November 13, 2018

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on a radio program aired on November 11 spoke with a program host about Marx.

Shii, at the outset of the program on Radio Nippon, was asked by Yomiuri Shimbun senior columnist Hashimoto Goro, "Why is it that the JCP has been active for such a long time while many 'communist' parties in other countries collapsed under changing postwar situations?"

Shii answered, "All the parties in the world that followed the dictates of the Soviet Communist Party disappeared with the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The JCP, in contrast, repelled the Soviet intervention and has maintained the party's independence. Our stance - a future course for Japan to take should be decided by Japan itself - probably helped us survive over the upheaval."

As another reason for the party's longevity, Shii pointed out that all political parties in Japan, except for the JCP, cooperated in promoting the country's war of aggression during the war and that all of them, thus, had to change their names to restart their political activities after the war. Shii said, "Since before the war, our party firmly stuck to its principles of peace, democracy, and human rights."

Regarding a common argument made recently that Marxism is a thing of the past, both Shii and Hashimoto agreed that Marx's theory is still alive even more clearly today with the growth of social and economic disparities and the increase in poverty.

Shii said, "This year marks the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth. In many European nations including Germany and even in the United States, there has been an increase in interest in Marxism. Today, in almost all OECD countries, the gap between the haves and the have-nots has been widening. The present system of global capitalism cannot resolve this problem, but Marx revealed a course toward creating solutions. I think this is why Marx is now gaining the world's attention."

Shii furthermore said, "Many argue, 'Communism ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union.' It was the Soviet Communist Party itself that destroyed all the merits of Marxism. What Marx most called for was a society where every one of us can enjoy freedom and fully and freely develop our own abilities with shortened work hours and enhanced leisure time."

Shii added, "This is the most essential aspect of the future society our party envisages, and the JCP Program outlines the direction to be taken." Shii added that the day will come when the life works of Marx can best be put to use for the good of all.

Past related articles:
> Shii at JCP foundation assembly: JCP Program shows its power under present transient situation [July 12, 2018]
> Young people organize study circle to discuss Marx’s work [June 3, 2018]