Michael Moore in Japan
American filmmaker Michael Moore was in Japan the other day to promote the release of “Capitalism: A Love Story.” As you can see from the above video clip, his arrival was not uneventful- the good folks at JAL somehow lost his luggage. What fantastic publicity for a struggling company!
The Japan Times has an article that includes some of Moore’s thoughts on Japanese politics:
While admitting that Japan is much better than his country in establishing a safety net for the poor, he warned that Japan has been becoming more like America.
“(In the) last 20 years, you (Japan) decided to change through a series of conservative prime ministers, including (an) Elvis impersonator (Junichiro Koizumi),” he said. “Now you are starting to get some of the problems we have. More crimes, unemployment.
“Your conservative government started to cut off (the) safety net, cut off money from health care, education, throw people out of work, make it harder for Japanese who don’t make as much money, punish them for being poor,” he said.
Moore also expressed regret that Japan agreed to deploy the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq and the Persian Gulf.
“You gave him (former U.S. President George W. Bush) legitimacy,” he said, explaining that Bush may not have been able to start the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq if Japan, Britain and other countries hadn’t supported him.
Nevertheless, Moore voiced admiration for Japan in general. He also expressed hope that the Democratic Party of Japan-led government shifts away from the American way.
“My humble plea is to come off the (American way) road with the new prime minister and get back on the road to the country I admire,” he said.
For some photos of Moore wandering around the streets of Shibuya, check out this post at Shibuya246.
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