“Neither let live nor kill” means “to completely control the other person and continue to make them suffer,” and is also used to describe the control policies against farmers in the Edo period(1603-1868). This was a policy to keep farmers under control and to keep their standard of living at the bare minimum in order to prevent rebellion or resistance.
“Poverty makes people dull” refers to a state in which poverty makes peoples’ minds and bodies numb, and people lose the energy to think deeply about things or try new things. It is also used to mean that when life is difficult, people will step on others to save themselves, or become obsessed with small gains.
I think that many people who have lived in Japan feel that these words are familiar, in a bad way, because for the past few decades, Japanese politics has strongly promoted the policy of “Neither let live nor kill,” forcing many citizens into the state of “Poverty makes people dull.”
To make this easier to understand, let me give you an example: the change in Japanese public opinion regarding nuclear power generation.
On March 11, 2011, a nuclear power plant damaged by a tsunami caused by an earthquake suffered a major accident. This accident resulted in many victims, and many citizens who had previously been indifferent to nuclear power generation unanimously expressed their opposition to nuclear power generation. However, over the course of more than a decade, the number of people opposed to nuclear power generation has decreased.
So why is it that the number of people opposed to nuclear power has decreased, even though it is clear that nuclear power generation is dangerous, that if an accident occurs it will result in many victims, and that cleaning up after the accident will require enormous costs?
The main reason is the increasing burden of electricity costs on households. What is the cause of this increased burden? The main reason is the maladministration of the Japanese government.
Continue to Part ②
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Next English article is ~ The Reality of Japanese Politics: “Neither Let Live nor Kill” and “Poverty Makes People Dull” ② ~
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Wish you beautiful days!
from Japan
It would be greatly appreciated if you could support me from the button “Buy Me a Coffee” below my profile. We will use your support to take action to realize democracy.
こんにちは。
Wall Egg and Seeds というサイト名は、ある日本の作家が海外で行ったスピーチで「Wall(壁）」と「Egg(卵)」という言葉を用いて強大な権力と弱者との関係を表現をしたことをヒントにして、それらの言葉と「Seeds(種)」を組み合わせたものです。
私にとって、「壁」は民主主義を無視する強大な権力です。「卵」は民主主義の名のもとに民主主義を勝ち取り、守ろうとする個人です。
多くの人たちは「壁」にぶつかったところで「卵」は割れるばかりで「壁」はびくともしないと感じていて、「壁」の側に立つ人たちが多く存在する一方で、「卵」の側に立とうとする人はどんどん減っているように見えます。このままでは、本当の民主主義は、実現するどころか、ただの理想論としてどこかに追いやられてしまうような気がしてなりません。
多くの大人たちが民主主義について口をつぐむようになってしまったた今、一人でも多くの人たちが民主主義の大切さについて考え、その実現のための一歩を踏み出すきっかけの一つとなることを期待して、「Wall Egg and Seeds」を開設しました。つたない文章ですが、よろしくお願いします。
「Wall Egg and Seeds」が公平な社会の実現の「種」になることを祈って。
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Hello,
The name of this site, Wall Egg and Seeds, was inspired by a speech that a Japanese writer gave abroad in which he used the words “Wall” and “Egg” to describe the relationship between the powerful and the weak, and I combined these words with “Seeds”.
For me, the “wall” is the mighty power that denies democracy. The “egg” is the individual who tries to win and protect democracy in the name of democracy.
Most people feel that when “egg” hit the “wall,” she or he just breaks and the “wall” doesn’t take damage , and while there are many people who stand on the side of the “wall,” the number of people who try to stand on the side of the “egg” seems to be seriously decreasing. If this situation continues, I cannot help but feel that true democracy, far from being realized, but will be relegated somewhere as mere idealism.
Now that many adults have become silent about democracy, I have started “Wall Egg and Seeds” in the hope that it will be an opportunity for as many people as possible to think about the importance of democracy and take a step towards realizing it. I am not very good at writing, but thank you for reading.
May “Wall Egg and Seeds” be a “seed” for the realization of a fair world!
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