[FOUNTAIN]The illusion and substance of policies

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[FOUNTAIN]The illusion and substance of policies

Illusion is vain. When an illusion is trying to become a reality, it is even more vain. Illusion itself has no power, but the illusionist can be powerful. When an illusion moves a person, it becomes reality.
The illusion of Don Quixote originates from his choice of images over facts. There were dozens of windmills clustered in the field. In the windmills, Don Quixote saw a mythical giant with 50 heads and 100 arms. So he mounted his old horse, put on his helmet, and attacked the giant armed with his spear and shield.
After he was caught and thrown to the ground, he came up with another theory. The windmills were nothing but a front, and were essentially an evil giant. He insisted the giant was disguised as windmills.
Don Quixote’s illusion ended after his horse’s back was broken and his servant was confused. However, the illusions of politicians in real life can make the public insecure and ruin society.
The latest battlefields of illusions can be found in the National Assembly’s audit of the administration. The most notable is the controversy over “leftist” economic policies. The administration is doing all it can to counter the accusation, but the opposition Grand National Party claims the current administration is pursuing leftist economic policies and demands the government admit it. What dominates the minds of the opposition politicians must be the leftist image of the government, not the substance of the policies themselves.
If not, they wouldn’t have cited investment restrictions, which where imposed during the Chun Doo Hwan administration, and real estate control measures, which were tighter during the Roh Tae-woo administration, as evidence.
They once asked the administration not to make personnel decisions according to the “code.” Now they are asking not to disturb code-based appointments. The confusion is a product of the fight against illusions.
In the real world, there is no substance and no shell. Countless elements with various degrees of power interact with one another. The idea that the world can be perceived by images and that the substance lies beyond the image might sound clever, but it cannot evolve much from pessimistic conspiracy theories. The futility of the fight against an illusion can be often found among Uri Party leaders, who like to call the opposition party Cold War-era conservatives.


by Chun Young-gi

The writer is a deputy political news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
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