Riding the Whirlwind of New Democracy

Riding the Whirlwind of New Democracy
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 28, 2014

Executive Summary: The outcome of the election remains uncertain. Politicians may still be obsessed with consolidating their blue or green support base, and with Taiwan's northern, central, or southern turf wars. But the common people are now the heart of the new democratic society. The promise that "Tomorrow will be better" will no longer be the monopoly wielded by traditional political authorities. Visionary leaders had better pay attention to this trend. They are riding the whirlwind of the new democracy. They have been given a chance to help Taiwan stand up.

Full Text Below:

Tomorrow is election day. The candidates’ campaigns have reached their last leg. This year’s nine in one elections involved broad segments of society. Local neighborhoods mobilized and participated. The election was characterized as a "skirmish before the 2016 presidential election." The appearance of all sorts of phenomenon during the election hinted at the bigger picture. A “new democracy” with the common man as its center debuted. Younger voices made themselves heard. Internet commentary and information played a new role.

Some people are skeptical about these developments. They may think "water can float a boat, but it can also sink it." In fact, this is one side of a two-sided coin. On the one hand, the convenience and openness of the Internet has given birth to a new democratic movement, one that has become a global trend. Politicians and decision-makers have not overlooked the phenomenon. On the other hand, cyberspace ethics remains primitive and undeveloped. Commentary on persons and issues is often distorted or exaggerated. Netizens have yet to exercise moderation or ensure balance.

We have all gotten an earful about "democracy" in recent years. Taiwan has undergone many ordeals. Democratization is perhaps a sign of progress. Universal suffrage is at its core. Today people regard "one man, one vote" as right and proper.  In theory this means equal rights. But the degree to which it has been implement remains in dispute. For example, certain demographics are politically apathetic. Certain underprivileged groups may lack access to information due to their economic circumstances. These silent constituents must not be taken for granted. The feasibility and necessity of absentee balloting remains a bone of contention. The same holds true for voting age restrictions on young people. All affect the right to political participation. During the recent campaign, President Ma said a majority of the public does not support the right of 18 year olds to vote. But even KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung petitioned for the right of 18 year olds to vote. Clearly democratization has shifted the boundaries of political participation and political constituencies. Younger voters are merely a tiny part of the equation.

Democratization in politics has been going on for some time. Technological revolution has imperceptibly brought about “economic democratization," as well as the democratization of everyday life. It has been quietly influencing and changing the conduct of ordinary people. Much attention has been devoted to the problem of Internet speech during this election. The chaos generated warrants concern. Electoral or judicial authorities should clarify the rules. On the other hand, Internet speech has challenged the mainstream media.  This is increasingly apparent. Everyone with a PC or a cellphone can now address the public. Recognized print or TV pundits no longer enjoy a media monopoly.

Take the recent "imperial subjects" controversy for example. Hau Pe-tsun later explained that the content of his talk was taken from Wikipedia. If it was in error, he was willing to apologize. Wen-Je Ko then quipped, "Congratulations. Uncle Hao has become a netizen." Set aside ideological differences for the moment. This incident shows the importance of orderly management of the Internet. This is an issue that we must continue to focus on in the future.

The global economy has been weak in recent years. Many regimes have been expressing concern for the "economics of the common man." In fact, technological and market forces popularized and democratized the economy long ago. For example Mainland China has its "Taobao." Who knew when it was established only eleven years ago, how many households it would influence, including those on Taiwan? It did more than turn Alibaba into a massive conglomerate. It is now known as "the world's greatest bazaar." Its business model connects self-employed sellers to distant buyers. People separated by physical distance and social differences can meet in cyberspace and complete their transactions. This interactive model includes the trendy concept of social networking. All these center on links between ordinary people. Naturally the effect will be to spread democratization. How can a traditional politician or authority possibly intervene?

Other examples of the democratization of economic life, They include Sweden’s IKEA, the world’s leading retail furniture manufacturer. Its founder began selling matches in the village when he was only five. He founded the company when he was only 17. The brand is rooted in the Swedish concept of a "People's House." It stresses "democratic design" principles. Another example harks from Japan. In recent years, Softbank president Sun Cheng-yi and clothing company UNIQLO founder Tadashi Yanai have taken turns as Japan’s wealthiest man. This demonstrates the power of today's technology and the popularization of the economics of the common man.

The outcome of the election remains uncertain. Politicians may still be obsessed with consolidating their blue or green support base, and with Taiwan's northern, central, or southern turf wars. But the common people are now the heart of the new democratic society. The promise that "Tomorrow will be better" will no longer be the monopoly wielded by traditional political authorities. Visionary leaders had better pay attention to this trend. They are riding the whirlwind of the new democracy. They have been given a chance to help Taiwan stand up.

乘著新民主的氣旋讓台灣向上提升
【聯合報╱社論】
2014.11.28 02:13 am

明天就是投票日，競選活動已進入最後衝刺階段。今年的九合一選舉，牽涉層面廣闊，下至地方鄰里的動員和投入，上則被形容為「二○一六總統大選前哨戰」。值得注意的是，選舉期間種種現象反映出某種大氛圍，一言以蔽之，一種以庶民為中心的「新民主」氣象隱然成為大勢所趨，包括年輕族群心聲受到重視，網路言論與訊息發揮了新的影響力……等等。

對這種現象，也有人抱持疑問，認為「水能載舟亦能覆舟」。事實上，這是一體之兩面：在一方面，因網路的便捷與開放帶來的新民主化運動，已成為全球趨勢，政治人物和決策者皆不可輕忽此一現象；在另一方面，網路世界的倫理架構尚未成熟，衡人論事不無失真失度、畸重畸輕，這有待所有使用者共同砥礪、彼此鞭策。

「民主」二字，大家聽得爛熟，尤其台灣近年的發展經驗，政治民主化可謂台灣的進步標記，普選為其核心手段。現今民眾視為天經地義的「一人一票」，理論上彰顯人權平等，但在執行層面還是有些落差和爭議點。例如，社會上不免存在著政治冷漠族群，或生活環境中資訊未能充分流通的弱勢團體，這些沉默者不能只被當成空氣看待。又如常受爭論的海外通訊投票的必要性和可行性爭議，以及年輕人的投票年齡限制等等，都屬政治參與權的議題。選舉期間，馬總統曾表示多數民意仍不支持十八歲即擁有投票權，但連國民黨立委丁守中都連署推動十八歲民眾應享有投票權的釋憲案，可見「民主化」力量讓民眾政治參與的板塊界線也在移動中，選民年輕化只是其中一環而已。

政治上的民主化早在實踐中，而不知不覺，科技革命帶來的「經濟民主化」，乃至日常生活的民主化，也已悄悄影響並改變了一般人的行為準則。像這次選舉中令人注意的網路言論問題，其亂象的確值得重視，選務或司法部門應該整理出若干規範。但另一方面，網路言論挑戰主流媒體的現象越來越普遍，可見社會發言的麥克風已瀰散至每一部電腦和每一支手機，不再是有知名度搏版面者或電視名嘴可獨享。

以最近的「皇民」風波為例，郝柏村後來說明其資訊來自維基百科，若有誤願致歉；柯文哲則打趣：「恭喜郝伯伯加入網路族」。若放下雙方的意識形態差異，光就從網路族群的「話題性」來看，這一事件足以成為社會趨勢觀察的一個註記。在此一背景下，網路秩序管理之重要，更是未來必須持續關注討論的議題。

近年因全球景氣疲弱，很多國家的執政者言之鑿鑿要關照「庶民經濟」，但經濟的平民化、民主化，其實早已隨科技和市場力量而野火燎原。例如中國大陸的「淘寶網」，誰能想像設立距今僅十一年，其影響力深入包括台灣在內的多少家戶，不只是造就阿里巴巴變成巨人企業集團而已。此一被譽為「世界上最偉大的集市」，其經營模式連結了本來獨立無依的個體戶賣家和遙遠的消費者買家，實體距離和社會位階可能成天南地北的雙方，在網路的虛擬空間產生交集，而完成交易。這種互動形式，包括近年來火紅的所謂「社會企業」概念，都是以庶民之間的連結為中心，當然會擴散出民主化效果，又怎會是傳統政治人物或權威領導者所能插手干預？

其他經濟生活民主化的例子，像是全球家具零售業龍頭的瑞典ＩＫＥＡ家具，其創辦人五歲時就在村子裡賣火柴，成立公司時年僅十七歲，品牌精神源自於瑞典「人民之家」的概念，至今強調「民主化設計」原則。又例如日本首富的排行，近年來在軟體銀行總裁的孫正義和平民服飾「優衣庫」（UNIQLO）創辦人的柳井正之間輪流擺動，都可見出當今科技力量和平民經濟的普及。

這次選舉不管結果如何，政治人物心裡可能還縈繞著藍綠鞏固地盤的念頭，或是台灣地理位置的北中南東的權力分界；但真正以庶民為中心的新民主氣氛已籠罩全社會，所謂的「明天會更好」不再會是由傳統的政治權力當局一手掌控。有遠見的領導者應留意這樣的大勢所趨，乘著新民主的氣旋，讓台灣掌握向上提升的機會。