.Akio KAWATO
In Japan, Europe, and the United States, we still debate politics using the modern values of “freedom” and “democracy.” But the real foundation supporting those values was the economic development of Western Europe since the 17th century—above all, the dramatic rise in productivity brought by manufacturing.
As manufacturing expanded, more people were able to earn solid middle-class incomes from industrial work. They developed a stronger sense of rights and personal dignity. That is why freedom and democracy became the basic values of society from the 19th century onward.
.
This system probably reached its peak after World War II. “Freedom” and “democracy” became almost synonymous with progress itself.
.
But now, things are turning at a very basic level. Even someone like Donald Trump rarely speaks the language of freedom or democracy anymore. Across Europe, populism is on the rise, and the old liberal-democratic consensus is clearly weakening.
.
We still treat this as a temporary illness—something that can be repaired if we just make the right adjustments. But the conflicts of interest inside society keep becoming more fragmented. It is getting harder and harder to settle major questions through simple majority rule.
Or rather, the real issue is that the old foundation of modern politics—“a growing number of people earning good wages in manufacturing, and developing a strong sense of rights”—is disappearing as manufacturing declines.
.
Society is increasingly splitting into two groups: a small high-income elite, and everyone else.
The conflict between these groups cannot easily be solved through debate alone. It may not be solvable through democracy as we have known it.
.
So perhaps the real choice is this: either we improve the economy in a fundamental way—or we redesign the political system itself.
Leave a Reply