We're not all equal

By David Tizzard

David Tizzard

Some of us animals are obviously more equal than others. First acknowledging that and then working out the ramifications is often difficult, however.

Let's take my mate. We'll call him Gary.

Gary is a good lad. He's warm-hearted, smart, takes care of himself physically, and is always looking to improve his many skills. We both live and work here in South Korea.

For the purpose of this piece, there are two things that separate us: our jobs and our relationship status.

Despite the pandemic gripping the country, I have been able to maintain all of my jobs: As a professor at two universities, a columnist here, a guest on the radio, and a proofreader. This has meant that my income has been maintained.

I am aware how fortunate that is and don't say it lightly. This is no humblebrag. In fact, because of the increased attention on South Korea, I have probably done even more work than ever with international media appearances.

Gary, however, has struggled. He hasn't been paid since February. His jobs have been taken away from him. New ones have been denied. The stress this has caused as he looks for ways to pay rent and bills is tangible.

One of his interests is the production, distribution, and knowledge of local drinks such as makkoli. His passion for Korean culture, cuisine, and traditional methods is well-known and has seen him appear at various public events discussing it. Yet, that too has become a well run dry at this time.

We both work hard. Both found jobs which we enjoy. Yet only one of us is now being paid. Neither of us would have predicted this 6 months ago. Lady Luck came calling and drew a line between us.

And then our relationships. Gary is younger and fitter than me. His relationship sees him with a lovely young lady and they have been courting for a while. I'm married to an equally lovely Korean lady.

Our differing relationships, however, have meant that while my family has received 1.4 million won in government support, Gary has received nothing.

We have both paid our taxes, learned the language, and treated people with respect and dignity. Yet the situation between us becomes exacerbated even further.

Again, this is not equal. And it does not seem fair.

We are perhaps caught once more having to weigh up which we value more: equality or liberty? Can we have both? Is such a thing possible? Or do we always ultimately end up with the French Terrors and the pigs controlling the farms?

Less philosophically, it makes one realize that whatever our outlook, they are all likely to be highly influenced by our relative position in society. The professors will be reacting very differently from the flight attendants and the huge cinema chains will likely be opposed to the local supermarkets and online shopping malls. Self-interest will pull us all in different directions.

Is it possible (even desirable) to abandon such self-interest and instead live for a common or social good?

This was Tocqueville's worry when looking at the democracy in America. A republic built on social interest had the opportunity to do great things; one built on materialist self-interest had the possibility of eating itself.

So what of South Korea in this situation? How does it handle difficult questions that arise daily: Should the social distancing guidelines continue? Should schools go back? Should foreigners receive government support if they live, work, and pay taxes here? Should media print or report certain things?

Are Gary and I likely to have the same answers to these things? Or will our relative positions influence us and thus produce differences as we seek to promote our own self-interest?

How about some Rawls' "veil of ignorance" to solve the problem?

What if we had to make decisions and form opinions about society going forward not knowing whether we were currently working or stressing about where our next pay check comes from, whether we were living in an Gangnam apartment or a crowded dormitory, Korean or foreign, male or female, straight or gay, you or Gary?

Rawls' thought experiment is an interesting one but sadly that's all it is. It doesn't address the reality of the situation here in South Korea. And, the reality is, we are not all living equally. Whether we should be or not is a different question and perhaps one for a different column.

The point of this one is to stress that whenever you feel you are absolutely sure in your views of the government, their handling of the situation, the opposition, the people in Itaewon, the teachers, the kids, the banks, or the chaebol, stop and ask yourself, "What would Gary think?"

Because ultimately, we are all Gary to someone else.

And I am the Walrus, obviously.

David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University where he teaches Korean Studies and an adjunct professor at Hanyang University lecturing in World History and Political Science. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.