To be a True Sovereign (1)

1. What matters?

"The Customers' exodus from the commodity market results in self-adjustment of the companies to the tastes of the customers, but in the case of the election market, the voters' exodus has meager influence on the change of the party, which is interpreted to be political enterprises."

-Choi, Jang-jip, "Democracy After the Democratization"

Which factor makes this difference? The answer is easy; the affect of the consumption upon entrepreneurs are quite crucial, and the companies are well 'aware' of that. In contrast, political parties are not (even though voters are mortal for their existence). Already, Korea finished the establishment of the political class, which was originally derived from the theory of Morris. Although Korea pursue the western political moderl, its previous authoritative/hierarchial political perspective still remains, and politicians view themselves as magistrates, not servants. In this case, those 'magistrates' enlarge their rights, but ignore duties. Thus, it is difficult to response simultaneously to the reactions of the voters, which results in the voters' abhorrence on politics, which again results in widening the crack between the voters and the political class; it is a vicious circle.

2. Democratic Remedies

There are two remedies to cure the symtom. These two should be coincided. First, the abolition of the political hierarchial concept between the voters and the political class. The political class should realize that they are not the noblemen, and the voters should feel more responsibility upon politics, rather than to be satisfied as a passive status. This method was suggested from long ago and it can be come true by the active political participation of the citizens.

Second therapy is quite harder; the voters themselves should destroy the frames and cross the frontier.

-To be Continued.