Issue Paper-Developing Economics or Maintaining Social Fairness

     The question of whether to develop a country’s economics or to maintain social fairness has long been a contentious problem for Taiwan. The controversy was established on whether it is morally acceptable to benefit the majority people and disadvantage the minors? Moreover, ordinary citizens hold solid believe that developing economics somehow equals to public welfare deprivation.
     There had been many arguments proclaimed, believing that the government should do everything to protect the equality among the people. However, the question arises on the definition of social fairness. It is obvious that no one wants to be the victim and be deprived while the others benefit from the result. Although the reality shows that both developing economics and social fairness could not be completely balanced. For example, when the Taiwanese government attempts to sign the EFCFA with the Chinese government many people protested on the street; it may seems to bring economic prosperity to the people, but in the same time sentenced a death penalty on the Taiwanese traditional industries, such as the towel industry. Therefore, it seems for the ordinary citizens that an ideal administration should always consider equality as the ultimate goal.

     Furthermore, it also reveals the ill-favored truth that without a firm economy as basic foundation there would be no social fairness. It is simple to understand this concept by thinking that if a country does not have a well-functioned economic system, how could it provide job opportunities for the needed and how could it watch over the underprivileged minority. Here, the cruel reality had exposed itself by emphasizing that fortune is the exact solution for it. For instance, when the great economic recession stroke the world back in the past years; many people were driven out of their job and were depended on the country’s pension. What if then the country were poor and were not capable of distributing out pensions for the needed. If that happened to be the case, the whole idea of the social fairness will not be considered that much. 
     To make a short conclusion, we can assume that there is no true social fairness existed in the world. It is impossible to have everyone to stand on the equal bases. Sacrifices have to be made in order to assure the welfares of the majority. Hence, the whole theory of equality and social fairness are to be designated to be idealism. Although many people claimed that why should certain people suffer while the rest benefit; it is without doubt a serious and sad problem to be discussed but the economic theory of “Opportunity Cost” might provide some explanation to support this concept. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines the economic theory “Opportunity Cost” as "the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen". Briefly, what it means is that if we had to make a choice between the choices, we should always choose the one that provides the less cost.


Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVCgnuAH9Zg
http://jingji.cntv.cn/20100314/101897.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost