Japanese Elections

Good for Japan. They have finally elected their first female PM. That has to mean something in Japan , which is a traditional male dominated society. She is younger, media savvy and appeals to the younger voters.

Of course, she has done and said things that appeal to voters. Tax cuts, more defence and infrastructure spending and reducing immigration and the presence of foreigners. None of which is fiscally good for a country which is already seriously in debt. How will they balance their books by spending more and at the same time cutting taxes? Of course the people don’t seem to care so long as you promise them what they want to hear.

I did think as I was writing this, these were the same things Trump promised the US voters, who then duly elected him. Perhaps this will become the new playbook for politicians. Be populist a d forget about economics or budgets.

I do think the firm stand she took against China also helped her. The high handed Chinese response to her remarks made her even more popular a home. Strangely China seems to be getting things wrong so regularly nowadays I do wonder whether they need a new group of people to do their thinking for them. Venezuela, Panama, Brazil, Peru and now Japan are just examples of how they are now seriously under pressure on the diplomatic front.