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LDP lawmaker calls students protesting security legislation 'self-centered' - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
A young ruling party lawmaker seems to yearn for the days when Japanese were willing to sacrifice their lives in the name of war.
At the very least, Takaya Muto, a 36-year-old Lower House member of the Liberal Democratic Party, seems to have a major issue with Japan's postwar education system based on pacifism.
In late July, Muto belittled student protesters against security legislation now before the Upper House by labeling them as "self-centered and selfish."
The Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy-s (SEALDs), an activist group consisting largely of university students, has been organizing weekly protests in front of the Diet building against a package of bills that would greatly expand the range of activities overseas by the Self-Defense Forces.
In his tweet, Muto said: "Their arguments are based on a self-centered and extremely selfish thinking of 'Hey, I don't want to go to war.' I believe the postwar education system is to blame for the rampant spread of such selfish individualism and that is very unfortunate."
In response to questions from The Asahi Shimbun, an aide to Muto admitted that the lawmaker himself wrote the tweet, but said there would be no further comment.
Among the comments that were made in response to Muto's tweet was one that said, "A society that condemns the feeling of 'I don't want to go to war' as 'extremely selfish thinking' is exactly what Japan was like during World War II."
Muto was a member of the Lower House special committee that deliberated the security legislation. The bills were railroaded through the special committee in July as opposition party members shouted criticism at the forced vote.
Muto also took part in a study group of young LDP lawmakers which held a meeting in late June in which some participants called for applying pressure on media organizations that were opposed to the security legislation.
A young ruling party lawmaker seems to yearn for the days when Japanese were willing to sacrifice their lives in the name of war.
At the very least, Takaya Muto, a 36-year-old Lower House member of the Liberal Democratic Party, seems to have a major issue with Japan's postwar education system based on pacifism.
In late July, Muto belittled student protesters against security legislation now before the Upper House by labeling them as "self-centered and selfish."
The Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy-s (SEALDs), an activist group consisting largely of university students, has been organizing weekly protests in front of the Diet building against a package of bills that would greatly expand the range of activities overseas by the Self-Defense Forces.
In his tweet, Muto said: "Their arguments are based on a self-centered and extremely selfish thinking of 'Hey, I don't want to go to war.' I believe the postwar education system is to blame for the rampant spread of such selfish individualism and that is very unfortunate."
In response to questions from The Asahi Shimbun, an aide to Muto admitted that the lawmaker himself wrote the tweet, but said there would be no further comment.
Among the comments that were made in response to Muto's tweet was one that said, "A society that condemns the feeling of 'I don't want to go to war' as 'extremely selfish thinking' is exactly what Japan was like during World War II."
Muto was a member of the Lower House special committee that deliberated the security legislation. The bills were railroaded through the special committee in July as opposition party members shouted criticism at the forced vote.
Muto also took part in a study group of young LDP lawmakers which held a meeting in late June in which some participants called for applying pressure on media organizations that were opposed to the security legislation.
