In a country ruled by a military dictatorship, for instance, the citizens cannot choose their political leaders.
When the people of such a country face hardships in their lives and try to protest against the government, they may be suppressed by the military or police forces.
This suppression can lead to acts such as genocide, arrests, detention, and torture.
Therefore, it would be unfair to blame them for a lack of spirit just because they couldn’t achieve their demands.
Fortunately, in present-day Japan, each citizen has the right (and the right to reject) to choose politicians.
Nearly one hundred million eligible voters select just a few hundred members of the national parliament.
The citizens are overwhelmingly in a favorable position against those in power.
However, despite the prevalence of exploitative structures in various aspects of life and a continuous increase in the number of people living in poverty, the populace has been trusting inept policymakers for many years.
While some may choose to go to the polling stations and cast their votes responsibly, roughly half of the eligible voters don’t even have the intention to exercise this crucial right.
In local elections, voter turnout is even lower.
This is not even a matter of political apathy; it seems to be an expression of the sentiment, “No matter how difficult it gets, I will endure it, so please govern as you like. I entrust everything to you. I don’t need the hassle of things like voting rights.”
Is it not an expression of such a sentiment?
Due to the overwhelming burden of the democratic system, one abandons the exercise of their rights.
There lies a submissive posture to those in power, marked by a lazy attitude.
Even if there is hidden anger within, if one lacks the courage to express it, it might be deemed as cowardice.
However, it goes beyond that level; the individual has completely lost their will.
They do not think for themselves, do not make judgments independently, and do not act responsibly.
What can we say about a person who, when deciding on their actions, relies entirely on the surrounding atmosphere, precedents, and instructions from those in power?
Can we not describe it as the ultimate moral decay, having discarded the dignity of being human?
It is difficult for individuals who have fallen into such voluntary submission to regain freedom, spontaneity, autonomy, a sense of agency, critical awareness, and the ability to question.
However, there is little evidence of pessimism among them.
Rather, they seem to find comfort in their state of voluntary submission, almost as if they have consciously chosen that position for themselves.
The parents, teachers, and bosses of those who have acquired voluntary submission have themselves embraced and practiced this way of life.
They wholeheartedly believe, without any basis, that enduring any tyranny from those in power is the best choice.
In situations where direct instructions are not given, they act based on their assumptions of the true feelings and intentions of those in power.
Those who question these pathological habits and beliefs are regarded with disdain and must be prepared for discomfort in Japanese society.
Therefore, it becomes easier to go with the flow like a jellyfish.
Such a state of thoughtlessness becomes fertile ground for political dictators to emerge.
For individuals with an inappropriate attitude of indolence in modern society, freedom is an excessively burdensome concept.
They lack even the intention to acquire freedom.
In every sense, they have lost courage.
Those who voluntarily submit lose their vitality, becoming submissive and lethargic, making it impossible to create new values.
They endure exploitation without resistance, even choosing to end their own lives when cornered.
They heed the commands of those in power, willingly sacrificing themselves in pointless military service.
They don’t protest even when faced with the consequences of the ruler’s misjudgments, such as a major nuclear disaster, and do not demand measures to prevent recurrence.
There lies the true image of a slave who debases themselves.
For those in positions of governing power, such indolent citizens are indeed highly convenient.
If they can render the democratic system ineffective or dysfunctional, it opens up opportunities for dictatorship.
There is no shortage of strategies to tame the pitiful flock of sheep and keep them as information weaklings, all aimed at solidifying the permanence of voluntary submission.
Democracy is indeed a cumbersome system.
It requires every citizen’s attention, and it demands a capability for learning.
To avoid irreparable consequences for the country in the future, citizens must be aware of the heavy responsibility imposed on them and take it upon themselves.
