Reactions to Japanese election

On Sunday a new political alliance swept into power in Japan, ending 50 something years of near continuous political monopoly by the main conservative party.
On the cards for a review is how Japan wishes to frame military relations with the US in the years to come...
And the hawks of American financial hegemony have not wasted a minute to attack the new leadership:

An opinion piece by Democratic party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama published in The New York Times has drawn flak in America over its apparent antiglobalization bent, prompting the presumptive prime minister to argue portions of his essay were "distorted" in translation.
The piece, originally published in the September edition of the Japanese monthly journal Voice and titled "My Political Philosophy," appeared Aug. 27 on The New York Times' Web site under the headline "A New Path for Japan."

The essay was also used by the International Herald Tribune and Christian Science Monitor.

The essay begins by declaring how U.S.-led globalization and pursuit of capitalism have eroded human dignity, and goes on to question how to "put an end to unrestrained market fundamentalism and financial capitalism that are void of morals or moderation."

Hatoyama told reporters Monday that the contribution was an excerpt from his original essay and was published by The New York Times without his permission.

"Portions of the contents have been distorted. If the entire essay is read, one would understand that it did not express anti-American views," he said, adding that while globalization has its negatives, it also has its positives.

The rest of the article is here.

It does not surprise me at all that the loony Right would seek to equate concern about unlimited financial exploitation with "anti-Americanism". I wonder if that is an influence here. Despite it's name, the Christian Science Monitor is not normally a voice for that kind of argument.

Political commentator Tobias Harris argues Hatoyama wrote "nearly a page of discussion of how capitalism treats people as ends, not means, and about how it destroys values, traditions and communities."

It often does destroy values, traditions and communities. Unchecked by any other agenda it certainly will.

As a personal observation, one of the most charming aspects of life in Japan is the small family-run businesses that continue to operate in little main streets, often near train stations, which give a strong feeling of community and intimacy. They resonate with some of the charm of urban Japan.

I guess some would doubtless prefer a Walmart and a concrete bomb shelter.