Life   of   Tara 

   Democracy and Capitalist economy (3)

    07/02/2013

（最近の日本政府による金融緩和政策は、経済停滞から抜け出るための資本主義
　経済における常套手段です。しかし長期的に見ると我々は様々な苦難に直面せ
　ざるを得ません。新たな経済社会システムを模索する長い道のりが続きます。）

 It has been colder during the year change period than usual. A place around Tara
is much colder than flat land. Therefore, I have to be careful of driving up to Tara
because a trail up to Tara freezes up. However, I can enjoy snowy landscape from
Tara sometimes in such a season. Furthermore, in this season, I have not much
work to do at Tara. So I can relax there reading books, looking at a splendid view
and thinking of what I ought to think now. 　
 The Japanese government has strengthened easy monetary policy recently.
As a result, share prices are rising up rapidly and the yen keeps weakening.
Therefore, shareholders and export-oriented companies receive much benefit from
these phenomena temporally.
 Among intellectuals and scholars, there are some people who insist that the easy
monetary policy losing touch with the real economy is very dangerous because it
endangers the value of Japanese government bond and makes Japanese economy
plunge into serious depression. Indeed, this opinion is right in a sense.
 But capitalist economy is closely connected with the easy monetary policy naturally.
In order to raise the economy, the government encourages corporate investment
by distributing a lot of money. Such an approach is a technique that has been
done in all capitalist countries. Raising the economy and also making the real
economy upward without such a technique is quite difficult actually because it
accompanies various law revision and the frictions. 　
 However, in taking the long-term view, we have no choice but to address various
difficult problems such as the law revision for inflow of young workers from foreign
countries, the law revision for pension and medical system, and people's harsh life for
fiscal austerity.
 In that situation, we have to search for the framework of international economic
method instead of the framework of capitalist economy. But in order to realize such
a framework, we have to prepare ourselves for a far longer and severe road.

   Democracy and Capitalist economy (2)

    23/01/2013

（グローバル化した資本主義経済は、もはや限られた地域や国々で問題を解決

　することはできません。私たちの富の拡張が世界のどこかで貧困の深化につ

　ながっているかもしれません。）

 Last time, I told about a capitalist society as follows. That is, a capitalist
society which glorifies democracy was an inevitable society in which human beings
have arrived. Marx found out a possibility of new society on the premise of that fact.
However it has become quite difficult to find out such a prospect due to the collapse
of the Soviet Union. One of the reason for the collapse is that it is not easy to lead
people to an ideal society only by political power than we expected. Internal factional
struggles, corruption scandals and gaps in status due to iron-fist rule spread out.
Furthermore, socialistic controlled economy system which limits commodity circulation
and money economy delayed the accumulation of wealth and the economic
development than economy system of capitalist states. As a result, the collapse
of the Soviet Union and the abnormal social system of China have come into
the world. 　　　　 　
 Then, has it been already impossible that a new society which is alternative
to the present capitalist society comes to being? Is capitalist society a human

society which is much better as a best development stage than other past social

systems? The world has ever exulted in the collapse of Berlin Wall. But has the

world ridden on the rising current toward the maturing of democracy so far? It is said

that among the people who live in the past East Berlin now, people who miss

the life of the day of Socialism are increasing. On the other hand, among the

people who live in the past West Berlin, working people who suffer mental diseases

due to a hardworking life in tense situations are increasing despite enjoying the

economic prosperity.

 And,Cuba continues her course for Socialism as ever though she is adopting

commodity economy gradually.
　
 That is, even a capitalist society which rules our daily lives has a lot of problems
to solve yet. The terrorist attack in Algeria has brought many victims including
Japanese recently. Terrorism is a sad affair and is never forgivable, but in the
background, there are a lot of agonies of African people who have no choice but
spend a poor life without finding exit for resolution.
 In this globalised world, we cannot tell that our society has nothing to do with
such a gap between rich and poor. Today, a capitalist society itself is an economic
society on the premise of globalization. Especially enterprises in advanced
countries have fierce competitions each other all over the world aiming at new demand,

cheap labor resources and natural resources.
 Behind the scenes, lives of people who cannot lead a sufficient life even tomorrow
are generated all over the world. A friend of mine is Esperantist in Tanzania.
She wrote to me as follows. That is, they have been able to live by agriculture
in their own way despite poor before. But now, she cannot earn enough money
to breed her family though she works hard all day long as a nurse at the hospital.
Such a situation has been deteriorating day by day in Tanzania.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 　

 Wealth is increasing somewhere. At the same time, unexpected poverty is also
increasing somewhere. Some people take over lands and resources somewhere
in order to increase more wealth. For that reason, somewhere, some people are
forced out of their land, lose their bread and butter and are obliged to lead a poor
life. These phenomena are the result which a globalised capitalist society brought
too.
 Then, what do we ought to do in such a world? Should we reject all value systems
and the organization which defend capitalist society and should we take part
in political movement somewhere? However, there is no use trying to persuade
people to do so by either-or choice. Each person finds each one’s agony and peace
and lives each one’s life under each one’s circumstances. There are people
who made their efforts earnestly and reached to a comfortable life at last even
in the present world. Nobody has right to persuade such people by saying that
such their lives are mirage and that they should participate our political movement.
 Thus, the movement trying to transform a present society into a better one cannot
but take plenty of time and advance gradually. 　

 Nevertheless, some people come to think from the bottom of their hearts as follows.
That is, something looks odd if their present lives continue as they are. Only
emptiness is growing there, in which they cannot reach to their original selves.
While such people increase even a little, a social transformation advances despite
taking time. Of course, there will be a case that such a movement is accelerated
by some cue. At that time, a strong personality who responds to such a movement
of times keenly and leads people to fight will appear somewhere and he might
lead us in our own convincing way. Such series of movement taking time was nothing
less than human history. 　
 Then, we recall Merleau-Ponty’s words which I introduced last time, here. 　
That is, the present relative fight is an absolute fight itself. In a fight which aims
at a better society, we should prepare ourselves for spending excessive amount
of time to fight under the circumstance where various problems of our society conflict
intricately. Therefore, a person who takes a central role in such a fight has to fight
in the conviction that he can realize himself truly by participating in the movement

though the goal is still far. Contrary to this, If he expects the society at which he aims

can be realized at once, he cannot do a true fight and also cannot complete

self-realization. 　 　

 Therefore, a present relative fight is an absolute fight as it now stands.
Fighting now itself is all of the fight towards the future. Each person who fights
has to grasp this feeling only in each one’s life. An idea of equality as the same
old routine in this democratic society will disappear there in a sense.
 And a hierarchal connection of heart or a hierarchal structure where we are ruled
by a person who can do noble behavior truly revives there. Because human beings
are originally provided with such hierarchal structure. People who can find their
original hierarchal position there will be able to realize a true fulfilling human
combination now there and will be able to continue to fight.
 When the international communist movement still moved a part of the world,
French philosopher understood a true sense of fight there in this way.
　　　 　
 History is moving all of the time holding various problems. Capitalist society and
also democratic society which is coupled with it are an obvious fact at which human
beings arrived. At the same time, these societies cannot but change toward the
future while holding various contradictions.
And connecting with such a social movement, history creates also a personality
who seeks a solution for this movement, toward the future.
 Eventually, being inspired by such a personality, we will have no choice but to
become sensitive to a social or world movement which comes to hang heavily

over an individual or a family in our daily life. 　
 
　　 

   Democracy and Capitalist economy (1)

    17/12/2012

（資本主義経済に基づく我々の民主主義社会は今までの人類の社会形成のなかで
　どのように位置づけたら良いのか。そこで我々はどのように生きているのか。
　そんなことを今後数回にわたって考えてみたいと思います。）

 Democracy is sustained by market economy. Market economy is a sign of one
of the metabolism of our society. Its ultimate form is a capitalist economy. We
have discussed capitalist economy since Marx published ‘The Capital’. However
we have not discussed capitalist economy any longer since the Soviet Union
collapsed. Can we get over a capitalist economy in the future? Is a new economic
system possible instead of a capitalist economy? Can’t Marx’s theory give us a
meaningful solution to a capitalist economy any more? These questions are difficult
to answer. That is because a capitalist economy was an inevitable development
as Marx said. However Marx said that ultimate wealth which was established by
capitalist society enables a revolutionary change of society. But capitalist economy
has not been able to solve the gap between rich and poor all over the world
as ever despite its ultimate accumulation of wealth.
 Then, can we find a clue about solution of such a situation? Is democracy which
is sustained by capitalist economy an eternal social system? 　
 At first we should think that capitalist economy is the result which is rooted in the
social nature of human. The social nature of human generated money economy
and has formed human society as market economy society. Democracy has
developed just based on market economy.
 Plato told about democracy in his work ‘The Republic’ as follows. That is, in a
democracy, people can get the freedom from all compulsion of holding office in
such a city-state, even if you are qualified. Isn’t such a life a heavenly and delicious
entertainment for the time being? People who live there care nothing about the
way of life of a man who turns to politics and about what he carried out, but
people honor him if only he says that he loves the people! And it is the ‘public in

general’ who compose the third class. This class consists of people who live by

working for themselves, don't want to participate in political affairs and don't

possess their property very much. This class becomes the largest and most potent

group in a democracy when it meets in assembly. 　
 I think such Plato’s idea about democracy is quite suitable even in this modern
society. However he considered democracy as a social system which we should
get over. But I think various problems about democracy are more complicated
than Plato thought.
　
 Today, in Japan, Lower House general election was held. Voter turnout fell
short of 60%. But 40% of electorate are never blamed due to their relinquishment
of right. That fact never means that they are unconcerned about politics.
In a democratic society, people do not need to vote if they don’t want to vote
despite their interest about politics. I will not try to blame their act like mass
media. That fact is just democracy. And democracy is based on a capitalist society.
I never try to explain that such a society is bad. Such society is cold fact. We never
advance argument as to a future human society as long as we refuse this cold fact.
Such is human. Such is human society. When we discuss the potential problems
of capitalist economy for human, we should start from such cold fact. 　
 Then, is fighting for a better human society completely meaningless? That is not
such a thing at all, I think. Merleau-Ponty, a French philosopher, said that the
importance of Marxism revolutionary movement exist in the idea that the relative
movement was an absolute movement itself.
 I will write about this idea some other time again. 　

   Nevertheless

    21/11/2012

（さわやかな秋の空を眺めながら、宗教について考えてみました。

　日本語訳は、やまぼうしブログに掲載しましたのでご覧ください。）

 Seeing clear autumn sky spreading at the front of Tara, I thought about
religion. One of my e-mail friends of Esperanto lives in Ukraine. She is
as old as me and an earnest Christian. She lives caring for her mother
who is 87 years old. Furthermore, both she and her mother are deaf-mutes.
They seems to live a modest life. Nevertheless, she says that she is not
unhappy because she has been learning the Bible as a Christian of the
Jehovah’s Witnesses from the age of 24. The activities of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses are subject to various prejudices in Japan. Nevertheless, she
told me about her circumstances and religious faith definitely. On that basis,
she teaches me about the Bible earnestly.
 However I won't become a Christian and I am in the circumstances where
I can think about various religions. Nevertheless, I never think that I am
spending the better life compared with her. 　

  I have appreciated a modern French philosopher ever and used to read
his many books. Someday, I read his book in which he argued with a
Catholic priest. He criticized the priest persuasively too much about
something. However, the priest said to him, “I have no choice but to become
silent about that.” Then, saying that the priest had no choice but to escape
from a sincere argument by silence, the philosopher poked fun at the priest’s
behavior. So, I came to hate the philosopher since I read the scene of this
book.
 Each religion has each scriptures. As for scriptures, believers may be more
persuasive than the philosopher. Nevertheless, they keep silent in a sense
because they can say about nothing but their scriptures. The original words
of religion is symbolic representation. So, in some cases, they have no
choice but to keep silence against the various interpretations which
philosophers like. 　　 　
 The Christian of Ukraine wrote to me as follows. That is, there are tens of
thousands of religion except Christianity in the world. We should respect
each person who believes each religion. Nevertheless, she sent me the
phrases in the Bible in a detached tone. She told me that she wanted me
to read her e-mail by my own interpretation as long as I had time to read it.
She seemed to tell me as if she could not help expressing her real intention
only by such words because she had already entered her religious career.
That is, she told me with a kind of silent words. 　
 On the other hand, there are intellectuals who depend on scientific
intention and on their intellectual ability having nothing to do with religion.
They live a life with feeling of superiority to people who believe religion.
Nevertheless, they also only believe science and their intelligence. 　

 Religion has been a social norm and a bastion of moral life for people all
over the world since ancient times. Our lives are limited. Among these
limited lives and deaths, we live coming across various happiness and
unhappiness. In such a situation, people try to inquire about the meaning
of events which happened to them. Furthermore, they try to find out their
true road to live seriously. Persons of noble religious character have been
born and brought up from there. And they spread their teachings about
the way to send a life in this severe world. That is, the hardships are
originally nobody’s fault. We should survive them as a fate given to us.
 Thus, not theory but a solid belief has become a silent word and has
stayed in the bottom of people’s mind.
 That is the original point of birth of religion, I think.　 　

 Be faithful to your feeling

    09/10/2012

（自分の感情や感覚に忠実であること。そこからすぐに望ましい結果が生

　まれなくとも、そこでの戦いから、やがて本来の自分に戻っていく道筋

　も自ずから見えてくるものです。）

 Once upon a time, I fell madly in love with a woman. So, I intended to live
with her. However, I strongly felt that doing so was a most fearful thing
for me. Strangely enough, that feeling occurred to me as much as three
times. And the feeling was so strong that it made me tremble.
 I greatly suffered these two intense feelings. That is, I wanted to live with

her and on the other hand, I wanted to get free from such a strong fear.

Both were true feelings for me. I was struggling with these feelings.

However it is thanks to the battle at that time that I exist as what I am now.

 It was true that I had loved her madly. And also it was true that I had been

convinced that I could never marry her. By accepting these two truth, I

have been able to return to the original self and have been able to get the

rich mind.

 I remember a Turkish movie. In that movie, a man raped a woman in the
train. So, he was arrested. He told the police that he had no choice but to
do so. Did he carry out the deed which he regarded as his original deed?
What did it mean for the woman raped by him? To be sure, his act is an act
which should never be allowed. However, a director of this movie was
focusing a camera on his face staying motionless when he confessed that
he had had no choice but to rape her. I was greatly moved by that scene.
 Indeed, he committed a crime but he was obliged to obey his feeling.
However, he seemed to have started a severe fight for searching for his
original self.
 I won't believe the intelligence which is not faithful to the feeling. I won't
believe the wisdom which does not suffer the feeling and does not return
to the original self from that feeling. I hate the intellectual who only has
knowledge for beating others or for a sense of superiority to others.
 It is important for you to be faithful to your feeling.
 Your feeling will guide you to a true road despite a long walk.

 

A model sailing vessel in a bottle

    18/09/2012

（未知の荒波へ！あなたはこんなところにいるべきではない、本来の奉仕

とは無縁の享受の世界を離れて、勇気を持って真の創造の世界を切り開い

ていくべきだ。かってそう教えてくれた女性がいました。）

 There is a model sailing vessel in a bottle in my study room. That is a
gift item which my parents were presented by their friend. I am amazed at
how skillfully it was built in such a small bottle. A tablecloth under
the bottle is a present in return which a woman, who worked with me at
the prefectural government office, gave me when she had got married to
my friend.
 One day, she told me that I should not work in such a place like our office.
The world of local government official was a world of receiving the full
benefit. That was a world far from an original world to live a humble life of
service. That was a world where we were able to get everything if we
intended to get rank and honor. We were satisfied there saying each other
that we had received such a splendid thing or had got acquainted with
such a person in a high position. However we cannot see true things at all
from such a life of expecting to receive the full benefit.
 "You should embark on a raging wave in the ocean, a true creative
world, from such a present life." She taught to me in this way.
 I always remember that fact while looking at this sailing vessel in a bottle.

 Human beings embarked on the unknown world with such a vessel during
the Age of Exploration. But now, anywhere, there are full of information we
know, by globalization.
 However there is still the unknown world in our mind. Can I grasp such a
world while I am living? Or is it a human being's life since ancient
times that he ends his life by only knowing that there is such an unknown
world?
 I ended up working at the office till retirement age and my life already
runs short. But I feel like grasping something which gazes at us between
our life and death. I don't know whether I can grasp such a thing truly.
 At the Age of Exploration, human beings believed that there was an
unknown world where a dreadful devil lived in a half of the earth . So, even
in this present world, there must be an unknown world which we ought
to know.
 Therefore, I must not forget her words. That is, I should not stay in such
a place as prefectural government office. I should not end my life as it is

despite my short remaining life.
 I think an unknown ocean still hides out in the bottom of each mind.

      

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