In computing parlance, threads are like concurrent trains of thought that a piece of software has spawned and all those result lead to a particular action whether it is opening your email client or browsing the web or displaying a particular image on your computer screen. Imagine to make your windows operating system work, or your Ubuntu Linux or your Mac OS X Leopard, countless threads are happening all at once. These threads form a tapestry. And today’s computing technology has reached a point where we have multi-cores so the problem of efficiently managing those threads is the biggest challenge. Our country, our democracy is woven by threads. One of the biggest (not biggest) is how to wove those threads to make a beautiful tapestry.
Two important things are at the center of our national debate. First, there is the question of House Resolution 1109, which mean to turn Congress into a Constituent Assembly. The Second question is, “Do we really want charter change?” I submit that those two things are very distinct and I think most people are starting to confuse the two issues. Sparks’ “Yes, 1109″ is a sad piece”.
House Resolution 1109 is a farce because first how it was made in the first place, in stealth and driven by self serving purpose. Second, the opposition to House Resolution 1109 and by extension turning Congress into a Constituent Assembly is largely because of trust issues.
“Do you really trust members of Congress— both the House of Representatives and the Senate to be knee deep into the guts of the most basic, most sacred law of the land?”
Did I hear you say, “No?”
Yeah, me too.
Let me go on a bit of segue here. Bikoy yesterday wrote about on Internet activism and protest:
Street protests are among the most accommodating and reliable forms of protests. It does not exclude anyone from participating. It accommodates anyone regardless of computer literacy, economic or social stature. History has also proven its potency in advancing the struggle of citizens for changes and reforms around the world.
As I’ve mention on twitter and on countless occasions before that, I’m very short on street protest. Here’s why: It hurts the people we want to entice to see our point of view, more than it hurts those people at the Palace or the Batasan. The traffic a street protest generates means money wasted. It means business that feeds that janitor and his family loses and that loss of revenue may or may not be what breaks the camel’s back. Why are we punishing our own? We can not win the debate when we start to exclude potential people who may be on the fence. As much as we want to be respected for our constitutional right to voice our disagreement, we must respect the constitutional right of people to work, to put food on the table and to protest in their own way.
In my humble opinion this is the time to have an “Ako Mismo” type of campaign. Why are you for or against House Resolution 1109? Why are you for or against Constituent Assembly? Why are you for or against Charter Change? What do you think we should do to change the equation? This is the time to spread the word. Fire up Youtube and send it across Friendster and Facebook. The youth isn’t apathetic. They need direction to focus their boundless energy. What we need is a society that is properly informed about the issue and that society is an open and transparent one and a true democracy.
There are other ways to mark our distaste for house bill 1109. Distaste that is very visual and inclusive. For five minutes each day, in cities across the country, in establishments from every walk of life can decide to turn off their light. Television can cover this. Radio and Print media too. That’s not all we can do. For two minutes in a day, until the matter is resolve a moment of national silence can be mobilized. Two minutes of silence to mark our cold vehemence at what this government is doing. It can be done, right?
My point is: we need to engage everyone in a positive and refreshing manner.
Moving along, I read Sparks’ poignant post:
So yes, by all means, let us welcome House Resolution 1109. Let us stand by and let “due process” run its course. Allow our honorable representatives to open up the highest law of the land for tinkering. Since we elected them, they embody the will of the people. They must have our best interests at heart. Let the system work by god! Let the open, democratic and accessible institutions of this country carry us to First World status by 2020!
I’ve mentioned in a comment to one of sparks’ post that this will not be won by street protest alone. This is the time when we must include everyone. Rich. Poor. Professional. Religious. Every. Single. Filipino. This is the time for the Integrated Bar to rise up to defend the charter. This is the time for the Makati Business Club and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce to take a stand. This is a time for the Catholic Bishops and our Muslim friends to stand shoulder to shoulder. This will eventually be decided in the Supreme Court and yes, there must be a united front to say that House Resolution 1109 and what spawns from that resolution is wrong.
The second question is: “do we really want charter change?”
I think we’ve made a mess of our democracy. The mistrust, the acid air by which we discuss national issues. The lack of rationality and our self-serving issues, sometimes don’t you want to simply start over? One clean slate with no questions ask? As Martin put it, “a hard reboot?”
Earlier I used the analogy of computing threads with our democracy. The next release of Mac OS X (which is being previewed at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference this week) is a technology called “Grand Central Dispatch (pdf)“. This technology transfers the load of managing threads in applications and putting the operating system to do that work especially in this multicore universe.
Something similar needs to happen with the Philippines. In my humble opinion, we need to simplify and make more efficient our every complex operation.
I think a real charter change debate needs to happen. I think we should put our wisest men and our smartest minds in a room and let them debate a framework for our future. They need to consider things like “a case study of the decentralization of health and education services in the Philippines” (thanks to @mlq3 for that link) This process need not be rushed. Let them take years to study, to contemplate to draft, to debate, then come to us and say, you know what: this is what we think our road map should be. And while our wisest and smartest are in that room, the rest of us will continue to do the work we are in. If it takes two presidential elections before our wisest and smartest get back to us, then so be it. If they say, we’re good no changes, fine right? if they say these are the things we need to meet new frame conditions to better face the future with, then why not?
Survey has shown that a majority of Filipinos are not in favor of charter change. They’re saying no to something they do not understand. In my humble opinion neither the pros nor the cons have bothered to explain in none technical jargon why they stand exactly the way they do. Each side use fear and uncertainty and doubt as arguments. That’s not the proper way. If after all is said and done, it doesn’t matter if it is a yes or a no. What ultimately is most important is a decision we make with our eyes open and its failure or success is our responsibility.
Popularity: 2% [?]
coy,
I could be wrong.
But I see the bulge of Spark’s tongue in her cheek.
Methinks she’s saying NO by saying YES. :)
ding, yep i am well aware of the sarcasm in her last post :D
later folks… gotta catch the Colbert Report – In Iraq, Part 2 – Channel 60 on Comcast, Comedy Central
i luv colbert! i’m an such a fan… hehehehe…that man is a comic genius, and he and his staff have got balls of steel!
oh, and, on the first iraq episode, i think the hotel receptionist is a filipina. represent!
Ding, I think Spark’s message as quoted by Cocoy above is a call to an effort to think — which is probably why you seem to deny its more sensible interpretation.
I don’t think we can, here and now, go for a Martinian hard reboot. Nor can we succumb to Macian grand central dispatch in the same configuration of a – here and now. One thing is of a moment and this is that – HR 1109 is officially adopted by HOR awaiting the same adoption by the counterpart Senate.
This is exactly the fix we are now, officially enough.
If Senate does not join in as soon as a joint session is called for, then just the same the chacha train leaves station as per scheduled trip, in a manner of speaking.
This chacha train (bullet-train Golez loves to say) has a carrying capacity that accommodates the whole membership of the House of Representatives (agreeing or non-agreeing) and that of Senate (whether all or only some will board the train, doesnt’ matter now) and runs at a fabulous almost unbelievable speed.
With a 3/4 of all members of Congress (in the context of House and Senate in session assembled)present to adopt 1109, if the figures are met, then we have a Constituent Assembly officially erected.
Signs however indicate, that there will be created a justiciable controversy requiring Supreme Court to step into the scene – decide, one and for all, whether or not, voting on 1109 would be by separate or joint voting.
The future is not about coming until people can read for certain that SC will side with the powers-that-be. Until it does that, how can people really second-guess much less pre-empt what is going to happen in our sad state of affairs.
In short, people must “freeze” and it’s kinda cool out there.
Primer, i think it is inevitable that this will be heard by the Supreme Court. Like I said, it will not be won by street protest.
Ultimately, the group of people that need convincing by AntiConass: MBC, PCCi, the Integrated Bar, the CBCP, the Igleia, the El Shadai and the Muslims and other groups. real pressure need to be exerted towards the palace: pull it or we pull support for you and all your candidates come 2010. And all these groups need to act in concert on the day the Supreme Court hears this. There should also be one battle plan by all those opposed to hr 1109. This will be won by working the back channels. Only when all the AntiConass groups put in real stake into this and work in concert, can this be won.
The bitter pill is this: that’s a high bar to leap over.
‘coy:
can’t have the cake and eat it too.
no pain, no gain.
you snooze, you loose.
A few Legislators cannot impose their will to 90 million Filipinos.
We are all ready for any Martial Laws, Authoritarianism, Railroading
of Laws, etc…They will see a new way of protests which they will
never be capable of handling. We have studied previous failures
of protests. So, we are all ready. We dont just bark. We bite.
We know their tactics and strategies. They are all copied from
fallen Dictators.
Benny,
I said I could be wrong. If I am I don’t have a problem with being wrong.
One thing I’m certain – you’re not not Spark’s spokesperson.
So what if I am not Spark’s “spokesperson”, Ding?
Aren’t we in the business of interpretting stuff here? You of all people should know. :D
“you seem to deny its more sensible interpretation.”
Kaw talaga, parang ‘di mo alam….you interpret and so does everyone else have a right to.
Sabi ko sa iyo kung mali ako, hindi problem yun sa akin.
Masaya ka na or you want Pat’s coconut post again?
E yun naman pala e. So why ask if I am Sparks’s “spokesperson” then?
Erratum crap – single not.
cocoy, are you against house/congress initiated constitution change in general?
Gab,
Look at the logo at the bottom of coy’s post.
i c! thats a general statement, not a specific one (against HR1109)
gabby,
i am against house resolution 1109.
i am also against constituent assembly whether or not it is house or senate sponsored.
i can be talked into charter change— in general. i don’t think it is of utmost importance to have charter change. like it would kill us if we don’t have charter change. that sort of thing. that said, i really think we should have a real debate on it and if we /have/ to have charter change, i am for a constitutional convention. And if we do have a convention, imho, we should let them take their time to really do it well.
but let me push this further…
are you against congress-led charter change coz of the reasons sparks has? basically, for some reason, she believes that congress is not representative, hence will pass laws that benefits themselves, or some specific constituency?
yes, i share sparks’ point of view.
ok. at least its clear to me now. what alot of people in this blog are against is congress sponsored charter change — term extensions or not, whatever there are specific changes or not.
yep.
People in the street are just saying “no to charter change” when in fact are saying “we’re against conass/hr 1109″. i think we need to clarify that too, you know? And some people are not exactly against charter change, per se— they have reservations like they don’t want things like no changes to term limits or changes in land ownership. Some people can be persuaded to say that there can be changes in term limits if the incumbent don’t benefit. things like that— things, imho are best debated in a convention, to you know, solve things, to gain consensus with.
Benny,
Am in a mood to yank your chain. Bawal?
Am in a good mood and if guys were here I’d invite you for coffee.
definitely ding. as soon as i’m in manila for longer than a day, i would love to meet with you and the rest of the fv gang :D
libre mo ding? sama ako dyan! :)
Call guys. My treat. :)
To continue . . .
Gulliver’s second sailing, occasioned by a certain itchiness of spirit, took him to Brobdingnag, a huge appendage off the northwest corner of North America populated by giants 12 times the size of we mere normals. They were a good people, industrious and earnest and immensely amused at the wit and wisdom of the wee Gulliver. Our hero opportuned to bend the ear of the good King as his royal bigness was of a curious ilk. During a six-day chat as regards the governance of England, from whence Gulliver had sprung, a forthright exchange occurred, absent such slanders and turgidity as may be found on ordinary blog sites. After listening attentively, the King opined:
“My little friend Guldrig (the name by which Gulliver was known on Brobdingnag). . . you have clearly proved that ignorance, idleness and vice are the proper ingredients for qualifying a legislator. That laws are best explained, interpreted, and applied by those whose interest and abilities lie in perverting, confounding, and eluding them. . . . I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of odious little vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.”
Now this seems unduly harsh, as I know from my own travels that there are vermin that lack even the pretense of serving their own kind, civic cannibals who would not hesitate to dine on a fellow creature. Oppositely, the land of the Bballers, where the tall reign and rain the goods of their inimitable consumption upon all, the people see laws as bars of a cage, separating the wicked from the kind, the right from the wrong; these laws are available to all and lorded over by a good Senate and House of Commons whose members subscribe to the notion, country and honor first, at all costs. True, every once in a while, one goes squirrely and tries to abscond with the government linens. And they tend to like wars a little too much, but they do send their youngest, fittest, finest off to acquire the medals and delayed stress neuroses that only the honorable are able rightfully to earn. And true, they consume the world’s resources like a starved crocodile in a chicken farm, holding little regard for the untoward gasses they belch into the ether. But, aside from those trivial matters, their laws are worshipped, held dear, and applied . . . even to the politicians.
But the King of all Brobdingnag would not yield:
“Whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.”
Joe
Hi Joe,
I liked your post. The Lamentations of prophet Jeremiah seem like a good reading as well. The book consists of five separate poems. In chapter 1 the prophet dwells on the manifold miseries oppressed by which the city sits as a solitary widow weeping sorely. In chapter 2 these miseries are described in connection with national sins and acts of God. Chapter 3 speaks of hope for the people of God. The chastisement would only be for their good; a better day would dawn for them. Chapter 4 laments the ruin and desolation that had come upon the city and temple, but traces it only to the people’s sins. Chapter 5 is a prayer that Zion’s reproach may be taken away in the repentance and recovery of the people (Wikipedia). All we need now is a wailing wall.
Thank you, Rosa. I shall read the Lamentations. You know how singing the blues always makes you feel better for some odd reason . . . wailing wall . . . same. heh
Joe
That aside, nice article . . .
How about the 1 cup you promised earlier ding?
Under the marshmallow test, which I passed, you owe me 2, don’t you?
Anytime, so long as no crackdown takes place (wink).
We are against any change in the Constitution. Because, if they change anything in the Constitution. Every provision can also be
subject to change. Term limits are just one of the issues here.
The way they assualted the Constitution, at night, when everybody
is sleeping is not a good sign. Thieves, with the exception of
Congress People comes in to do bad on you in stealthy fashion.
The timing of just 11 months to the Presidential Election is also
a bad sign. Why do her sons promoting Charter Change? She is ending
her term. Why is she promoting Charter Change? The motive is clear
as a noon day. Marcos did Charter Change when his term was ending.
This lead to Dictatorship. She is trying to follow the ways of a
fallen Dictator.
You have hit it right there Hyden. The haste that they have shown smacks of desperation. Why do it before an election? Why not after when the new officials will have more time and energy to tackle the complexities of charter change. It is both polarizing and or could be setting up a Marcos like dictatorship. We grew up under this dictatorship and so we are now vigilant when signs are there that the foundations are being laid to another one. Rallies are good way to express this fear and anger of this railroading of this bill so that the administration will realize the folly of continuing their push. Also the idea that the opposition should unite and get ready is also correct . The idea that voters should educate themselves so that they will vote more intelligently is also correct. No one has the monopoly of the right answer or prescription.
Give the SCORP the benefit of the doubt.
Say NO when the plebiscite comes up.
Or, break the Philippines up.
Mindanao is tired of Manila’s trapos and mobs.
You can have all the rallies you want.
and Mindanao will have the prosperity and stability it wants without being contaminated by Manila’s instability. and drama :lol:
Yep, give the SCORP a chance knowing that all the members were carefully scrutinized by Arroyo. Also if there is a plebescite, make sure that the automatic voting will not be rigged otherwise everything is for naught. The Mindanao issue? Another day and time since this a very complex problem that has to tackled by the next elected officials. My opinion, they should declare a truce for now because this is just brother against brother war. There should be a more peaceful solution to this issue.
Charter change will do the job.
Another way, is for voters who truly believe in their candidates’ capacity to transform the landscape is to:
1. Raise funds for their candidates.
2. Oversee the disbursement of the funds raised for their candidates.
3. Disburse the funds in increasing awareness and understanding of the issues
4. Volunteer their time to immerse in the grassroots communities, start a dialogue, discuss the issues, explain why your candidate will best meet the communities’ needs.
5. Get out the vote – successfully employed both by Republicans and Democrats. Disburse funds raised to provide buses that will take people to the polling places. If the trapo can hakot, then what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
6. Speak in the AM-band talk shows; buy “block time” with the funds raised – look for the stations with the widest targeted audience.
Question is: Are people up to the task?
I don’t think so BongV.. Mga Pilipino pa!
oh.. baka di maintindihan ng mga readers..
the post above is meant as a challenge.. :) V
oops I did not check my spelling again, slap on my wrist. It should read:
Yep, give the SCORP a chance knowing that all the members were carefully scrutinized by Arroyo. Also if there is a plebiscite, make sure that the automatic voting will not be rigged otherwise everything is for naught. The Mindanao issue? Another day and time since this a very complex problem that has to tackled by the next group of elected officials. My opinion, they should declare a truce for now because this is just brother against brother war. There should be a more peaceful solution to this issue.
THAT is where EVERYONE pitches in, get out the vote, campaign, help explain, volunteer, reach out to the MSM, – eternal vigilance has its fruits, otherwise, if we snooze, we loose.
Our Constitution is like crap…that is, if you guys read it at all. Bola-bola and repetitions abound. Isn’t it a good idea to cha-cha before smarter nations laugh at our constitution?
Joe,
“Whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.”
I guess if we follow the King of Brobdingnag, we’d hopefully understand the centrality of the laggardness of the Philippines.
Ahhh, fabulous fable, Bong. I think perhaps Gulliver also traveled to Holland, or its satirical namesake (no, not Philippines, never that), but he called the land Balnibarbi. The people of Balinibarbi were obsessed with invention, undertaking hundreds of new experiments to improve their way of life. In one experiment aimed at making language efficient, all verbs and adjectives were done away with because they clutter intelligent discourse, which is noun-centered. Then, to make the nouns efficient, they adopted the principle of carrying upon their persons the noun-objects they intended to use in their highly efficient discussions. But the capper was the crapper – a project to apply certain treatments to human excrement to return it to its natural state of usable minerals.
Nothing ever worked right on Balinibarbi, but the people were very enthusiastic about their honorable intentions.
Joe
Oh hi Mr. Liam. Tinio is it?