional change that has an article that says "We don't have capitalism?":laugh:

[Schrödinger's Cat]

This talk of reformism is counterproductive. What are you expecting: a militarist coup? The Japanese Communist Party still advocates communism and socialism. Democratic participation is not the end all of whether or not someone is committed.

[Wakizashi the Bolshevik]

Condemning the JCP for "reformism" actually pretty ridiculous.
You can't really expect some kind of armed Japanese Revolution nowadays.
It's the best there is, so what's the problem?
Whatever strengthens the Communist cause, is good for me.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

We don't need armed political parties in the developed world. Just keep gun rights protected.

[Wanted Man]

Condemning the JCP for "reformism" actually pretty ridiculous.
You can't really expect some kind of armed Japanese Revolution nowadays.
It's the best there is, so what's the problem?
Whatever strengthens the Communist cause, is good for me.
Yeah, it's a bit odd to criticise the JCP's methods of all things. As if all the other 'revolutionary' groups in the world are waving kalashnikovs around, or, more abstractly, are constructively organising a proletarian revolution. There is plenty to criticise about the JCP's theories, but I doubt that their praxis is much different from what we are all doing: organising at the workplace, protesting, opposing fascism, etc.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

It's the best there is, so what's the problem?

It's not the "best there is." There are genuine communists in Japan.

Anyway, that's an argument for opportunism.

Our job is not to support the "best" section of bourgeois politics. Our job is to fight for the independence of the working class, the overthrow of world capitalism and the transition to communism.


Whatever strengthens the Communist cause, is good for me.p.

But reformists actually strengthen capitalism by tying workers to it and fostering the myth that capitalism can be tweaked into something that serves the interests of the population as a whole.

Waving a red flag doesn't make someone a communist.

[Junius]

Hi, this topic was discussed on libcom, I thought I would post relevant comments:


At least one source for the JCP's popularity is its opposition to any reductions in public funds for senior health care. Something like 25% of the nation is over 65, so there's already a strong base there that the JCP finds support with. This also explains why the majority of JCP activists that I see myself are elderly women. They've actually been pretty active in the area I work lately.

Essentially, they're a populist party that argues against Japan's 'dependency' on America and for an independent Japan. Which is of course utterly backwards given the current financial crisis where America and international investors are seeing Japan as a source of stability in Asia. They want to scrap the AMPO treaty with the US and leave military alliances while 'protecting the constitution and working towards democracy'.

Here are some of the demands/positions listed on the JCP's candidate for city council's leaflet which was in my mailbox yesterday:

Against raising health insurance fees
Against consumer tax (an expanded sales tax)
Against the growing poverty gap and neo-liberal economic policy
For banning day labor, creating more full-time jobs, more secure jobs for young people
Against taxes on food
For more regulations on imported food
For protecting small and medium sized business from price jumps in fuel, material etc.
For more support for day-care centers, free medical care for all children until middle school
For reducing school fees
For reducing military expenditures, protecting article 9 (constitutional clause which permanently disarmed Japan)

Yeah, that's them.
I remember walking into my local JCP branch when I moved to Osaka to see what was going on there. Not a whole lot so I struck up a conversation and asked if they knew where I could find a Japanese language version of Capital. The woman there had never heard of the book. I told her Karl Marx wrote it, maybe they knew where I could get other works by him. She'd never heard of Karl Marx. I looked at the wall and there was a smiling poster of Nobuo Fujiko, the local JCP city councilwoman with the slogan 'protect small and medium-sized business' and I realized then that these people weren't even serious.


years ago i did some studying up on the JCP for a history class (for a report that lead me to learn about japanese *anarchism* and subsequently changed my political views in that direction)... one thing i read was a CIA-funded report about the JCP which gave their history and an assessment of their politics and the threat they posed to USA and anti-Communism. you'd imagine a book like that would've been voraciously hostile to the JCP, but the overriding message was "they've broken away from the Moscow/Beijing sphere of influence, they're independent, they've become very mild over the years, they're no threat to USA."

what sphinx just said vindicates my (hazy) memories of what i read about the modern JCP - they've basically become a Social-Democratic party.


This is a statement on the JCP by the Zengakuren circa 1966:

ZENGAKUREN:
PERSPECTIVE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT OF JAPAN

The political and theoretical position of Zengakuren today has been attained through many years' hard struggle in the midst of the class struggle of Japan in recent years.

Zengakuren eight years ago was under the strong influence of the stalinist [Japan Communist] party. We had been known as the "leftist and militant wing" of CP through our incessant struggle against the government since the establishment after the war.

The revolt of the Hungarian proletariat in 1956 was the beginning of the transition period of Zengakuren from stalinist dominated movement to the revolutionary movement against both imperialism and stalinism.

There broke out a heated discussion over the suppression of the rising Hungarian workers by the tanks of the "red army," yet there, were very few students at that time who supported the uprising of the Hungarian proletariat against the stalinist oppression. It has, however, given rise to the criticism of the existing state of the USSR and other so-called socialist countries and the distortion of Marxism by the hands of the stalinist bureaucrats and it has gradually combined itself with the partial and tactical disagreement with the Japan CP that had existed before that.

Two years after that passed in the deepening conflict between Zengakuren and CP, and in 1958 many communist stUdents were excluded from CP because of "leftist adventurism."

The Ampo struggle (struggle against the amendment of Japan - USA mutual security act) 1959-60 was a stage of open conflict between CP and us. We opposed the policy of CP, according to which the struggle should be fought as that of the "patriotic and democratic" power against the "supporters of USA." For our part we insisted to concentrate our struggle against the Japanese capitalists who tried to strengthen their domination over us to prepare for the imperialistic aggression based on the accumulated power that they attained through the "development" after the war.

On the tactical problem we emphasized the militant demonstra-tion combined with the industrial action of the working class, while CP together with SP tried to confine the struggle in the "peaceful march" for petition to the members of the Parliament, being afraid of the vital energy of the workers and students ready to explode against the ruling class.

The conflict took place in every sphere of the struggle. When there was a demonstration around the Diet, for example, and Zengakuren wanted to join the demonstrating workers, the officials of CP came in haste and made a "cordon" between the workers' demonstration and that of the stUdents, saying that they were defending the work-ers from the "provocation" of the Zengakuren as a duty of a "vanguard party" of the proletariat. CP even formed a picketline in order to "defend the policemen from the 'violence' of the Zengakuren."

When the angry workers and students at the massacre of a girl stu-dent by the brutal policemen in the demonstration rushed against the Diet in which the act had been passed, the role of CP was to persuade the demonstrators to refrain from "provocative action" and to go home to sleep in the daily order of life. Moreover, CP excused themselves to the government that they had no intention of "disturbing" the society but it was Zengakuren that tried to "violate the order."

Many workers and intellectuals saw CP together with SP [Socialist Party] suppress not only the demonstration of Zengakuren but also every struggle when it took a militant character against their expec-tation. As a result, after the defeat of the Ampo struggle, CP lost sup-port of the workers and students who fought the struggle and experienced the suppression of the "vanguard" party.

In the general assembly after the struggle in 1961, we discussed over the problem which was sharply posed through the struggle, especially about the character of the existing leadership of the labor movement and found that its degeneration is connected with the policy of the so-called socialist countries. We also examined the history of our struggle dur-ing the period since the revolt of the Hungarian proletariat and through the criticism of our own experience adopted the fundamental line that we should fight against all kinds of suppression, whether it be capital-istic or stalinistic, with our own power and that the student movement should be closely connected with the struggle of the rank and file workers to overcome the false leadership of the labor movement today.

Anti-war struggle of the Zengakuren has been possible only through this discussion and we have been able to develop our fundamental line through actual struggle against the American and Russian bombs together with the young workers and in the international solidarity. Thus a new era has begun for the Japanese student movement to be anti-stalinist revolutionary mass movement.

The period starting in 1956 is characterized by the rapid rationalization and modernization of Japanese capitalism, and at the same time, by the heavy resistance of the proletariat against the mass discharge and aggravation of the working conditions accompanied with the process of the drastic transformation of Japanese capitalism. Especially the workers of railway, post office and coal mines fought the most militant struggle but they were compelled to surrender to the attack of capital under the pressure of the conformistic leaders of the trade unions.

In the railway workers' strike in 1957 against mass discharge, CP which is the minority in the labor movement assisted the socialist lead-ership in giving up the strike against the fighting will of the workers.
Many communist workers left the Party on that occasion In this situation the independent struggle of Zengakuren drew keen attention of the militant workers and in the Ampo struggle there was certain co-operation between the rank and file workers and the Zengakuren. In the anti-war struggle the co-operation was developed further and resulted in the "Anti-war Assembly of Workers arid Students."

The whole process of the Zengakuren from left-wing opposition in the stalinist party to a revolutionary wing of the Japanese proletariat for self-emancipation has been strongly influenced by the activity of an anti -stalinist revolutionary organization, the Japan Revolutionary Communist League (JRCL). This organization, established after the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, has the support of militant workers through its uncompromising struggle in the factories against man-agement and labor bureaucrats at the same time, through denounce-ment of the Japanese Communist Party based on the sharp and exhaustive criticism of the distortion of communism and Marxism in the USSR, China and other so-called socialist countries. The JRCL has influence not only among the workers but also among students and intellectuals, and the recent struggle of Zengakuren has been developed through the concentrated discussion of stalinism suggested by JRCL.

Threatened by this situation unfavorable to the stalinist bureau-crats who had long pretended to be the only "vanguard party" of the proletariat, CP is trying to destroy the movement of Zengakuren. Their attempt to build up another student organization outside Zengakuren, and their abusive demagogy (such as "Zengakuren are paid by American imperialists," etc.), is confronted with the strong criticism of the majority of students.

Zengakuren is composed of self-governed body of the universi-ties and committees are elected by all the students in the university. The activities of Zengakuren are practiced through discussion in the class room of the university and the success of the struggle depends on the contents and method of the discussions.

Besides, Zengakuren is confronted always with suppression by the government not only by the direct attack of the brutal police during demonstrations (against this we have developed the unique tactic of link-ing arms of the demonstrators and the sit-down), but also by juridi-cal forms. Thus, we Zengakuren are surrounded by many difficulties and the hardest thing is our struggle against the general tendency of
the Japanese labor movement to go after the reformist and collabora-tive policy of the labor bureaucrats of the Western countries.

We regard the present stage of Zengakuren as very important, for now, through the exposure of the false character of the Moscow-Peking conflict, we can clarify the fundamental problems and the per-spective of the revolution in the world today.

We do not choose between Russia and China. Neither do we choose between East and West. These alternatives mean only to choose between different kinds of alienated class society. Our problem is not

to adapt ourselves to the existing societies, but to create a new soci-ety which adapts to ~s. Russian and Chinese stalinists force us to admit either of the two stalinist societies as "communism"-the one relatively developed, the other underdeveloped, but both of which are dominated by privileged bureaucrats, just as the western societies are ruled by the monopolizing capitalists. Thus the working class of the whole world is deprived of political and economic power and is reduced to the status of passive object in both West and East.

Communism, however, means essentially the abolishment of class and private property through combining the powers of production of all the world by means of the international struggle of the prole-tariat against the oppressors who possess all means of production in
their hands.

Russian and Chinese "communism" are far from communism. "Communism" that is dominated by bureaucrats? "Communists" that fight each other over their "national interest?"

The emancipation of the working class and human beings can be attained only through the overthrow of capitalistic and stalinistic domination by the working people's own power.

We are convinced that we are united with the revolutionary strug-gle of the Japanese working class and with the struggle overseas for the same purpose.
Joji ONADA, Toru KUROKAWA General Secretary, International Secretary.


This talk of reformism is counterproductive. What are you expecting: a militarist coup? The Japanese Communist Party still advocates communism and socialism.

Communism is not up for an individual organization to define and then to put forth that definition. It is an objective description of a society.

[Honggweilo]

Al-Jazeera also made a short videoreport on the same subject

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=KgizIjUDNuU



Condemning the JCP for "reformism" actually pretty ridiculous.
You can't really expect some kind of armed Japanese Revolution nowadays.
It's the best there is, so what's the problem?
Whatever strengthens the Communist cause, is good for me.

The JCP reeks of reformism, its even more reformist than the for example the left social-democrat Dutch SP or German PDS/Die Linke on some levels. With the desolving of the Japanese Social-Democratic Party, alot of social-democrats turned to the JCP as haven, which also influenced their policies even more. Its the Most Eurocommunist party in existence (ironically outside of europe). They support the Imperial Monarchy, believe in a "peacefull democratic reform of capitalism" (literally states, see the youtube clip), they are even more fiercely anti-DPRK then the ruling party of Japan (though understandable concering the abductions) , and they praise the economic reforms in China and see it as an example for their party. While there is a minority ML'ist faction still active within the JCP and we do have relations with them, i dont have any high hopes for the JCP. I believe their is still hope for the Zengakuren students union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zengakuren) (the womb of movements like the Japanese Red Army) which is partly allied to the JCP but also to a broad range of other revolutionairy leftist organisations

Their position on the Georgian-South Ossetia conflict is a clear example of their pro-western/NATO bias, they indirectly promote NATO intevention... And the worst is their unrelated, unnecessary, attack on the soviet union. Trying to equate the SU to national capitalist Russia under putin is typical anti-communist slander and historical simplicity. This article could have been writen by the ruling Japanese Liberal Democratic Party

http://www.jcp.or.jp/english/jps_weekly08/20080906_georgia.html


I remember walking into my local JCP branch when I moved to Osaka to see what was going on there. Not a whole lot so I struck up a conversation and asked if they knew where I could find a Japanese language version of Capital. The woman there had never heard of the book. I told her Karl Marx wrote it, maybe they knew where I could get other works by him. She'd never heard of Karl Marx. I looked at the wall and there was a smiling poster of Nobuo Fujiko, the local JCP city councilwoman with the slogan 'protect small and medium-sized business' and I realized then that these people weren't even serious.My point exactly..

[Monreal Radikal]

This confirms also the validity of Ted Grant's theory that workers first pass through traditional workers organizations such as the Communist Party in Japan even if it is reformist, the PPP in Pakistan even though it is degenerated and landlordist now, the CP of Greece even if it is Stalinist and homophobic, the Labour Party in Britain even though it is capitalist and the NDP even though it is reformist .

And socialists should be there to give masses of workers who become politicized a socialist perspective. Of course organization that works in these party should be independent like IMT.

This is a slap in the face of ultra lefts and confirmation of perspectives valids of IMT .

[Honggweilo]

This is a slap in the face of ultra lefts and confirmation of perspectives valids of IMT . do Grantists entry forumtopics nowadays too to try and hijack it and make it about the IMT? :rolleyes:

and since when does the IMT entry within the KKE? they will never allow that

[Wanted Man]

This confirms also the validity of Ted Grant's theory that workers first pass through traditional workers organizations such as the Communist Party in Japan even if it is reformist, the PPP in Pakistan even though it is degenerated and landlordist now, the CP of Greece even if it is Stalinist and homophobic, the Labour Party in Britain even though it is capitalist and the NDP even though it is reformist .

And socialists should be there to give masses of workers who become politicized a socialist perspective. Of course organization that works in these party should be independent like IMT.

This is a slap in the face of ultra lefts and confirmation of perspectives valids of IMT .
Hi nvm. Bye nvm.

DR: I did not know that the JCP's positions were actually that far to the centre. That's pretty fucked-up.

[KurtFF8]

I don't think I said that, you misquoted the author there.

[Honggweilo]

I don't think I said that, you misquoted the author there.
Oops sorry, fixed that.

[Lenin's Law]

Condemning the JCP for "reformism" actually pretty ridiculous.
You can't really expect some kind of armed Japanese Revolution nowadays.
It's the best there is, so what's the problem?
Whatever strengthens the Communist cause, is good for me.

A fresh dose of anti-sectarianism! :cool:

It is sad to see so many people roundly comdemn the JCP as "not the way to go" without considering that the workers and youth rallying to this party can possibly change it to make it into an authentic revolutionary party? I mean, how can we argue on one end that workers can change the world and destroy the capitalist system but then are completely incapable of changing one political party with roots in the working class?

[Honggweilo]

A fresh dose of anti-sectarianism! :cool:

It is sad to see so many people roundly comdemn the JCP as "not the way to go" without considering that the workers and youth rallying to this party can possibly change it to make it into an authentic revolutionary party? I mean, how can we argue on one end that workers can change the world and destroy the capitalist system but then are completely incapable of changing one political party with roots in the working class?

I have high hopes for most eurocommunist/reformist communist parties who are now reconcidering their past positions and are turning to the left (like the spanish PCE, and the Italian Rifonderazione), and i am pretty tollerant towards some reformist policies... but the JCP is so far gone that even i am reluctant have hope in them turning to the left... But considering Japanese corporate culture, i dont really blame them. True that they have strong roots within the Japanese working class through the trade and student union, and thats why i have not other choice then to support them critically.

[cyu]

I have high hopes for most eurocommunist/reformist communist parties who are now reconcidering their past positions and are turning to the left (like the spanish PCE, and the Italian Rifonderazione), and i am pretty tollerant towards some reformist policies... but the JCP is so far gone that even i am reluctant have hope in them turning to the left

If you have an entire population dominated by right-wing politicians, it's good to see any political shift at all. Just as I don't put much hope in having a Democratic regime win in the US over a Repulican regime, I would still rather see the Democrats in the power than the Republicans - that doesn't mean you just let the elected politicians do whatever they want, whether it's the American Democrats or the Japanese Communists.

You still have to hold them up to the highest standards of what you want out of the political system. If they don't meet those standards, then you keep fighting for what is best for each person.

[leftist manson]

So it's better to be reformist than to have a favourable view of a dead communist who led a now non-existent state?
true:)

[Psy]

A fresh dose of anti-sectarianism! :cool:

It is sad to see so many people roundly comdemn the JCP as "not the way to go" without considering that the workers and youth rallying to this party can possibly change it to make it into an authentic revolutionary party? I mean, how can we argue on one end that workers can change the world and destroy the capitalist system but then are completely incapable of changing one political party with roots in the working class?
Right, just the fact there are more people looking for alternatives to the status quo is a good sign.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

A fresh dose of anti-sectarianism!Being sectarian means putting the program of your political group above the interests of the proletariat. It doesn't mean exposing reformists, centrists and phony "communists." If that were the case, Marx, Engels, Lenin, et. al, would have all been "sectarians."

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Right, just the fact there are more people looking for alternatives to the status quo is a good sign.

It's a sign, but not a solution. Communists need to fight to win these fellow workers over to a program that can actually lead to socialism. Cheerleading their entrance into a reformist party does nothing but prolong the existence of the very capitalism system they have become disenchanted with.

[Glenn Beck]

This is pretty ridiculous IMO. The conditions for revolutionaries in Japan have been pretty fucking hellish for over a century. Possibly even worse than the USA. Even a reformist "socialist" party is a step up and is likely to radicalize if conditions create a greater receptivity among workers to leftist ideas. This doesn't mean we should be utterly uncritical of the JCP but my god... all this unconstructive and reflexive criticism and minimization of the significance of the heightened prominence of the Party just reeks. It's almost like some kind of hyper communist moralism and a willful desire to stay in the socially irrelevant but doctrinally pure hole we've been stuck in for so long.

Also: how many people are initially attracted to social democratic views before becoming radicalized? Are we to begrudge people for being in a less sophisticated level of political development having just taken their first baby steps out of the morass of mainstream politics? I think alot of leftists are too ready to go on the warpath with potential allies and have picked up some really nasty rhetorical habits from the violent norms of internet discussion.

That said, I agree with Nothing Human Is Alien's sentiments, but I'm cautiously optimistic that a party like the JCP might be resurrected given the right push from economic circumstance and a building social movement.

Edit: Wow, that piece they wrote on Georgia was pretty shitty. I mean sometimes I don't know my OWN position on the Ossetia conflict but there was nothing progressive about their position at all, and their faith in international law is just...quaint. It might not be particularly relevant to Japan's political situation but if that's their official position it looks like they are in dire need of new leadership. Pretty fucked for a leftist party in JAPAN to be trying to diss on Russia.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Also: how many people are initially attracted to social democratic views before becoming radicalized? Are we to begrudge people for being in a less sophisticated level of political development having just taken their first baby steps out of the morass of mainstream politics? I think alot of leftists are too ready to go on the warpath with potential allies and have picked up some really nasty rhetorical habits from the violent norms of internet discussion.

Who said anything about "going on the warpath"? Who here has attacked the workers going over to the JCP?

The JCP must be criticized for its leaders and program. That's the only way to win over a number of its members and those currently looking for an alternative to capitalism and finding the JCP.

[Spirit of Spartacus]

It's a sign, but not a solution. Communists need to fight to win these fellow workers over to a program that can actually lead to socialism. Cheerleading their entrance into a reformist party does nothing but prolong the existence of the very capitalism system they have become disenchanted with.

I would say that this is a good sign. If working people are rallying around a communist party anywhere in the world, it is a good thing.

BUT, of course, if that communist party is revisionist or reformist, then an internal struggle must be carried out.

Revolutionary Marxism must defeat opportunism within the party.

I believe this is what the JCP also needs. They need a lot of internal debate and discussion, conducted by a core of dedicated revolutionary Marxists, who must try to influence the overall party-line and steer it away from reformism.

There HAS to be a revolutionary faction within the JCP, I'm sure of it. We should support them.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Unfortunately the type of "democratic centralism" practiced by a number of "communist" groups insures that the leadership and political line will remain as it is.

[redarmyfaction38]

Unfortunately the type of "democratic centralism" practiced by a number of "communist" groups insures that the leadership and political line will remain as it is.
how about the idea that this rush of energised young workers into the jcp will shake its reformist ideology and force its leaders to go further to the left.
how about the actual capitalist collapse worldwide will leave the jcp leaders with no choice but to follow this new membership and fight for a transition to socialism?
revolution doesn't necessarily involve kalashnikovs being fired, complete paralysis of the capitalist economic system through the actions of pissed off workers seems to work, the general strike in britain (1926), may 1968 in france, for example.
revolutions betrayed.

[redarmyfaction38]

how about the idea that this rush of energised young workers into the jcp will shake its reformist ideology and force its leaders to go further to the left.
how about the actual capitalist collapse worldwide will leave the jcp leaders with no choice but to follow this new membership and fight for a transition to socialism?
revolution doesn't necessarily involve kalashnikovs being fired, complete paralysis of the capitalist economic system through the actions of pissed off workers seems to work, the general strike in britain (1926), may 1968 in france, for example.
revolutions betrayed.
an add on.
as an exponent of wado ryu karate (3rd dan), i've all ways felt suprised, that given the traditional values of japanese martial society, that japan didn't go communist a long time ago.
historicaly after the second world war, communism was very popular, it was only the massive investment of us capital into the country, its restoration of the corupt ruling class under us control that turned japan away from communism.
part of that political process involved integrating traditional japanese values into the capitalists interests.
hence the "guarantee" of work and "involvement" of all in the productive process whilst the capitalist system served japan.
now capitalism no longer serves japan, the japanese worker will be amongst the first to reject it. imo.

[Reclaimed Dasein]

Condemning the JCP for "reformism" actually pretty ridiculous.
You can't really expect some kind of armed Japanese Revolution nowadays.
It's the best there is, so what's the problem?
Whatever strengthens the Communist cause, is good for me.
I agree. Also, doesn't the fact that they don't know who Karl Marx is miss the point? They can still be ideologically communist especially since ideology entails "they do it, but they don't know they do it." Guess who that's from?