11/2
社説 改革なき分配を国民は支持しない
2021/11/2 [有料会員限定]
岸田首相は続投し、近く第2次内閣を発足させる=共同
第49回衆院選では自民党が単独で絶対安定多数の261議席を確保し、公明党を含めた与党全体で293議席を獲得した。岸田文雄首相は続投し、10日に第2次内閣を発足させる運びだ。
与党が予想以上に健闘した背景には、野党の政権担当能力に対する国民の不信感もあった。衆院選で競った「改革なき分配」の危うさを、野党の方により強く感じていたのではなかろうか。
活力生む成長戦略を
大阪での実績を踏まえ「改革」の重要性を訴えた日本維新の会は、大幅に議席を伸ばした。首相はこうした民意と真摯に向き合い、「分配」に傾きがちな政策運営を修正しなければならない。
折しもローマでは、20カ国・地域（G20）の首脳会議が開かれた。新型コロナウイルスの感染防止と景気の本格回復に向け「全ての利用可能な政策手段を用いる」との首脳宣言を採択した。
首相が真っ先に取り組まなければならないのも、まさにコロナ禍の克服と日本経済の底上げだ。感染症の拡大は下火になっているとはいえ、万全な体制にはほど遠い。困窮する個人や企業への支援も手を抜くわけにはいくまい。
首相は近くコロナ対策の全体像を示し、これも反映した経済対策を早急に策定したいという。今冬にかけて感染の「第6波」が起きることを前提に、必要な予算を重点的に手当てしたい。
ただ首相が言う数十兆円規模の財政出動が本当に要るのか。なかでも高校3年生までの子ども全てに一律約10万円を給付するという公明の公約は理解できない。
余裕のある個人や企業にまで広くカネを配るのは、厳に慎むべきだ。むしろコロナの検査体制の拡充、病床や医師・看護師の確保などを優先してほしい。コロナ対応の司令塔機能の構築や行政権限の強化を実現する法改正も、より具体的に示す必要がある。
首相は成長と分配の好循環を目指す「新しい資本主義」の実現会議も立ち上げた。重点を置くのは子育て世帯の住居費・教育費支援、賃金を引き上げる企業への税制支援といった分配戦略だ。
かたや成長戦略は曖昧である。グリーン化やデジタル化、経済安全保障などの施策を列挙するが、国の財政出動や産業政策に多くを頼っているのは否めない。
首相に強く望みたいのは、個人や企業の活力を引き出す環境づくりだ。産業の新陳代謝や労働者の生産性を高める法制度、規制の改革は避けて通れない。起業の促進、女性や高齢者の活躍につながる施策をもっと深掘りすべきだ。
コロナ禍の出口がみえたあかつきには、財政再建にも取り組む必要がある。高齢者向けの社会保障制度の効率化や消費税率の引き上げなど、いずれは痛みを伴う改革に向き合わざるを得まい。
外交・安全保障政策も怠れない。衆院選中も北朝鮮はミサイル発射を続け、中国やロシアの海軍艦艇10隻が日本列島をほぼ一周した。東アジア情勢緊迫への対応は喫緊の課題だ。温暖化ガスの排出削減が前提となるエネルギー戦略でも、より具体的で実現性の高い選択肢を示す責任がある。
立憲民主党や共産党など野党5党は、多くの小選挙区の候補を一本化したにもかかわらず、接戦区で競り負けるケースが目立った。立民は公示前の110議席を下回る96議席にとどまった。
野党は政策を立て直せ
野党が選挙戦で訴えた「安倍、菅両内閣の下でおごりやゆるみが増大した」との主張は一定の共感を得たようだ。一方で政権批判に軸足を置き、消費税率の引き下げや低中所得層の所得税の実質免除にまで踏み込む無責任な公約が、有権者に広くは受け入れられなかったようにみえる。
野党共闘には加わらなかった維新だけが躍進したのは皮肉だ。衆院選は「政権選択選挙」であり、野党であっても明確な国家ビジョンや政権構想を示して臨んでもらわなければ困る。とりわけ立民は党体制の抜本的な見直しが急務となる。
与党も衆院選で国民の強い支持を得たとは思わない方がよい。自民の甘利明幹事長が小選挙区で競り負け、辞任が決まった。野田毅元自治相、石原伸晃元幹事長らベテランも相次いで落選した。
政治資金を巡る疑惑や長老支配など「古い政治」への有権者の拒否反応は着実に増している。首相が総裁選で掲げた党改革への取り組みを軽視し、重要な政策課題で期待する成果をあげられなければ、来年夏の参院選で手痛いしっぺ返しを食うだろう。
Summary:
Ishin, shown Osaka’s success story, got anywhere. That made a difference between Rikken and Ishin. Money made from reform should be spent for distribution and that prevents the government from doling out easily. What they have done is very simple such as decreasing seats in the Diet and lowering the wage of politicians and public servants in both central and local governments regardless of ages and genders.
Reform in business circumstances accelerates our economy in general and offers us a new horizon in business, such as DX, medicine, renewal energy and you name it.
Rikken has never ever offered in public such a specific strategy. Wha people ask is not criticizing for scandals but bringing more specific results which make us prosperous and rich.
US should announce ‘no first use of nuclear weapons,’ with no strings attached: Global Times editorial
By Global Times
Published: November 2, 2021
US nuclear stockpile Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times
The US plans to finalize the Nuclear Posture Review as soon as the end of this year. It is reported that the Biden administration is discussing whether it should put some limits on the use of nuclear weapons, such as the announcement of "no first use of nuclear weapons," or a declaration of "sole purpose" that means nuclear weapons can be used under certain circumstances, including responding to a nuclear attack.
According to media reports, US allies, including the UK, Germany, France, Japan and Australia, have strongly opposed the US' adjustment to its nuclear policies. They believe such a move will weaken the US' protection of its allies. This possible adjustment also means the US would offer a courtesy to China and Russia.
It has long been discussed whether the US should put limits on its use of nuclear weapons. The US was about to nail the adjustment during former president Barack Obama's tenure. The Obama administration considered adopting a "no first use" pledge and laid out a vision for a world without nuclear weapons. Obama's plan was soon abandoned after being rejected by US allies including Japan.
When Donald Trump was in the Oval Office, the US accelerated the modernization of its nuclear arsenal. The Trump administration's fiscal 2018 budget included $60-90 billion for nuclear weapons programs. Now it's the turn of the Democratic administration led by Biden to control the nuclear button, and it is completely possible that it thinks about reducing the nuclear risks in the world. If Biden can really take the step to announce "no first use" of nuclear weapons or take pragmatic measures to restrain US nuclear policies, the move will be widely welcomed across the globe.
However, Biden obviously continued with the strategy of enhancing major power competition adopted by the Trump administration. Great power relations nowadays are much tenser than during the Obama administration. Biden stresses coordinated action with its allies and fierce competition with China and Russia. It is highly doubtful whether Biden has the courage to take real steps in restricting the use of nuclear weapons.
The reactions from the US' allies, as reported by the media, are pretty much disappointing. In particular, countries like Japan which once suffered from nuclear strikes oppose restricting the use of nuclear weapons. The anti-nuclear doctrine the US allies have advocated is entirely deceitful. On the contrary, what they pursue is unilateral nuclear security. They want to expand their own right to use nuclear power, but have tried every possible means to squeeze the right of the others to use nuclear power.
China has announced the "no first use" nuclear policy at a very early phase. It has adhered to this policy since the first day it owned nuclear weapons. US allies should think this way: If China walks away from this policy, how much pressure will it add to regional security? Similarly, if the US, as the world's No.1 military power, announced restrictions on the use of nuclear weapons, it will without doubt create constructive opportunities to global security, with advantages outweighing disadvantages.
Nuclear posture is the thorniest security dilemma - particularly issues such as the number of nuclear warheads and anti-missiles. If the US can take the lead in restricting the use of nuclear weapons in this era, it is likely to expand the route undertaken by China in the past and push forward a new period of nuclear security. US allies such as Japan and Australia are falling into the trap of their own petty calculations, but they will not feel more secure if the US does not try to make the commitment of restricting the use of nuclear weapons.
A group of former US officials and experts, including former secretary of defense William Perry, wrote a letter to then Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga and other Japanese leaders of political parties, asking them not to oppose a "no first use" nuclear stance that may be announced by the US. Those former officials certainly did not make their appeals from the stance of China and Russia. Their considerations on nuclear security deserve comprehension from the Western world, rather than a fundamental rejection.
China has no way to influence whether the US will eventually head toward the direction of restricting the use of nuclear weapons. Even if the US does that, it will highly unlikely remain to be a unilateral decision. The US will likely require China, Russia and other countries to meet some of its demands. That being the case, it is possible that it will constitute new pressure on China.
China still has to do its own things well and strengthen its own nuclear deterrence capabilities. China is the only nuclear power that has declared it will not use nuclear weapons first. The development of second-strike capability is particularly important. China's morality in its nuclear policy has always been adequate. Those countries and forces that oppose US restrictions on the use of nuclear weapons are simply not qualified to point fingers at China's nuclear policy. Their moral coordinates are wrong.
Summary:
year. It is reported that the Biden administration is discussing whether it should put some limits on the use of nuclear weapons, such as the announcement of "no first use of nuclear weapons," or a declaration of "sole purpose" that means nuclear weapons can be used under certain circumstances, including responding to a nuclear attack.
It is highly doubtful whether Biden has the courage to take real steps in restricting the use of nuclear weapons.
China has announced the "no first use" nuclear policy at a very early phase. It has adhered to this policy since the first day it owned nuclear weapons. US allies should think this way: If China walks away from this policy, how much pressure will it add to regional security? Similarly, if the US, as the world's No.1 military power, announced restrictions on the use of nuclear weapons, it will without doubt create constructive opportunities to global security, with advantages outweighing disadvantages.