I can feel it in my bones. If this weren’t the Philippines, I’d call it the coming perfect storm. But because we are in fact talking about the Philippines, I’ll call it the coming perfect circus instead. Let me explain in my usual koanic simplicity (btw, what is a “koan” smoke?).
The CBCP has opened with the first of a round of unoriginal salvos: The Statement — one I blogged about recently. This kicks off my list of all-too-typically-Pinoy ingredients that feed into such a perfect circus (coming soon to a tabloid near you!).
:D An “outrage” – in the form of some kind of tabloid-quality scandal (but meeting broadsheet standards in the Philippines) usually with the effect of diverting Pinoys’ limited attention faculties away from their pathetic existence and the more fundamental and systemic issues that underpin said pathos. Stuff like: impeachable offenses, perceived slights and threats against our “democratic” sensibilities, various neo-heroes (Exhibit A and B, folks), and other such dramas… ad infinitum ho-humus. What is new and where is the follow-through from the past ones?
Oh I forgot ningas cogon is one of our world-renowned national traits.
:D An arms race of “statements” from various “concerned” groups on the latest “outrage”. Look back to 2005 (my 1st of August “report”). It’s pathetic. I’d question the substance behind said expressions of “concern” (a hobby of the impoverished mind at best).
:D Trial by media. This Joc Joc guy for instance is just the latest of bozos that were used to generate high volume, low quality content (what I call shawarma topics) for insight-deficited media outfits and blogs which are then used as platforms for media exposure by politicians. Hey, wait! There’s a fiesta election in 2010, right?!
Kaya naman pala…
I wrote a bit more than 12 months earlier that:
Perhaps we Filipinos find a personal need to remain focused on our presidents, our politicians, and their politics because of our chronic inability to take responsibility not only for our bad fortunes but also for our good fortunes. To us a president is merely an extension of our deeply-ingrained addiction for scapegoats and providers in our lives. Philippine presidents are burdened with wearing both hats simultaneously. A Philippine President both (a) is to blame for poverty (scapegoat hat), and (b) is expected to “create” employment for the jobless (provider hat).
It is not too different from our regard for the role of God in our lives. When we run into trouble, it is “God’s will”. When we meet up with good fortune, it is “by God’s graces”.
More recently in fact, I’ve had the pleasure of responding to a bit of insight Ding provided:
[...] are you prescribing that we now all becoming unfeeling. indifferent even if we happen to be in better situations than our other compatriots?
To which I responded with:
And what’s the deal with this business about “happening” to be in “better situations”? People don’t just “happen” to be in “better situations”. It takes a conscious effort to achieve.
Using luck to account for one’s circumstances trivialises the hard and smart work put into being in a “more fortunate” circumstance.
In the Philippines it is easy to re-hash old wisdoms — because, as the cliche goes, history keeps repeating itself. Trouble is, unlike in normal societies where the repeat cycle period usually spans generations, in the Philippines, the cycle spans a year or two on the average.
It’s a dog-like mentality (in Tagalog asal aso). One dog starts barking in the night, and others in the neighbourhood following suit without really knowing what the fuss is all about. – (Source)
Kinda makes some people you know become efficient in the business of re-hashing, doesn’t it? ;) Maybe Pinoys do deserve nothing better than leftovers.
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The Perfect Circus-A violation of Human Rights.
The Sedition law in the Philippines is old. Personally, I think our sedition law is a breach of universally accepted human rights. The act is only to protect the existing elite and corrupt government in our country , theoretically leaving no legal avenue of dissent.
This is an extremely dangerous situation because people without a legal means of expressing dissent often turn to illegal means. Sometimes violent means. This begins a vicious circle of repression and violence that can tear a society apart rather than protect it. Link Exhibit A and B above are results.
Look at us now, we are all complaining- unhappy of the results of past performances and current performances. What’s wrong with our political leaders? There’s no protection of human rights in our country. It’s been like that since 19 forgotten. Nothing has changed since I left for 17 years. It’s actually getting worst. ano ba ang gusto natin? hindi lang si Gloria. marami sila diyan. even if we get Gloria out, trust me… CORRUPT majority will still be there and will continue doing what they are used to doing because that’s the only expertise they have learned from doing their job. there’s a mismatch of human resources between job description and experience. They don’t fit well to our society thus the circus will continue.
The solution is DECENTRALIZATION OF POWER.
‘Koanic = pseudo-intuitive
Definition of koan here.
Isn’t that a holy book?
leytenian,
we remain “as is” because we think “as is”. devolution or decentralization of powers is just spreading power around. will never solve the problem. it will just perpetuate the creation of tiny tyrants with tiny dicks and tiny minds.
I took Jeg’s advice and googled “koan”. Of course Wikipedia came up at the top of the list.
Considering what fundamentally underpins most of what I blog here originate from my repository of wisdom, I actually feel flattered that smoke would actually call them as such. :D
As to the small detail of her putting the prefix “pseudo” on her otherwise flattering description, well, let’s just say the onus is on other people to tell me specifically why they feel my “koans” are pseudo.
I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were me though… ;)
benigno,
you are writing non pseudo stuff. don’t worry, there are others who understand you simply because you’re just writing about the truth. and sometimes, the truth hurts. But, like what Mulder said, its “out there”. The question is people are so blind, they are having a hard time seeing what’s “out there”.
Can someone please explain the significance of this confluence of events?
*Joc Joc Bolante
*Bishops’Condemnation of Corruption
*Euro Generals
*Cha Cha Time Again!
*Financial Crisis
*The weakening of the Lopez Family Empire
*Arroyo/Bernas
*The Obama landslide
What will all these events mean?
NADA?
The Equalizer,
It means—Christmas is just around the corner. By the way, you forgot these:
oil price rollbacks
reproductive health bill
Mindanao crisis
3 billion fertilizer fund in 2009
….and Rihanna doing a gig in Manila. Cool.
Is it safe to assume you’re a very successful man? Y’know someone who does as he preaches, and by the same formula reaped tremendous achievements? Are you an owner of a business spanning the region perhaps, or are you a president of a global conglomerate, an inventor that would make us Pinoys proud perhaps?… someone truly big so unlike the Pinoy you routinely insult.
ricelander,
The flipside on benign-zero, here, is that one should always take into account the fact that benign0 is, himself, born and raised Filipino.
I am worried about *your* assertion though, in implying that to have the right to say what he says benign0 has to be an uber-achiever that is at the top of the heap.
Isn’t that an extension of our padrino mentality? “Kilala mo ba kung sino ako?” attitude, or more importantly, our “Sino ka ba ha?” mentality when a Filipino speaks their mind and it hurts?
Are we sporting the attitude wherein when someone speaks their mind out, they are automatically mayabang regardless of whether he’s right or wrong?
I disagree with benign0 a lot, but I do not wish to allow anyone to muzzle him if he speaks of things that we don’t want to hear.
So Benign0 damns the Filipino with what he says, or with what he is. Either way, the Filipino loses.
In some possibly rare occassion, Benign0 could also mention one or two positive traits of Filipinos and our culture. Just so people will not think he or she sees the ‘glass always empty,’ so to speak and he/she abhors the land of birth and its people.
We couldn’t be all that losers you know.
Of course it is “safe to assume” ricelander. Everybody does it. Including me. ;)
What separates the men from the boys (or the women from the girlettes), though, is the ability to counter-argue something they disagree with or even feel “insulted” about.
Up to the challenge? :D
philman, I always refer to Pinoys as a collective. So when I say Pinoys have a loser mentality, I don’t mean every single individual does any more than saying that the Japanese are industrious necessarily means every single one of them is.
One or two “positive” traits, you ask? Hmmmm… That’s a hard one. Any suggestions anyone?
As Filipinos, isn’t it pathetic to try to get our affirmation from Benign0?
cvj,
Well, between benign0 and the highpriest of smokes, the latter is more pathetic.
Yeah, that an achievement on the part of HPoS.
An ugly man is sitting by the roadside. A woman with facial deformities passes by. The ugly man says to himself “what an ugly woman this is” then feeling he is within his territory to express his sense of aesthetics blurts out: “HOY PANGET!”
Are you sure that the things you mock are traits you do not possess or traits even worse do not reside in you?
Let me continue with my story:
A friend standing nearby says: “ba’t mo naman sinabi’ yon?”
The ugly man replies, “bakit totoo naman di ba? Nakita mo naman, ang pangit-pangit niya… you care to argue eh?”
Before the woman disappears in the next curb, the ugly man shouts, ” PANGEEET! PANGEET!”
ricelander, that’s an old trick, putting a human character to the Philippines to elicit feelings normally directed towards a human individual.
I don’t think that quaint story of yours is really analogous to what this thread is all about — moi making assertions about an entire society of 90 million.
Tough luck. :D
yeah, just as I thought.
…and you call yourself brilliant, Jesus Christ!
Even if everything said is agreeable, would you listen to GMA lecturing on honesty? Will you listen to a lecture on entrepreneurship from a man who lost his shirt from a business. Or a lecture about sexual techniques from a priest?
The reason I was asking you where you are coming from is because the air of uber-superiority you exude properly belongs to someone like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett.
You are a good writer though and I agree with you sometimes.
Thanks ricelander. But do ask those who in the past 8 years have asked me “where I am coming from” (i.e. my personal circumstances), and they will tell you I have a standard response to it:
Keep on guessing.
You will just have to be content with taking what I write on the Web at face value.
Otherwise you will just be wasting your time barking up the wrong tree.
HAY NAKO!!!!!!!!