A few things I noticed in the LDP's Declaration of Establishment and Platform.
There are three types of LDP platforms: the one at the time of the founding of the party, the one for the 50th year of the founding of the party, and the one for the 55th year of the founding of the party.
The first platform was adopted on November 15, 1955, when the party was founded.
The second platform was formulated on November 22, 2005, the 50th anniversary of the party's founding.
The third platform was issued on January 24, 2010, the 55th anniversary of the party's founding.
This alone raises the question of why the party rewrote its platform in just five years, when it had remained unchanged for 50 years since its founding.
Let's take a look at how things have changed.
First, let us look at the 1955 Platform of the Party.
Politics belongs to the people, that is, its mission and duty is to stabilize the people's livelihood and promote the public welfare within, to restore the authority of independence and self-reliance without, and to adjust and establish conditions for peace. In view of this mission and duty, we hereby form the Liberal Democratic Party, based on the principles of democratic politics, and pledge to fulfill this duty together with the masses of the people at large.
Ten years have already passed since the end of the World War, the world has undergone dramatic changes, and with the development of atomic science, a new page is being written every day in the history of mankind. Today's politics must make a creative effort to envision the world at least ten years from now, and must be brave enough to make the most of what is sound in the past and present institutional structures, to eliminate what is old and useless, and to correct social deficiencies.
The political philosophy of our party is, first and foremost, to follow the path of parliamentary democracy. Therefore, we shall reject all forces or ideas that use violence and destruction, revolution and dictatorship as their political tools. Second, we regard individual freedom and the dignity of the individual as the basic conditions for social order. Therefore, we oppose tyranny of power and classism.
We seek progress in order, refine our intellect, implement progressive policies, establish the institutions of a culturally democratic nation, and strive for the great task of rebuilding our country.
We declare to the above.
The phrases "democratic nation" and "democratic politics" are used twice each. The word "democracy," which is mentioned eight times in the First Platform, is found only twice in the second Platform (one of which is "true liberalism and democracy," which may be suspected to be of a different character), and none in the third Platform. Similarly, the word "welfare," which is mentioned 10 times in the Rissho Declaration and Platform (including twice as "public welfare"), does not appear at all in the New Platform or third Platform. The term "human rights," which is mentioned four times in the First Declaration, appears only once in the Second Platform and none in the Third Platform.
The following gender perspectives appeared once in the Second Platform, but five years later, in the Third Platform, there is not a trace of them. The Second Platform says:
A society where men and women support each other
We aim for a "society in which men and women support each other," in which women actively participate in all fields, and in which men and women share responsibilities while recognizing each other's characteristics.
The third platform says, "human rights" has been dropped in favor of "respecting individuals who are self-reliant and self-help, creating conditions for such self-reliance, and enhancing mechanisms for mutual and public assistance," thus stressing the stance of self-help most, mutual assistance less and public assistance least.
In other words, the second and third platforms seem to be shifting in a more neoliberal direction that does not protect the people with each new one.
Moreover, why change them after only five years, when the third plank states:"...
Based on the reflection of the defeat in the general election of 2009, under the banner of freedom and democracy that we have defended since our founding, we would like to make a fresh start with a political philosophy of Japanese conservatism that is uniquely Japanese, seeking progress within order and fulfilling our international responsibilities, while changing only what is inappropriate for the times and defending what should be maintained.
In other words, the defeat in the elections has further shifted them in the direction of "conservatism”. Perhaps this was the time when the influence of the Nippon Kaigi grew stronger.
