The Philippine Media, both old and new, whether traditional or trend-setting, is abuzz yet again with the usual discussions and “analyses” that tend to proliferate in value-crushing volumes. So I thought it’d be a good time to re-visit the fundamental process that underlies this hyped-up political exercise that is pitched to vacuous minds as some kind of miracle pill to cure society’s ills year after year after year.
When seen in terms of its four fundamental components, elections are quite simple. And the way we comprehensively miss the point of each one of these components is quite straightforward.
Campaign.
Campaigns in the Philippines amount to nothing more than organised insults on the Filipino’s dwindling intelligence. Empty slogans and populist buzzwords fill campaign speeches and paraphernalia creating a false perception of substance where there is none. Although there is some form of a “united opposition” in just about every Philippine election, there is no evidence that their members are “united” in any real sense of the word.
Elect.
Because of the vacuous nature of campaigns, voters have nothing but trivial name associations to guide them at the polling booths.
Appoint.
Numerous kibitzers are present during the counting of votes and proclamation of winners.With each kibitzing non-official “organisation” comes an unofficial outcome. As a result people are confused and divided over the results of the vote counting and the appointment process drags on for ages.
Govern.
Lack of or insufficient closure resulting from drawn out appointments and resolutions plagues every administration. Instead of focusing on productive work, politicians continuously stir up crises and issues of legitimacy. They interpret and pervert the letter of the Law to legitimise their personal crusades and vendettas and they spend the remainder of their time plotting strategies and forming alliances (such as organising themselves into the next “united opposition”) to undermine their respective opponents.
The antics of politicians distract, derail, and pollute the vacuous minds of the masses throughout a term. Every now and then “scandals” are exposed and street rallies are organised to demonstrate “indignation”. Groups with otherwise non-political charters issue official “statements” stating their positions on this and that issue on behalf of their members. The Philippine “intelligentsia” micro-scrutinise, micro-analyse, and micro-debate what are essentially trivial points spun by the very characters they revile.
For its part, the Philippine Media under the guise of “press freedom” profitably scoop and sensationalise all of this with glee while continuously invoking their tired old romanticised portrayals as heroes and guardians of “freedom”.
[The above framework is best viewed in slide show format. Click here!]
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The situation we are in year in, and year out is quite simple when viewed in this light, isn’t it?
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