There is a rare beacon of insight that somehow found itself in the intellectual wasteland of Ellenville, a guy named “juggernaut” who lamented in a comment there how our lack of a coherent alternative to the present administration pretty much dooms us to a future of pointless noise-making and finger-pointing characteristic of the typical chronic loser.
As it is a snippet of insight that will most likely be lost in a sea of the droll and unintelligent, focused on the trivial or the irrelevant, I thought I’d take a bit of liberty to repost it here with compliments to the author.
Thus, verbatim:
The AFP/PNP cannot do anything about Gloria and in the interest of preserving our constitution, must not be involved in deposing a sitting president. Whether we like it or not, we have to accept that in the eyes of the law, the whole country, and the international community we have a duly constituted president and anything anyone will say to the contrary will be dismissed as hearsay or politically-motivated. Gloria and her minions have successfully legitimized themselves and have entrenched themselves in legality and numbers – there’s not much we can do mere mortals.
Its up to the senators, congressmen, politically-savvy personalities, and influential groups to wield their influence, wheel and deal, and power broke their way to changes. I don’t believe “noise” alone will have any effect. The question of the day is “what are we prepared to do about it?” obviously we could express extreme blogging outrage which basically boils down to pissing in the wind.
We have to get acquianted with political dynamics here, how things really work, who are the shakers and movers? Otherwise its another 8 years of the same thing.
This business of continously taking down each other, questioning one another’s motives is doing Gloria a big favor – the opposition is doing a good job of tearing at each other, she has nothing to worry about. Besides, she’s comforted by the fact that we are behaving like wounded bulls, very brave, seemingly strong, capable of sudden bursts of patriotic fervor but no direction and focus, and will eventually die or kill each other in the process.Unless we stop taking each other down, focus on “Gloria” and how to take her down…its all just useless typing.
Its enough to encourage those who are really doing something about it, strengthen those who weaken, show support, support, and even pray.
…and telegraphing intentions isn’t doing any good also…
It is beginning to become clear to me why something like the Marcos Administration happened in our little republic. Not only did it happen, it persisted for 20 years. And the explanation is quite simple, really. It is because the Philippine “Opposition” (whoever or whichever they happen to be at any time in the past, present, or future), makes it EASY for a politically astute person to consolidate and secure power.
I wrote back in May of 2007 about how the concept of a “united” much less a “genuine” opposition is a myth at best, at worst a farce meant to insult the already meagre intelligence of a vacuous electorate.
As of this writing it is just a little bit more than two weeks before the 14th of May legislative and local elections in the Philippines. And while there is immense media bandwidth devoted to political discussion, little if any has been achieved in the way of charting out a course for Philippine society beyond the short-sighted political goals embodied in most politicians’ campaigns — mainly charter change and the short-term future of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s (GMA) presidency.
Indeed, while the Wikipedia article Philippine general election, 2007 as of the 28th April 2007 devotes much space and rich detail to describing the personalities and sub-groups involved in this year’s Fiesta Election, it had only this to say about the issues at stake:
Among the issues are the on-going efforts by the Administration and others to amend the Philippine Constitution to shift the country from an bicameral and presidential system to a unicameral and parliamentary system, and by the opposition to oust President Arroyo through various means. The opposition is this case includes the UNO as well as other groups and individuals not in the UNO. The UNO is now known as the GO
That’s right. Just a three-sentence paragraph.
As far as Fiesta Elections 2007, this Wikipedia article is a microcosm of topics that dominate talk amongst the chattering classes of Philippine society. Discussion has, and has always been, thick on gossip on the personal agendas and posturings of individual politicians and thin on much else. In fact, the only real objective of the campaign of the “Opposition” is no different from any other “opposition” campaign in the past. “Unity” in any Philippine “Opposition” is based and has ever only been based on a common objective of removing an incumbent.
So at the moment, blaming the Administration for the chronic impoverishment of Philippine society (in EVERY aspect of the word) has become a tired cliche — made perverse and tunneled by our so-called political “experts”.
Here’s a different challenge:
How about doing something different for a change and blame the “Opposition”?
As the eminent Albert Einstein say:
Problems cannot be solved using the same thinking that created them.
It’s one thing to be able to think (in itself a monumental challenge in our society), but the key to our extrication from the bunghole that has become Pinoy politics is to be able to think differently.
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So,you the think that majority of Filipinos blame the administration.
sabi mo eh.
“I wrote back in May of 2007 about how the concept of a “united” much less a “genuine” opposition is a myth at best…”
“How about doing something different for a change and blame the “Opposition”?”
Blame a myth?
Im sure youve been making the rounds of different fora, benny, and Im sure you know that people do blame the myth. In FV, they are well represented by C at, Bencard, and others. They are also well-represented in MLQ3′s blog. So what gives? What’s so new about blaming the ‘opposition’ and why is it a change?
Why even focus on blame, benign0?
Blame seeking is not an act of a critically thinking person.
It’s a rhetorical statement Jon and Jeg. Don’t take the text too literally (my stuff has a lot of tongue-in-cheek and dry-humour injected into it if you guys hadn’t noticed yet).
The message pertains more to a need for us to be a bit more critical of the “Opposition” as they seem to hold some sort of baseless moral ascendancy over any administration.
As you will find in Ellenville, the perspective of commenters there on Cory’s “apology” is VASTLY different from the almost unanimous insight into the utter stupidity of it of people in FV and even in Peyups.com.
In forums populated by less insightful folk (and therefore I mean those outside the ones you cite, Jeg), Cory, the “Opposition”, and for that matter anyone who is anti-Arroyo cannot be tainted by even the most obvious of improprieties. Kind of a disturbing thing to observe, if you ask me. Which is why I thought I’d “rescue” this guy juggernaut’s comment — naligaw sa landas, kug baga.
Having said all of the above, I think there is blame due to the Opposition. At least the Administration politicians have real jobs — running the country (flawed it may be in the way they do it). But the Opposition’s only job is to keep the Admin honest. And they can’t even do that job properly. By “properly”, I mean making it about ISSUES and their competition among one another a competition of IDEAS. Instead, what they do is insult the electorate’s intelligence (not that the electorate are cluey enough to even appreciate how much their intelligences are being insulted) with their quaint platitudes, tired slogans, media exposure tactics, and grandstanding.
There is blame enough for everybody, that’s for sure. Except the Administration people are the ones who get to spend my money. Sure the ‘opposition’ are just probably waiting for their turn at the trough.
You got your ‘It’s simple, really’, I have my ‘Government is eee-e-e-eeevil!!’ :D
Exactly. And if it means banding together temporarily to be the next “united” or “genuine” opposition in order to secure that shot, that’s precisely what they will do.
It’s just business. Nothing personal.
I think these people have figured out a long time ago that the Philippines is simply not worth having a vision for. The electorate certainly wouldn’t even know what a vision is even if it was recited by Sharon Cuneta anyway.
benign0,
I think that, in terms of giving criticism where criticism is due vis-a-vis the opposition, FilipinoVoices has enough of that.
We’ll get there, benny. I suppose these are the things we have to go through as we find our legs as a nation. Maybe we’ll go through a fascist, nanny state phase first. All indications are pointing in that direction.
That is why I agree in your concept of TRUST,among the other stuff that I agree with.
allow me to post a comment form another post.(please)
If it is incoherent and “naliligaw ng landas” just tell me.
“Foreign Direct Investments were frowned upon by nationalists/oppositionists because of the preferentail treatments of the investors.”Cat
“Minus the allegations all the fdis starting from the bnpp till the zte could have done wonders.
If ever there would be chacha the 60/40 ownership has to go.
The anti dummy law should be scrapped,it is not religiously followed anywways.
That temporary business visa thinggie might be a temporary relief or a come on for foreign investors,but it would be nice if the levels of bureaucratic red tape would also go.
In BOT alone , I think it has over 40 steps or maybe even more? I dunno gotta check.
Since there are many koreans here,maybe later they would be a big part of our economic growth the way the chinese did?
Aside from the isssues of Hanjin,Hanjin is a good start.
ang dami nga lang sabit but lahat naman may sabit eh.”Karl
Were you calling me a juggernaut?
Ok its another way of saying “stidi ka lang dyan”.
I like the new touch. :)
I am not in anyway condoning corruption, but how i wish is there is an easier way of dealing with it.
I am beginning to agree on the convergence of cultural malaise to the political roadblocks,this I criticized until I saw that exchange between you and Gabby.
Happy Holidays!
Xmas break muna ako.
Happy Holidays,guys!
Me too, Merry X Mas Benigs
It took Singapore about 30 years to “get there”, Jeg. Is this gonna be another case of us retreating to the comfy world of Lola Basyang’s Istandards? ;)
It took Singapore about 30 years to “get there”, Jeg. Is this gonna be another case of us retreating to the comfy world of Lola Basyang’s Istandards?
We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?
Fair enoug, Jeg. I’ll live with that for now.
Merry Christmas!
benigno:
Past, present, future – blame the opposition vis a vis an astute politician – like Marcos and maybe GMA in the more contemporary setting.
Should that mean we have to be resigned to our fate? If that be so, then indeed, what can stop the cha-cha train from running along the rail?
I am not sure but at least I know one Trillanes made a dream come true but then again, it is pure hypocrisy (the highest form that is) to have him jailed but with the token title as a senator. It wasn’t the same fate with Gringo, was it?
Well, if not blaming the opposition is the prescribed way to think differently, then let us call that benignoism to which I do not at all subscribe.
As I said before, who cares if Gloria is president after 2010?
So what if this “cha chat train” goes on “running along the rail”?
So what?
Is the Philippines going to be any different whether or not Gloria still rules after 2010?
Back in 1986, we thought things would be different after Marcos’s departure. Look at us today. Still muddling along in mediocrity. The only thing different is that we are more free today to turn our practice of “democracy” into a pathetic circus.
EDSA 1 & 2 and their mass hypnosis!
After the spell, back to reality. True enough, in RP, nothing can change the way we do things and we are most probably suffering from the same fatigue.
In the end, we no longer have to blame the opposition nor the administration. Politicians breed their own kind – they groom their wives, their daughters, their sons, and grandchildren to the positions of power they have acquired.
Nothing can change RP, maybe nothing can change the world.
We have a president who claims to be the president when he just stole it – through Davide, through Garci, and maybe next through Enrile. The price of personality cult is in the millions