More Reform Kabuki Over Ruling Party Factions
Reform kabuki can never become actual reform until the Liberal Democratic Party is dislodged as Japan’s semi-permanent ruling party.
All posts by Michael Penn
The Emergence of the Anti-Imperial Non-West
The notion that non-Western powers might band together to resist the depredations of Europe and the United States has been around since the late 19th century, but only now has the power balance shifted to a sufficient degree that the era of Western global dominance is actually coming to an end.
Shigenobu Okuma and the First World War
From 1914-1916, Shigenobu Okuma made an unlikely return as prime minister, this time establishing a more stable administration in cooperation with the conservative oligarchs. Okuma and his dynamic Foreign Minister Takaaki Kato led the nation into the First World War, which for Japan was a relatively profitable opportunity.
Yemen Strikes Revive US War Powers Debate
The US Biden administration couldn’t resist the temptation to launch major military strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen. In doing so, it brought renewed attention to the fact that the presidential exercise of war powers has become routinely unconstitutional.
Japan Heads to the Boiling Point
While Japanese leaders continue to focus on possible future threats from external nations like China and Russia, the very immediate threat of climate change is taking hundreds of Japanese lives each year, with an allegedly inadequate response from the authorities.
Destroying Democracy in Order to Save It
The mainstream US liberal-left has gone so far down its own ideological rabbit hole in its desperate effort to prevent a second presidential administration of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump that they are openly undermining the democratic system they profess to defend.
Gonnohyoe Yamamoto and the Navy Siemens Scandal
In 1913-1914, Admiral Gonnohyoe Yamamoto launched a new era in Japanese politics, bringing the nation one step closer to a democratic form of government. Eventually, however, the Imperial Japanese Navy led the administration into embarrassment.
Sanctions on Russia Prove Another Failure of the West
The limited impact of economic sanctions on Russia represents an additional data point proving that the West, even when relatively united, no longer rules the world. Indeed, its losing streak in major 21st century military conflicts continues unbroken, and it serially overestimates its ability to shape global affairs.
The Flameout of Fireball Fumio
As he desperately tries to survive the ruling party’s political funds scandal, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared that he “will act as a fireball at the forefront of the Liberal Democratic Party and work to restore the trust of the people.” Most analysts, however, see this administration in the midst of a spectacular flameout.
Meta Suppressing Pro-Palestinian Messages
Social media giant Meta has been called out by US Senator Elizabeth Warren for censoring pro-Palestinian messages on Instagram, treating one side in the ongoing conflict entirely differently from the other in terms of its moderation policies.
