# The 'Japanese System' is Fascism

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-system-is-fascism/326603>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 17, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-system-is-fascism/326603 "2005-10-17T15:39:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-system-is-fascism/326603/21 "2005-10-19T03:49:21Z")

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Well if we are being too civil, we could always compare the Fascists to Nazis. That sometimes draws a crowd.

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**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-system-is-fascism/326603/22 "2005-10-19T04:24:51Z")

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> [@bmoak](#):
>
> In any event, the JCP has always done reasonably well in Japanese elections. They were always more of a communist-lite organization and certainly didn’t push the Soviet line (Japan and the USSR never signed a peace treaty after WWII disputing the possession of the Kuril Islands). They advocate an independent, demilitarized Japan.

Good post, although the JCP was not always “communist-lite.” During the 1950’s they withdrew from the Diet and went underground to engage in an armed struggle to overthrow the government (on the orders of Moscow). You are of course correct that since the 1960’s they’ve pushed a much more independent, “euro-socialist” brand of communism.

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**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-system-is-fascism/326603/23 "2005-10-19T07:48:59Z")

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> [@Paul in Saudi](#):
>
> Korea has had a long history of rule by **depots.**

Well, at least the trains run on time.

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-system-is-fascism/326603/24 "2005-10-19T12:52:26Z")

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> [@bmoak](#):
>
> The OP premise is faulty, but I’m not sure if fascism by its nature would require the elimination of all other political parties (although Imperial Japan eventually forced all mainstream political paties to merge and outlawed the leftist ones in the late 30s).

The point was not that fascism requires the formation of a one-party state, it was more along the lines of what a remarkably tolerant fascism it must be to allow a communist party to exist at all.

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