TOKYO, July 6, 2022—In an election campaign trail July 4, 2022, a former Japanese prime minister yodeled his signature oratory in support of the powerful – like Russia – by sacrificing the vulnerable – like Ukraine – urging voters to back Japan’s military buildup.
‘Remember which kid was bullied in your school days? A (physically) weak kid was bullied. A physically fit was not bullied… The relationship between countries work exactly the same… The country that looks strong cannot be attacked. If the enemy country fears about a barrage of reprisal from a strong enemy country, it won’t bully (the strong country). Countries that look weak are vulnerable to invasions (like Ukraine by Russia). You voters, please remember how your school was like when you were a student.
‘The current (global geopolitical) situation is a whole different game from the past. What’s happening in the United Nations… Russia is a permanent member (of the UN Security Country), and that means the UN (mediation) functions don’t work because of Russia’s opposition. That is that the UN as an organization is broken.’
the remarks were by Taro Aso, a former prime minister who is Liberal Democratic Party deputy president, in his upper house election campaign speech in Ichikawa, Chiba July 5.
Aso is notorious for his venomous, discriminatory comments. While he was finance minister under former prime minister Shinzo Abe, he was against government Covid-19 aid payment on the ground that recipients would spending it in gambling. In a different context, the 81-year-old politician said in 2003 that homeless people don’t need shelters saying that they would complain about lousy food served by such facilities, adding that many homeless are diabetic. In 2006, he said Japan is the only country on earth with one language, one culture, one civilization, and homogenous people.
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