[The World on the Page] There Is No Politics in 'Cider Remarks' and No Democracy in 'Abusive Language'

In Politics, Most 'Cider Remarks' Are Empty Promises or Abusive Language
Trapped by Abusive Rhetoric in Domestic Politics
Blocking Negotiation Through Dialogue and Dividing Society

There are many people in the world who like so-called ‘cider remarks.’ Words that clear the mind and actions that open the heart evoke a strange enthusiasm within us. The miracle of social contradictions, which have accumulated layer upon layer, being resolved by a leader’s single word, the disappearance of deeply entrenched corrupt practices, and the sudden evaporation of frustrating and painful grievances certainly captivates us. However, the dominance of ‘cider’ in politics is a clear sign that democracy is in crisis.

In politics, ‘cider remarks’ mostly appear in the form of empty promises or abusive language. How many people excite others by promising the impossible and later offer plausible excuses? When expectations inflated by lies repeatedly sink into disappointment, cynicism and disillusionment take hold of citizens’ hearts. When those who turn public promises (公約) into empty promises (空約) dominate the legislature, politics becomes a playground for pathological liars.

According to the Korean Political Science Association, in the last National Assembly election, the total number of pledges made by district candidates was 14,119, with an achievement rate of only 18.5%. More than half were promises that were never fulfilled or not even initiated.

The politics of abusive language is even more serious. Social networking services (SNS) like YouTube and Facebook are flooded with statements trapped in ‘our side bias,’ where “I am always right, and you are always wrong.” These people ignore clear facts, spread falsehoods to confuse others, and loudly call for retaliation and repression against political opponents. ‘Cider remarks’ are generally close to a continuum of abusive and outrageous speech.

Recently, we have seen some individuals who used abusive language as the currency of politics during the selection process of major party candidates ‘skyrocket’ and even receive nominations. Some of them had their nominations canceled due to strong opposition from civil society. However, if even one or two are elected and enter the legislature, we will witness a situation where an extreme minority pressures the silent majority, and the assembly is sullied by lowly remarks filled with abusive language and insults. The speeches of incumbent lawmakers are all recorded in the official transcripts, and traces of other candidates remain on the internet or SNS. If you want to drive out the democracy of abusive language, it would be good to look them up and read before voting.

‘Cider politics’ fundamentally undermines the basic premise of modern democracy. As British political thinker Thomas Hobbes discussed in ‘Leviathan,’ politics began as an effort to suppress the ‘war of all against all.’ Hobbes lived in an era when Europe was torn apart by religion and ideology, repeatedly killing each other in wars. Having witnessed the horrific ruins of war countless times, Hobbes saw the essence of politics in suppressing civil war and realizing peace. To do so, the entire civil society needed to restrain its desire for self-preservation and concede rights to establish a joint sovereign power to govern each other together.

The cover of ‘Leviathan’ depicts a huge and powerful ruler. However, this ruler is not a god-like being who judges, decides, and enforces everything alone. Upon closer inspection, the ruler’s body is made up of countless citizens. For Hobbes, politics is the method by which equal citizens form one body through a social contract. This opens the path toward modern democracy.

As shown well by heresy trials and the Crusades, medieval politics was a process of realizing divine justice that eradicated evil and realized good. Those trapped in this worldview cannot live with people who think differently. For them, difference is falsehood, lies, evil, and the cause of all suffering and misfortune. Therefore, medieval politics believed that social peace and order could not be achieved without eliminating or expelling those who think differently, and willingly branded them as heretics to burn or drown them.

Medieval people viewed politics as a matter of good and evil. Compromising with evil was akin to betraying God, so they could not avoid endless war with those who thought differently until the final day. When former U.S. President George Bush said, “We stand in the middle of a conflict between good and evil,” he regressed world politics and diplomacy. Because there can be no compromise with the ‘axis of evil.’ However, due to such straightforward remarks labeling Islam as evil, the world has lost stability and peace over the past 20 years and entered a path of terrorism and war. Politicians who spew ‘cider remarks’ and abusive language are leading us into the same trap.

‘Cider politics’ spews reckless words that provoke excessive emotions and stir unnecessary conflicts. Through their mouths, complex issues become simplified, subtle nuances on the ground are ignored, and reality is divided into a good-versus-evil frame. People addicted to such reckless speech and reduced to ‘fans’ forget the basic principles of modern politics: contracts through dialogue and compromise, that is, polite debates based on rational evidence, negotiations conducted by recognizing and considering the other party. They regard politics as medieval heresy trials. This demonizes those who think differently, divides society, polarizes politics, and normalizes a civil war state. They forget that the demon is the neighbor living next door or a colleague at work.

Currently, unfortunately, we are trapped in the politics of abusive language. Their fiery words show no respect for democratic norms, reject negotiation through dialogue, and lack concrete implementation plans. Exploiting the anxiety of citizens weary of life, they spew inflammatory abusive language and promise quick solutions to complex problems, plunging us into the hell of populism. Democracy is not about refreshing solutions that clear the mind but a process of achieving governance that most can agree on through consensus and adjustment, though everyone is somewhat dissatisfied. There is no politics in cider. In the upcoming election, I hope politicians who have forgotten that power is not monopolized but shared disappear.

Jang Eun-su, Publishing Culture Critic

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.