December 17, 2022
Tsuyoshi Masuda
President
Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on December 16 approved revision of three key national security documents. The revision dramatically changes the “exclusively defense-oriented” principle that Japan has maintained since the end of World War II and paves the way for building a nation capable of preemptive attacks. The Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions condemns the revision of the three security documents and demands the retraction of the cabinet approval.

The revised documents (the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Program Guidelines, and the Mid-Term Defense Program) propose possession of an enemy base attack capability (counterattack capability), buildup of weapons that pose a threat of invasion, and increase in defense spending to more than 2% of GDP. It is a vigorous dash toward a nation capable of fighting wars.

To increase military spending to more than 2% of GDP by 2027, up to 43 trillion yen is expected to be allocated over five years. The Kishida Cabinet tries to fund the increase with additional tax burdens on the public. Soaring prices are already hurting people’s livelihoods. It is unacceptable to destroy their living by further raising taxes and cutting social security services for major military buildup while being completely ineffective in addressing high prices.

Peace cannot be created by armed force. Japan should contribute to building peace in Asia and the rest of the world by promoting peaceful diplomacy based on the Japanese Constitution. Our tax money should not be used for military buildup but be allocated to improve social security services to protect the people’s lives and livelihoods.

It is outrageous for the government to turn Japan into a war-fighting nation without holding parliamentary debates or seeking the will of the people. In collaboration with a wide range of citizens and organizations, the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions continues to fight to create a nation that prioritizes the people’s lives and livelihoods with adequate social security services instead of developing a war-fighting capability.