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(4) The limit of “symptomatic treatment”
Facing such realities, we have two ways that we could take. One is to go on without changing the framework of the 20th-century society and intensify the “symptomatic treatment” approach in order to avoid a critical moment. The other is to build a society that is free from crisis itself, by fundamentally re-constructing the social framework.
In my view, we have so far made enormous efforts on “symptomatic treatment” without fundamentally changing the existing social framework, based on a largely groundless sense of security that the critical moment is a long way off. We have hitherto experienced numerous countermeasures, policies, and movements, such as poverty programs, antipollution measures, welfare- and medical policies, measures to address the aging population, environmental measures, and peace movements. We must admit that these measures, no matter how noble their ideals may be, have functioned in reality as “symptomatic treatment” in order to maintain the framework of the 20th-century society.
But now politics, calling for a small government as a direct result of fiscal deficit, is about to withdraw from all kinds of “symptomatic treatments” against social contradictions, as shown by the curtailment of spending on welfare, medical care, and support on the socially vulnerable. And now the crises of society and of environment are approaching the decisive moment. Now is the moment when we must choose the other way, i.e., building a society free from crisis itself, by fundamentally re-constructing the social framework. No matter how hard that may seem, that is the only way we could survive.
To table of contents (English)
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(Date published / 公開日： 12/26/2020)
(Date last updated / 最終改訂日: 5/13/2021)
