Obviously a lot of people are already viewing the President’s State of the Nation Address — through lenses that have been coloured by several years of ocho-ocho politics.
The world-renowned Philippine Ocho-Ocho Politics is a colourful engine that is fueled by:
(1) “information” harvested through the hearsay reporting of the Philippine Press, which is then,
(2) brokered and distributed for profit by the Philippine Media; and,
(3) ingrained into the minds of the Average Pinoy Schmoe by the indoctrination machinery of various groups (the Gabrielas, One Voices, B&W Movements, various incarnations of “United” Opposition parties, cadres of disgruntled politicians, etc. of this world — you name ‘em, their agendas areall the same at a fundamental level, and the omnipresent Roman Catholic Church through its lieutenants, the CBCP).
While there is, indeed, a lot to be said about broken promises, blatant misleading statements, creative misrepresentations, and outright lies not only in the SONA but in just about every pronouncement coming out of ANY Pinoy politician’s mouth, take one step back and guess who, ultimately the onus falls on to evaluate all this and decide on what the right thing to do is?
The answer is simple. Really:
You, me, and every other Average Pinoy Schmoe.
Democracy at heart is an application of free will. The architecture of free will is a simple structure held up by three pillars:
- Evaluate
- Decide
- Do
The flaws around the way Pinoys regard the latter two are already well-known. Our decision process (elections) is at best a vacuous convoluted shouting match that stumbles from one spectacle to another every couple to several years or so. I document this succinctly in my brilliant slide show: Why Filipinos suck at democracy.
As for the doing part, well, I only have two words to bring the point across: ningas cogon, which after not a few comments in my last blog post, Mr. Philman insightfully reminded all of us of, and since bringing the discussion there back down to Earth.
Which then brings us to the evaluation aspect of the free will equation. Where are we as a society in this regard, we may ask? Well now, don’t get me started — as an entire chapter in my book is dedicated to the subject!
Interestingly, one of the most popular discussions in Peyups.com is in a thread with the title “If anti-GMA forces will call for a massive rally between today and 2010 to oust GMA, sasama ka ba?“, indicating that the countdown to ocho-ocho critical mass has already started and is well underway.
So, mga kabayan, before we think about dancing the ocho-ocho on the streets of Manila between now and 2010 (as well as the circuses that will most probably happen AFTER the elections), remember what a big chump we’ve already made of ourselves in front of the global community as a result of our past Edsa Ocho Ocho rallies.
Instead, we need to encourage one another to re-visit an old concept that has since succumbed to the more comfy, self-assuring, and seductive doctrine of victim mentality that pervades — or rather infects — mainstream thought in Pinoy society today, and that is:
PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
These are two words that spell the difference between a future of chronic mediocrity and a future of world-class excellence for our society.
It’s simple. Really.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Sasama ako sa rally! Bakit? Kasi I’m so bored at work and I need something to make my life more interesting. I need to feel relevant dammit!
I’m kinda like my friend, a die-hard born again Christian, who has been insisting (since grade 5) that the Judgement Day is around the corner. Bakit? Kasi I think his life is so dull and so he wishes to be part of something great (like the coming of Jesus). Dream on buddy….
i’m so ashamed of those pathetic women belonging to a group called “gabriela” staging a noisy demo in the west coast, complete with placards of anti-gma diatribes. in the u.s. of a? what a shame! and, again, they were exhorting the onlookers not to send remittances to their families because the money would help “gloria”. they are obviously out of their wits. how in hell were they able to immigrate? could they be tnt’s?
Bencard, eh Pinoy kasi…
Gabriela I think is a women’s rights/issues/advocacy group that was infiltrated by idiot commies and is now just one of many satellite groups providing a pool of warm bodies that can be rapidly mobilised at the whim of bozos like Satur Ocampo for any number of these Leftist ocho-ocho rallies that spring up to take advantage of circuses like SONAs, Jun Lozada appearances, Labour Day festivities, jeepney drivers’ strikes, etc.
I would not call it ocho-ocho politics though. Let us just say fiesta. Like the two EDSA revolutions were fiestas.
So like most festivites, people want to have another one ASAP.
hindi lang yung SONA ang nakakasawa. personally, i get pissed off with those people (leftists? oppositions?) who make their own SONA.
parang lalo lang pinagugulo ang bayan.
here they come listening attentively at GMAs SONA only to look for loopholes in her statements.
i mean, what good does it make kung makikinig ka lang para maghanap ng mali?
@HECTOR, because it shows that we are an informed citizenry.. what do you want, an ignorant citizenry, who eats up every word from every politician including Gloria?
I know, politics can get draining, only because the issues carry such great weight, such great consequences. We move forward, yes. But we move forward, in an informed manner, not with lies and propaganda. That is why we listen, why we analyze, not only the SONA, but all policy statements, actions, and policies themselves..
Nick, it’s good to hear that from you. and for that, i salute you in listening and analyzing the platforms.
however, if you will notice, i pinpoint on the people who ONLY LOOK FOR LOOPHOLES In the SONA.
informed citizenry, nick? if the “pulse asia” survey is to be believed, erap is No. 2 in the list of the 2010 “presidentiables”. i bet a good percentage of those who don’t trust gma because of her changing her mind to run in 2004 along with ALLEGATIONS of government anomalies in her watch, trust erap although he was CONVICTED of actual PLUNDER, a heinous crime that could have been punished by death. that’s “informed citizenry” for you.
What is common with Benign0 and Bencard is their contempt for the Filipino citizenry.
instead of one-line generalization like that, cvj, why don’t you refute what i said about nick’s “informed citizenry”?
I think we in FV can hardly be considered to be representative of Filipino citizenry. For the most part, being “well informed” much less insightful enough to see through the barrage of bells, whistles, and slogans dished out by the PR machinery of politicians is still largely beyond the evaluation faculties of the general Pinoy population.
@Bencard, maybe I should rephrase myself… when I say informed citizenry, that is the goal. Acts such as analyzing THE SONA, policy statements, and policies themselves, when done by a growing number of Filipinos, this contributes to a better and informed citizenry..
And yes, we’re at least in a bit of agreement in terms of our mutual contempt to how Erap has garnered, once again, the good graces of The Filipino people.
But, please, the loss of trust with regards to Arroyo, is not solely based on her “change of heart” in running in the 2004 elections.
Benign0 (at 5:49 pm), i don’t like the way you’re making FV to be some sort of elitist group.
Am I now.
How exactly do YOU want FV to be made out to be then?
Just plain Filipino Voices, as advertised.
Oh yeah, I forgot. You don’t have an opinion about much anything.
Benign0, you know for a fact that is not true. I do have an opinion on many things which is why i’m a regular in the blogosphere just like you.
I believe that what should distinguish Filipino Voices is it’s being the voice of the Filipino, full stop. I do not approve of any moves to make this forum into a bastion of the kind of elitist middle class thought that you promote.
What makes you think that any such “moves” are taking place?
And even if such a thing was in fact transpiring outside of your limited imagination, going around whining about it won’t do you much good.
What you need to do is critique and refute the ideas presented with convincing arguments.
In case you hadn’t noticed, that last sentence above (in bold, in case you might miss it) is what in fact describes what FV is all about.
It’s just like you to consider using bold fonts as a form of ‘convincing arguments’. Oh well, at least you didn’t use a winky this time.
cvj, that’s because it’s only winkies and bold fonts that somehow register with your little mind as that response of yours above demonstrates. :D
Sounds like U.S. media to me, and many wealthy democracies went through many years of civil revolution and unrest. So much for that argument.