All politics is about legitimacy
On sham elections, constitutional pacifism, and the need to move public opinion on hard questions before it's too late
Japan has a new Minister of Defense -- Shinjiro Koizumi -- who has had one month on the job. It’s not an easy time to hold a post like his, considering the way China’s posture towards Taiwan has spilled over into heated words for other parts of the region. China has trotted out “resolute” and “shocking” in its diplomatic messaging over Japan’s indications that it would respond to an invasion of Taiwan. China’s Foreign Minister even revived “the resurgence of Japanese militarism” as a cause for bellicosity.
■ The Japan Times notes of the new minister’s work that “He is now set to face an important test: how to pave the way toward strengthening the country’s defense capabilities while obtaining the public’s understanding for the move.” Obviously, Japan does have a specific military posture enshrined in its constitution that constrains what actually happens in ways that are unusual for such a prominent country.
■ But that need to “obtain the public’s understanding” is worth noting because it is universal. All politics is about legitimacy. Democratic systems come right out and ask for legitimacy by holding free, fair, and frequent elections. The people are free to withhold or, in some cases, even withdraw their consent to be governed by an individual or a party.
■ Even those systems that are expressly non-democratic often impersonate democratic ones by conducting sham elections. Those that don’t care about pretending to be honorably selected still usually need to do enough to placate the people so as not to be violently rejected.
■ It can be an unenviable spot for a political figure to need to win the public’s consent for policies that may be necessary but unpopular, yet that’s the calling of the job. Judging from China’s saber-rattling, Japan probably does need to enhance its defensive posture. Whether it manages to do so will decide a lot about the region’s future.
