Whether or not CHA-CHA succeeds to capture Filipinos everywhere I think is irrelevant. Reading Philippine Election Journal is a breath of fresh blogging air. Why? Janette has a very interesting post on Putting Young Blood in Congress. Which is exactly what every Filipino interested in real change should strive for.
I agree that it is a romantic notion. We need smart people to solve our problems rather than pointing out what’s wrong. We need people interested in looking for creative and constructive ways to push for the future. And when we look at how government does it today— it is quite easy to be depressed at how clueless they are are and how uninterested they are beyond their own self-interest.
That shouldn’t stop people.
Minus points of the idea:
- Those who are advocating for bloggers election coverage may not be able to participate as suggestion of names maybe perceived as personal endorsement of a potential politician candidate. Although I guess if one is transparent about it, at least readers will know where the blogger is coming from.
- The identified “young blood” maybe qualified but are they politically-savvy enough? We’ve seen young blood in Congress or Senate shooting themselves at the foot for not observing proper protocol and too damn rookie to play within the process as Congress or Senate still requires a lot of inter-personal politicking to move an agenda forward.
- Will these identified young blood stand a chance if they are not part of a political party that has an established political machinery? Or are these young blood part of a political wing already?
Let me add a few more negatives against the idea. A lot of people have been arguing that they can’t run simply because, they don’t have money. That the system doesn’t permit new blood. And all these “nos” bring people down. If the system permitted the change we want, this blog and many like it wouldn’t exist. The country wouldn’t be in this predicament.
I know it sounds particularly childish and immature to point out. When the world’s problem seem to be too much for one hero alone to handle— they turn to the Justice League. A Team. That’s exactly what Filipinos need right now. No– not a justice league but a team of people interested in solving problems and opening up the future.
I think part of the answer to all those negatives cited is to build up an infrastructure. It could be a Party-List as Arbet raised a few days ago or Better Political Parties or something else. It doesn’t have to be HUGE. But just as important is the face— the candidate, I think would be the people running the show behind that person. To bring a candidate over the top, he or she needs to be part of a team. He or she needs financing, and he or she needs marketing. He or she needs organization behind the scenes. And the candidate and the people behind him or her have to be equally real and captivating.
Obama couldn’t have won alone. He had the most awesome political organization in recent American history. And he needs collaboration and organization to bring forward his campaign promises.
People have been calling for a Revolution. The political landscape is tied up to who knows who that it is hard to change this system. Ultimately it becomes a choice of whether or not people are interested in real change. This is the kind of Revolution that we need to have. It is a revolution that starts with every Filipino. It is the kind of revolution that gives people— each and every Filipino to take destiny by their own hand and steer this nation to where ever they deem fit.
It could start small, one district at a time. Because let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that change can happen over night. However it happens, the primary goal that can not be forgotten, the most sacred tenant is that our people’s faith, their loyalty, their trust in their candidate has to be rewarded. No matter how little.
We need smart people to engineer that victory. We need infrastructure and teamwork to bring forward an agenda. We need better leadership. It can start with people interested in change. Baby steps? It can start with Better Legislators on the Road to 2010.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Reality versus the ideal…
Realism versus idealism….
There is one blogger whose handle is Get Real. He/she pines for an ideal system based on democratic ideals. His stance is contradictory.
The reality of democratic idealism is one of continuous struggle. The U.S. is one example. Only a few men with a certain set if ideals started the revolution. The struggle continues.
The Philippines remains to be in the grip of a plutocracy. The plutocrats still decide on how the state functions. Hence a primary result of this is the plutocrats will make sure that the majority remain docile and dependent. The material base is controlled by the plutocrats and keeping the masses “pregnant and barefoot” is actually state policy.
The education system is meant simply to train and school people to function within the plutocratic system. Gated communities and gated commercial areas (malls) amidst a decaying urban structure populated by the informal sector in cities with a primitive backward countryside.
Most pundits on this blog are locals who had to leave to be free from want from this system. Very very few are migrants because of their belief systems or fled to be free from fear.
Manny Pacquiao is the returning champion gladiator who expressed an interest to be king/master in his domain. He could become the new FPJ in due time.
He is disciplined and committed to what he does in his craft. He now wished to become a King to help his people.
There remains to be simply an embryo or a faint stirring amongst a micro minority of people who have some semblance of education who are starting to question the plutocratic system.
This can only be a good thing. You do not need to educate each and every Filipino.
History itself will take care of that.
How can you ensure that the young non trapos will not be eaten by the system? Kinain ng sistema!
Obama is the poster boy of the global non-trapo(relatively at least. Compare him to Bush and Clinton). The whole planet is watching whether or not he will transmogrify to the typical White House trapo.
We jaded voters know that any politician that sputters “change” is really a trapo!
To be fair to Mr. Obama, he hasnt started his term yet. But one thing’s for sure: the neocons love him.
Between people who expertly dissect with verbal pomposity what are essentially issues that lie within the very small square that has defined the Philippine political “debate” and those who dare to dwell in the world of “romantic notions”, I think I find promise amongst the latter.
It will take leaps of imagination and innovative thinking to get the Philippines out of the deep rut it is in.
As Einstein once said:
Problems can’t be solved using the same thinking that created them.
As GabbyD said here a while back:
The truly different thing that hasn’t been tried in Pinoy politics is to sell an IDEA rather than a personality both to the voters and to potential funders.
Sounds too hard? Yes it does. That’s because the Pinoy mind cannot fathom such a concept. And the irony there is that our “experts” demonstrate this form of deficited thinking in the droll and unintelligent, focused on the trivial or the irrelevant “debates” they engage in; thus,
The above was written back in 2000 — eight years ago.
What are we doing differently TODAY?
blackshama, a case of Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
i know. there is never any certainty. but if nobody tries, how can we either fail or succeed? This post on failure is most interest and something, i think our nation needs to learn too.
great blog cocoy, it’s positive. people will have lots of room to share an opinion.
“It could start small, one district at a time. Because let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that change can happen over night. However it happens, the primary goal that can not be forgotten, the most sacred tenant is that our people’s faith, their loyalty, their trust in their candidate has to be rewarded. No matter how little.”
Rewards are given when demands are clear. A young leader must build his integrity and credibility. There are many ways to climb the ladder of ethical success in public service. That is to know what needs to be manage and how to implement positive result.
I am hoping that bloggers will start addressing the weaknesses of our system and allow the flow of information to speak for itself. The result would be our revolutionary demand- the demand to correct all the weaknesses.
The Integrity Issue- A guide to Bloggers.
This guide is better than Benigno. :)
To regain and rebuild the integrity of this country is a collective effort. The link above should be a priority that needs to be done in every single politician. Our role is to follow up and demand good governance. This should be the activity on the streets instead of enjoying the giling giling :) , rally and all that ” remove Gloria now” . We have to demand the way we want our country to be.
We must also assume and should not rely that those responsibilities can be achieved without our support. It needs to be coming from us.
To break my excitement, here’s my questions?
Notice the score of the Media? What does it mean?
Is the media capable of publishing our specific demands to correct those weaknesses? What is our there is not the demand that we want. Puro tsismis, patay , gutom at iba pa. It’s not healthy for the minds of our youth. There are many bad news than good news in our country. Can we at least change that pattern?
cocoy, romantics it is.
YOUNG BLOOD???? ibig sabihin yung mga anak ng mga KURAKOT NA TRAPO????
kayong mga magagaling dito ang dapat tumakbo para sa congreso natin..yung mga bata pa at wala pang bahid ng politiko at kurupsyon…pero kung kamag-anak kayo ng politiko wag na lang…DAHIL SIGURADONG KURAKOT DIN KAYO!!!!
di nga namumunga ng santol ang mangga….KURAKOT ANG AMA O INA, KURAKOT DIN ANG ANAK AT KAMAG-ANAK!!!!!
joma,
every success man has accomplished started as someone’s dream. some romantic notion.
we have to start somewhere.
How true. On the floor today, a Rep in her early 30s gave a privilege speech defending her father against corruption allegations in that free port in the south. She was being interpellated by another youngish rep who is widely known to be her significant other.
Farce? They put Academy Award winners to shame.
Cocoy,
On good days I remind myself that Akbayan exists. They’re as good a model as any. But then they have a deep bench of committed activists who know how and where to get funding, brains who know the issues well, and tons of experience organizing. A few other party lists are credible – and some fake ones too. Some have successfully joined the system and are making ground.
On bad days I think maybe more radical solutions need be done.
“But then they have a deep bench of committed activists who know how and where to get funding, brains who know the issues well, and tons of experience organizing”
That is because our laws in terms of politicla financing has never been implemented or it needs to be reform. Here’s why..
Political Financing- A Failure of Transparency
Hello Cocoy. My sincerest thanks for this post. I think one interesting route also is to tap retired politicians who may be interested in leaving a positive legacy behind such as supporting this cause and contribute their expertise (sharing of knowledge/wisdom). Thank you again.
sparks, LOL. yeah. i hear you.
leytenian, indeed. but it becomes a chicken and egg problem. do you think politicians who have gamed the system are interested in changing it to their disadvantage? so the only answer is to work within the present system and then fix it from the inside.
tough. romantic. most certainly. but you got to start somewhere.
Janette, :D thank you too! this issue is close to my heart. been blogging about it for awhile now. glad i’m not the only one who thinks this is a worthwhile endeavor. people keep clamoring for change but refuse any part in fixing the problem. a lot keep clamoring for revolution, when no one is interested to run for public office to push their own agenda.
and i agree it needs experts to help shape the next generation. our politics has a shallow bench enough and like it or not it needs mentoring from elder politicians.
“do you think politicians who have gamed the system are interested in changing it to their disadvantage?
sure cocoy, of course naman. If we will keep demanding our wants and needs, then they don’t have a choice unless, they are willing to take the risk of losing their credibility and integrity for the long run. We have not demanded collectively from them. watak watak tayong lahat.
“so the only answer is to work within the present system and then fix it from the inside. ”
It’s both ways Cocoy. To work from the very bottom of governance ( inside) and to the very top ( executives, Senate and Judiciary).
If we all can do that then we will have a system. Right now , that system do not exist.