… MAKE SOME NOISE!
No wait… isn’t that what we’re doing?
I would write about more politics if I felt like it, but by the time this post is published, it will be the 964th post in Filipino Voices. Now 964 posts may not seem like much, but that’s 36 entries short of FV hitting 1,000 posts since April 1st of last year. After 964 posts, and post #965 will be coming here very, very soon… quo vadis?
I’ve been with FV since the beginning, and I think I’ll be stating the obvious if I said that a few things are wrong with Filipino Voices. Being with FV since the very beginning, I’ve read and learned many insights and thoughts from many of the bloggers who share this space. There are times that people get irritated and exasperated, but it is often the case that people exchange ideas and thoughts and even barbs in FV. That exchange, that ability to share, is its greatest strength. At the same time, those very things that make FV strong make it very, very vulnerable.
I’m not saying that I’m the most substantial blogger in Filipino Voices. But when you come to think of it, after 964 posts with their share of write-ups that involve shameless self-promotion, press releases, public relations hackjobs, and so on and so forth, a lot about FV doesn’t make sense. To say that FV has exerted an influential effect to the coffee shops of this country – when a lot of what is written in it so far has been about nothing – is bordering on bollocks.
There’s nothing wrong with being a know-it-all, and there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of arrogance here and there: we are, after all, bloggers, and shameless self-promotion is part and parcel of blogging. See, there is a difference between voices and noises… and it has a lot to do with the sound and the fury taking place as of late here at FV.
When you say “voices,” you make sure these opinions and thoughts are heard, that they leave a clear, coherent imprint in the minds of people. It may just be one idea, but it’s sensible enough for people to ponder on it and assail it. When you say “noises,” though, you end up beating on an empty drum, and calling that an “idea.”
For me, the issue here isn’t about having more writers, about reaching a dream, about replacing mainstream media, about pissing people off, about being a political force… those are things you can sweep under the rug, and you’ll still have FV. You can take out all the criticisms about how FV writers use English, or how hostile some writers can get when presented with dissenting opinions, and you’ll still have FV. At the core of FV is a very substantial, measurable thing – the Filipino voice – where a writer or a commenter or a reader channels that voice into his or her own, and speaks for that voice, become that voice, to be the voice of the voiceless.
More than that is the need to write with a heart, to have empathy, to realize that the issues we talk about here come not just from us, but from whatever degrees of suffering and pain, or joy or happiness, we have because of the lives we live. We are just like every other Filipino out there: Filipinos with voices. It’s about time we start speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves because they’re silenced, because they’re oppressed. More than that, because we are a little bit more free to express ourselves, whether we’re FV writers or FV commenters or FV readers.
I know that’s all high and mighty, maybe too much to expect, maybe even disagreeable. But think about it: what is so complicated about standing up for your fellow Filipino because you have a blog, and because you write for Filipino Voices? When are people going to write for the poor, the downtrodden, the laid-off, the fired, the underpaid, the hungry, the sick, the ill… those people who are as sickened about everything as we are, yet don’t have the benefit of blogs or computers to do what they can of it, no matter how small?
In effect this isn’t an issue of how much traffic you get, how could you make FV good on your resume, how you can sell FV, how you can stir controversy because of FV, how you can look intelligent and respected because of FV, how many readers you can because of FV.
After 964 posts, not one noble goal that has been pimped out has been achieved. Those still remain pipe dreams, but yes, it’s so easy to pimp out FV-ness nowadays, isn’t it?
I’m sure that some much-needed changes will take place in FV very soon. Yet for all the praise and criticism, for all that’s bought and sold… maybe we can change FV first, before we can change the rest.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Not to be the devil’s advocate here, but, may I ask:
when have we not?
why do we have to write for the poor and the downtroden? no poor or downtrodden ever graced this blog. most posts are from know-it-all, arrogant and noisy elite and overseas pundits and a conundrum of disparate voices of self-righteous and immaculate individuals collectively offering their wisdom or their ignorance as the turht dear to the nation.
luckily i could belong to anyone in those description but i do not claim that i am pro-poor, pro-good government and pro-everything that is ideal. i just love to express my mind and it happens to be pro-poor, pro-good government and everything that is ideal, that’s just coincidental.
And who again financially benefit from the FV eyeball-traffic ?
Hello, Marck:
Your youthful idealism shines through and I personally commend you for it.
Unfortunately I have to add, give yourself more years and you would likely discover that what you observe here is already a microcosm of the real world out there.
Still, youthful idealism is to be acknowledged and commended, and maybe added with the filial advice to temper such with some dose of realism or pragmatism.
More power!
The last thing we want for this blog is to make it an issue of “medium.” If you want relevance you should write with relevance whether in many or a few words, whether in a magazine, newspaper, book or blog.
I will identify two types of know-it-all in the world. The first is the more obvious — “my brain is so huge” that I have the answer (THE answer!!!!) to any question you have.
The other is more subtle — “My heart is so huge” that I call tell you what you (yes, YOU!!!!)… let me tell YOU what you should feel and what you should do about any issue in this world.
—–
Above is politics.
When one writes it should not be about I.
“luckily i could belong to anyone in those description but i do not claim that i am pro-poor, pro-good government and pro-everything that is ideal. i just love to express my mind and it happens to be pro-poor, pro-good government and everything that is ideal, that’s just coincidental.”
The term silent majority attributed to Nixon is actually misleading. Keeping silent means you are not part of anything. Commenting in a blog to satisfy the I is entirely useless.
Making a difference requires participation.
You do not participate you affirm your acquiescence to things remaining as they are.
Look at bO. No one can figure what his agenda is as he constantly agitates and agitates without drawing a political or ideological line.
The problem with the progressive groups of the left is that they too forgot to keep up the constant practice to educate based on the prevailing realities and have reverted almost exclusively to sloganeering and waving flags. In the midst of multiple means of communication the means have become the end in itself.
So similar to bo who simply is sloganeering
The lack of intellectual substance is tragic. One is left to imagine the Leyte lass or sweet cheeks can fill out a bikini well.
The discourse is appallingly superficial.
Just look at GMA. She has to retain some relevance by going to Davos on the last day. She should have gone to Brazil and joined Lula in the counter Davos forum.
She is now simply acting simply to create or project perceptions of a working leader. It is simply media hype.
From now till election day PR practitioners are going to be busy. My email inbox is receiving invitations to so many events all sponsored by candidates.
There is someone not a know-it-all who I hope you have not met — the hoodlum who says “.. if you know what is good for you, then do what I say, give me your money.”
Beware the seducer who says “My goodness, I have never met a more handsome and beautiful person like you, and your smile radiates and people gravitate to you. Come on let me put my arm around you and spend a few more minutes with me.”
And all over the place the capitalist also a know-it-all, who says “I know what you need. So think about it, but don’t think too long. This is the product that you need; buy now before the price goes up!!!”
Work for Mar Roxas… or maybe Ping Lacson… No, Manny Villar — and save the world.
“I will identify two types of know-it-all in the world. The first is the more obvious — “my brain is so huge” that I have the answer (THE answer!!!!) to any question you have.”
answer: we don’t need them, we have Google and wikipedia.
The other is more subtle — “My heart is so huge” that I call tell you what you (yes, YOU!!!!)… let me tell YOU what you should feel and what you should do about any issue in this world.
we don’t need them we have youtube and our own blogs.
lost in confusion…
“Voices are words from the heart.”
Marck,
I echo Jon’s point: when have we not?
This is a collective blog where there are myriad voices. We don’t agree with each other and there may be posts that we all agree on and there are blog posts which simply boils our blood.
I submit that the bad, as much as the good has equal rights.
It is suppose to be our Voice. So I have to ask, why aren’t more FV people writing to balance out the parts we don’t like? If we let just one side blog and blog about their point of view, why aren’t we blogging our point of view? If we think one FV person is looney, why aren’t we balancing it with posts that speak contrary? Or at least find a middle ground? Or sane?
If everyone becomes a “Yes” all the time, chances are we can’t see the whole picture. Chances are we will find our world view to be limited, so fixed on what we think is the only thing right in the world.
That’s not what a democracy is.
That’s not raising the standard. That’s not raising discourse. We will find ourselves to be zealots in the same vein as those in power that we disagree with.
Thomas Jefferson has been quoted:
I’m sure that if you read back, you’ll see that there are FV entries that discuss the plight of the poor. However, being a middle class collective, it is written with the middle class mindset which is why there is an element of blaming the poor for their poverty in the posts. Empathy is rare and they tend to be dismissed as bleeding hearts or Starbucks liberals. With the global economic crisis, maybe it will become less rare.
Marck,
Your “the need to write with a heart, to have empathy, to realize that the issues we talk about here come not just from us, but from whatever degrees of suffering and pain, or joy or happiness, we have because of the lives we live. We are just like every other Filipino out there: Filipinos with voices. It’s about time we start speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves because they’re silenced, because they’re oppressed. More than that, because we are a little bit more free to express ourselves, whether we’re FV writers or FV commenters or FV
readers.”
Young as this space is, FV’s contribution thus far is exactly that: this space where in the free-for-all, albeit cantankerous, at times thoroughly juvenile ad hominems,run the gamut of issues bedevilling Philippine society.
Your passion, your vision for how FV should ‘change’ resonates loudly.
The first rule is not to take ourselves too seriously.
Is there anyone of the politicos that has been communicating with the public that has resonated with a lot of people. I do not see anyone.
Even the leftist leaders have lost it.
There is only one issue central to all – Sustainable human development.
The sad reality continues that wealth in this country has been achieved primarily through seizing political power and converting that to material wealth for politicos and their families.
From the First President Quezon to the present one.
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. ” James Madison
I think that the American model of diffusing power from center has so far been working to keep the union together. In that respect their model is exceptional so far. They have had almost 1,000 years of practice since Runnymede.
AS Jon said, when haven’t we?
Take me, as an example. I’m no Mother Theresa. But I think what I write goes to the heart of what poverty is all about:
Entry into commitments that we are inherently incapable of honouring.
In fact I once asserted that poverty is a simple issue. Really. Even morons can understand the fundamental principles that govern poverty. As such any further attempt to pander to it comes across as a mre hobby of the impoverished mind. It becomes devalued by its own undifferentiated proliferation — just like those ho-hum chain letters about one getting bad luck if a certain prayer is not passed on.
That goes into the heart of broken marriages. That does not explain poverty.