When Justice is Serving the Interest of the Stronger

98121314 Hannah Ho

Justice is serving the interest of the stronger. This is Thrasymachus’s well known assertion in Plato’s Republic I, 338c-347e. Whether Socrates had successfully refuted it or not, law of the jungle (弱肉強食）is applied in human societies as usual. The totalitarian rulers or capitalists wear the mask of justice, make the world operate and benefit themselves. However, the weaker is not always in a vulnerable position. They will unite, collaborate, and fight for their rights. The flare up of 2010 Arab Spring and 2011 Occupy Wall Street are good examples of the weaker striving for their deprived interest.

As human societies come to a global village, the application of “Justice is serving the interest of the stronger” has become more complicated, but it is all the same as the jungle law. That is, in the negotiation tables, the stronger country has more power to threaten the weaker one and get most interests, leaving a few for the weaker. The weaker sometimes will fight back fiercely. 2008, there were 2300 times protests in South Korea against the open door policy for U.S. beef. Ironically, South Korea imported U.S. beef more than any other country on the first season 2010. It seems that the South Korean are not merely against the controversial U.S. beef, but mainly against the threat from U.S. Parliament.
   

March 2012, as law of the jungle moves on, Taiwan government and people face the dilemma of opening door for ractopamine-containing （瘦肉精） U.S. beef.  Disapproval and approval come from opposite campaigns. Official documents and scholars’ opinions differ. Under this circumstance of the multi-wrestling, do the weaker civilian population only have one pattern of behaviors: feeling furious first, then being disappointed, finally accepting it? Is it possible for the weaker to challenge the stronger as the Egyptian did on 2011 revolution? The answer is: Yes. If it is possible in Arab Spring,  it is possible around the world. Here comes the question: how is it possible?

In my opinion, as justice is serving the interest of the stronger, the weaker have to reverse the situation. That is, the weaker need to educate and train themselves to be the stronger. In twenty-first century--internet world, the stronger cannot hold the resources all in their hands. Take the issue of 

opening door for ractopamine-containing U.S. beef as an example. There was a piece of CNN news on  March 13, 2012. titled “Too much red meat may shorten lifespan.” This is a research of Harvard School of Public Health which encouraged people to avoid eating red meat in order to live longer and healthier. The research results surely would give people more knowledge in selecting food. This kind of practical knowledge will help the weaker get strength and become stronger, so that they may not be sacrificed under law of the jungle.