[BobL]

Great, more liberal democrats in power.

[erlayman]

..it’s time to reset the clock back to the good old pork barrel LDP days. But the REAL winners today are the wealthy (elderly) and vested interests (that would be the conservative party of Japan...)

[katana]

The LDP is the more conservative of the two main parties in Japan and had a monopoly on power for the decades of Japan’s recovery and rise from the fifties on. The Democratic Party of Japan is left of center. I once met their former party head and PM (for less than a year) Yukio Hatoyama. So this election was a turn to the right. Party labels can be deceptive.

[Reeses]

The Liberal Democratic Party is as conservative as it gets in Japan. Other choices are the Democratic Party of Japan, Tomorrow Party of Japan, New Komeito Justice Party, Your Party, Japanese Communist Party, Social Democratic Party, People's New Party, New Party Daichi – True Democrats, Green Wind, New Renaissance Party, New Party Nippon, Okinawa Socialist Masses Party.

It's true democracies tend not to starts wars: because they are bankrupt from socialism and can't afford to.

[Cobraman_SC]

The LDP is the conservative party in Japan. In Japan “Liberal” has a diffrent meaning than here. My wife is Japanese and she is excited about this election. She says the next Prime Minister is VERY conservative. Hopefully the LDP learned their lesson about spending unlike our squishy RINOS here. At least the LDP won't take any crap from the norks or china.

[GeronL]

“conservative” can mean anything in different countries.

When Tokyo outlaws possession of kiddie porn, I’ll believe they are “moving to the right”

[napscoordinator]

Doesn’t affect us too much. We need to concentrate on ourselves for awhile. That is our problem...worrying about everyone else.

[Shadow44]

The LDP is as right-wing as the mainstream gets. Other than the Neoconservative faction of the party, which has a tendency to say things like Imperial Japanese War Crimes in WWII were “propaganda”.

Due to cultural differences, the LDP is still incredibly statist by American standards.

[Republican Wildcat]

Despite the name it is actually their conservative party (or at least the more conservative party).

[Cronos]

Don’t go by the name. the LDP are centrist, but like the DPJ are basically crony-driven party with no real agenda in place except “elect me!”

[Cronos]

Also, don’t use the US terms of liberal etc. in context of other countries — the Liberals in Australia tend to be more rightist for instance :)