Where to build the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has been in dispute for
quite a while now and the country is still divided on this issue. The
proposed location is Gong-liao village on the eastern coast of Taiwan,
yet its native residents, supported by environmental groups, are sharply
against the choice. The argument has become so complex that some are
suggesting that a national referendum be held to decide the issue. This
may look just and fair; yet in reality, it may only cover up the play of
power in the decision-making process.
I once read a story, 「The Lottery,」 by Shirley
Jackson, which describes a ritual Lottery in a little village that is
held every year in early summer to ensure a good harvest later. The
villagers go through a complicated process of picking out the chosen
household, and then picking out the individual, who would be stoned to
death on the spot by the rest of the village. Interestingly, the whole
process is participated by every member of the village, both adults and
kids. I think it is because they want to make sure that all members of
the village share the responsibility of this cruel deed, so that no one
would be able to challenge the tradition, since everyone has played a
part in it. So, in the story, no matter how strongly the victim
protests, she is still put to death by the community as a whole.
Likewise, A referendum by all the citizens in
Taiwan may seem to be a fair thing to do. After all, isn』t it the
golden rule that the minority should accept the decision of the majority
after a vote? Yet when the opinion of most people--people whose lives
will not be harmed by the choice-- says 「yes」, that means the villagers
of Gong-liau have been selected to suffer the result. Under the name
of democracy, they would have no way to reject the decision. In that
sense, such a complicated ad expensive process of the referendum is only
used to make all citizens share the responsibility for making such a
choice.
With the help of the story 「The Lottery,」 we can
see that the solemn and complicated process of the lottery was carried
out to rationalize the cruelty and senselessness of the stoning, just as
the referendum over the construction of the nuclear plant is only a
formality to justify the already-decided choice of location. The
justice of procedure often is no justice at all.