Fair Traders Sweep Japanese Elections
September 03, 2009
In last weekend's Japanese elections, Yukio Hatoyama and the Democratic Party were swept to the majority party. Shortly before the elections, Hatoyama wrote this piece, which is well worth a read. Just a taste:
In the post-Cold War period, Japan has been continually buffeted by the
winds of market
fundamentalism in a U.S.-led movement that is more
usually called globalization. In the fundamentalist pursuit of
capitalism people are treated not as an end but as a means.
Consequently, human dignity is lost.
How can we put an end to unrestrained market fundamentalism and financial capitalism, that are void of morals or moderation, in order to protect the finances and livelihoods of our citizens? That is the issue we are now facing.
How can we put an end to unrestrained market fundamentalism and financial capitalism, that are void of morals or moderation, in order to protect the finances and livelihoods of our citizens? That is the issue we are now facing.
A slightly longer version can be found here, which goes into Hatoyama's support for the social-justice concept of subsidiarity, which is often cited by global justice advocates in their arguments against vesting too much power in supranational organizations like the WTO.
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