What was the past 7 years and 8 months for us?

The prime minister Abe is going to resign very soon. What does this 7 years and 8 months of his administration mean to us?

I believe two points should be noted as for what this administration has left and what has enabled it survive such a long time.

First, fairness and justice as the ground of democracy have been lost, or exactly, intentionally destructed by him. He has dominated the government bureaucrats through personnel affairs. So has he done with not only administrative personnel but also that of legislation and justice. The right administration was to serve not for the people but for the government. 

For the second place, but not less, his economic policy has resulted in a big fault. The astronomical quantitative easing has left much more debts to the government. Our national bank, BOJ owns more than 5 trillion of national bond to implement monetary easing. It has not brought any solution of the economic and financial problems in our country. Only the debt has increased. The market of national bond has been dysfunctioned. With enormous amount of national bond owned by BOJ, the credibility of BOJ could be lost easily, which results in decrement of credibility of our currency as well. Without hard landing, it seems not to be solved. 

Then, why has such a deteriorated government lead by Abe maintained certain level of endorsement? Someone may explain that with the government's control of the mass media. The mass media have undergone drastic change in this Abe era and have given up the right and duty to watch and criticize the power. Press conference for the prime minister and the spokesman of the government have become like fixed games. It is now the place for the public advertisement of the government. NHK, which used to be an excellent public news media, has undergone a drastic metamorphose to be the public advertiser of the government. This change has been well plotted by the government from its beginning.

 The most important reason or fact is that certain number of people still approve this government whatever fault or fraud they might commit. Of course, the problem in the election system, that is, the single seat constituency system, which could elect majority in the diet with small number of votes. The opinion polls, however, says it is not the definite factor. Our country is on the process of decreasing the economy and our standard of living. Despite of that reality, the majority of the people believe they belong to the middle class. Exactly, they wish to stay being in that class. That wish won't lead us to reformation but to keep things in the same way however rotten they might be. Both the people might not be able to forget the high growth period in '70s through '80s. 　

The opposition parties should show a manifesto which let us see the reality and direct the way to get out of it. It won't be a rosy future but a hard way to go. We should look straight to it and change our paradigm. The corona virus pandemic might be a good chance for us to make a turnaround to a real law abiding country.