Opinion
What is it with doddering old left-wing politicians savaging their countries’ closest allies? OK, granted, Bob Carr is retired from active politics, but his influence in Labor politics remains immense. So, when Carr attacks the New Zealand government over its possible joining of AUKUS, you can bet people in Labor are listening.
Still, as Winston Peters pointed out, it’s an egregious interference in New Zealand’s affairs.
But Joe Biden doesn’t even have the poor excuse of being retired. Well, except, perhaps, for permanently retiring his mental faculties.
Even so, Biden’s unhinged attacks on Japan and India are not just an unwarranted attack on his own allies, they reek of a desperate attempt to deflect one of the most deadly domestic issues for the Democrats as they head to the pointy end of the election year.
Soon after hosting the Japanese prime minister, Joe Biden has lumped Japan in with India, China and Russia as “xenophobic’’ because of immigration restrictions.
Speaking at a campaign event in Washington on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST), the US President said one of the reasons the US economy was growing was because of rapid immigration, prompting a pushback from Japanese politicians and diplomats.
“Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants,” he told a largely Asian American audience to celebrate Asian American history month.
And neither do Americans — at least, not the millions of illegal immigrants (not that the Democrats make any distinction between legal and illegal immigration) flooding across the southern border. Recent Gallup polling has shown that Americans overwhelmingly rate immigration as the single biggest issue of concern. Especially dangerous for the Democrats is that women voters, who traditionally lean harder to the Democrats, have overtaken men in worrying about immigration.
Biden’s attacks are being seen for what they — desperate deflection by an ailing president. Neither the Japanese nor Biden’s domestic opponents are buying it for a second.
Mizuho Umemura, a member of the conservative Japanese Nippon Ishin no Kai Party, said he hoped Mr Biden would “solve the problem in New York before he says things like this … depending on the presidential election, there could be a 180-degree change in policy, and there is no need for Japan to follow suit”, an apparent reference to Republican Donald Trump’s plans to expel millions of immigrants if he wins the presidency in November […]
Elbridge Colby, a former senior Trump administration official in the Defence Department, said the remarks were “patronising and foolish”.
“Japan and India are two of our very stoutest and important allies. We should speak of them with respect, which they command and deserve,” he said on social media.
As for the Japanese economy, after years of stagnation, they’re doing very well, thank you. Japan, ranked 12th in the world for population, nonetheless ranks as the fourth-biggest economy. World Economics gives Japan an A-rating: “as good as it gets”.
And they’re not destroying their country or culture to do it.
Japan, which along with India, Australia and the US make up the Quad, has a famously strict immigration policy which has contributed to a steady decline in its population, from a peak of around 128 million in 2008 to around 122 million last year.
And America?
The US population grew around 0.5 per cent in 2023 to just under 340 million.
“Immigrants is what makes us strong. Not a joke. That’s not hyperbole. Because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and just contribute,’’ the president said in comments that partly overshadowed his later remarks at the White House, where he condemned university protests.
Is Biden even capable of comprehending the unintended irony of simultaneously boasting about the US’ porous borders, while complaining about surging anti-Semitism, driven mostly by Muslim immigrants?
When was the last time Japan endured massive social unrest driven by Muslims, let alone an Islamic terror attack?
Japan is the 9th safest country in the world. The United States is the 129th.
“It’s not that we’re xenophobic, we are being cautious after seeing your failures.’’
Sohei Kamiya, Japanese politician
The Japanese are taking note of just how well uncontrolled mass immigration is working out for the Yanks.
Another Japanese politician, Sohei Kamiya, said US “failures” in immigration contributed to Japan’s hesitance to embrace similar practices.
“It’s not that we’re xenophobic, we are being cautious after seeing your failures … you are meddling too much in our internal affairs.’’
The Australian
I’m sure the Japanese are perfectly prepared to wear the “xenophobic” label, if it’s the price of a prosperous and safe country which gets to keep its own culture intact.