JCP holds assembly to mark its 86th anniversary

Japan Press Weekly

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JCP holds assembly to mark its 86th anniversary

The Japanese Communist Party celebrated its 86th anniversary on July 22 by holding a public assembly in central Tokyo.

Speaking before an audience of about 2,000, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo said, “Our present-day lives have been made possible by our many predecessors’ bitter struggles and pioneering efforts” and called for more efforts to create a bright future.

Citing the recent struggle waged by the JCP on key issues, such as jobs, health care, agriculture, and food, Shii stated, “The JCP’s call initially may appear to be isolated from society but would pave the way for a bright future at a crucial moment that has a bearing on the interests of the Japanese people and world peace.”

He said, “Those who stand for social justice and reason will prevail in the future.”

Opposition to hegemony becomes the world current

After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, then U.S. President Gorge Bush stated in his 1992 State of the Union address, “[W]e are the United States of America, the leader of the West that has become the leader of the world.”

In contrast, the JCP welcomed the dissolution of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union saying the event marked the end of an historically “colossal evil”, and warned of the danger of U.S. hegemony.

Shii said that through the Iraq War, “the U.S. ambition to dominate the world with its military power has been frustrated.” Emphasizing that the collapse of the Soviet Union “provided the world with an opportunity to pursue the development of freedom,” he said that it was not President Bush but the JCP that correctly envisaged the future at that time.

End of capitalism

Shii said that although many who witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union praised capitalism while defining socialism as a failed system at the time, many people are now beginning to question if the era of capitalism will soon be over and that they are looking to the JCP for the answer.

Raising three issues - poverty and hunger, outrageous speculation, and the global environment, Shii said, “The question is how capitalism would be able to answer questions on these issues. We can say now for sure that the argument of 17 years ago that praised capitalism had no grounds or justification. The changes that are taking place at present indicate that we are entering a new era in which people are fundamentally questioning the present socio-economic framework.”

He emphasized that the JCP Program has the answers to the present global questions, such as the rampage of financial speculation, poverty and hunger, and global warming. “It is essential for Japan to make the effort to establish an economy with rules if it is to play an active role in solving these global problems,” he added.

Three municipal heads, who are JCP members, elected or reelected recently spoke (see separate item). -Akahata, July 23, 2008