Failure to evolve: Filipino anti-Marcos ‘activism’
(Photo source: PhilStar)
There are things worse than being under the sort of Martial Law former President Ferdinand Marcos oversaw in the 1970s — like being invaded by a foreign army, being struck by a killer earthquake or cyclone, being genetically mutated by years of exposure to diesel fumes, being stabbed to death by a drug-crazed loser, or being chronically stuck in traffic with chronically slow, expensive Internet.
For Filipinos, however, being under Martial Law is the be-all-end-all most important national risk to be acutely vigilant about. Small surprise then that Filipinos find themselves today with an insanely paralysing national phobia for Martial Law that has resulted in (1) the implementation of a paranoid Constitution in 1987, (2) the rise to power of a vindictive oligarchy, (3) the propagation of a perversely-liberal limpdicked national ideology now known as Yellowtardism, and (4) a deeply-ingrained hatred for the police and military. In short, Filipinos have an entire governance framework and an entire political mindset motivated by fear of the past. This is why the discourse today remains fixated on the past and its bogeymen. What of the future? Nah, that requires too much thinking and courage. The past is the Filipino’s comfort zone.
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Thus, whilst Filipinos have become good at being known for their “freedom loving” blabber and their paranoia over anything that they perceive to be a threat to that “freedom”, they are not good at mitigating, preventing, or defending themselves against real threats to their national wellbeing — like, as pointed out earlier, foreign invasion, crime and terrorism, environmental and quality-of-life degradation, and declining productivity. Whilst Filipinos can be pompously proud for being the “People Power” people of the world, they all but choke on any effort to be proud of important stuff; like military prowess, standard of living, emergency response, technological and industrial infrastructure. You know, stuff that make up the real foundation of real national pride.
In hindsight, it is now easy to see the folly in having national pride built upon “freedom”. Over the time Filipinos huffed and puffed over being the “only real democracy” in southeast Asia, relatively authoritarian societies like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Korea surged ahead and left them in the dust. More importantly being proud of being “free” is an oxymoron. If merely being “free” were truly a singular achievement to be proud of, then any spoilt brat should be regarded as an accomplished adult and every trantrum she throws evidence of that adulthood. The Philippines, it seems, is a country measured by that oxymoronic standard. Its “thought leaders” gloss over the fact that it fails on every measure of adulthood: discipline, independence, reliability, and productivity yet they throw fiestas to commemorate their nation’s infantile behaviours: its “free” no-substance press, its extrajudicial changes in leadership, its chaotic no-rules no-accountability business practices, and its “cute” belief in superstition and mythology.
What we see here is colossal lack of perspective on a national scale brought about by a “national trauma” (the “Martial Law Years”) that is no more than a figment of an entire people’s paranoid collective imagination. This is a country so afraid of its own shadow that it has failed to build capability and has, instead, chosen to hide from confronting truths about the collective character of its people and the solid evidence of this that history has to offer — if, of course, this history is analysed using sound thinking.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
We congratulate the Marcos’ Sr. family, for the celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of a True Filipino Hero and Patriot, the late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr..
Anyone who enlisted and fought against the Japanese Imperialists in World War II is a Filipino hero. Anybody who collaborated with the Japanese Imperialists , during World War II, is a Traitor.
It is as simple as that, to determine, if Marcos’ Sr. is a hero or not. Not going on the streets, and shouting to the top of your lungs: “Marcos is not a hero”.
The Aquino Cojuangco political axis, wants to perpetuate this U.S./C.I.A. political propaganda, that is 30 years old, when they removed Marcos Sr. from power. They want us to be stuck, in this debate of Marcos is either a hero or not. So that, they can insert : Ninoy Aquino, Jr.; Cory Aquino; Benigno Aquino, Sr., as heroes and saints.
They even built themselves a Shrine; named airports, memorial stadium, buildings,etc…they have a National Holiday to make people venerate them. They are even in the textbooks, as heroes and saints.
So this national debate of Marcos Sr. is just a dumb idea of being stuck in the past. Let us all move on, and build our country…
If you believe Marcos Sr. is not a hero. Then, it is your belief. Do not try to force others , or create trouble, to make others share your belief. If you believe, Marcos Sr., is a hero. Then, that is for you…
If you are confused to believe anything; then remain in your confused state…
Filipinos have a hard time moving on…this is one of the negative traits of Filipinos. Too much dwelling in the past, and focusing on the presumed bad experiences, we had in the past.
The Aquino Cojuangco political axis, also made Marcos Martial Law, as a “Bogeyman”. All we have to do, to find the truth, is to go and drag those political opportunists: Enrile, and his cahoot, Ramos. Torture them, until they will shout, what had they done to the Filipinos, during the time of Marcos’ Martial Law. These people are still alive …
Time to move on…time to build our nation…time to solve our country’s problems. We have to get out, from being the “Basket Case” country of Asia !
Those who FORGET THE PAST ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT. The Martial Law years were only bad if you were IMPRISONED/TORTURED/MURDERED or had your business put out of commission etc etc….and it was really good if you were a MARCOS Family member.
FILIPINO’s are a dumb lot, they will refuse to remember and will regret it…….making the same mistake twice is the MARK OF A FOOL.
@SAM THE SHAM :
As I had stated: you have to go and drag those people who were in charge of Martial Law, during the Marcos era. They are : Enrile and Ramos. Torture them, until they will shout what they had done to the Filipinos, during Martial Law. These people are still alive …
Why do you hesitate to know the truth, from them ? Are you a YellowTard blind follower of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis ?
The Martial Law “Bogeyman” is a political black propaganda of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis, and the U.S. / C.I.A., that is being perpetuated , up to this day…
Well, I just don’t want you to think that this piece of shit is anything other than a pathetic, human defect. Nothing more. Not a monster, not a bogeyman. Nothing but another reason to feel better about yourself. Understand that it’s just a person – not worth devoting any nightmares to.
A lor of people would always capitalize on the torture, human rights abuses and loss of personal freedoms during the martial law years. True, such abuses took place–but in fairness, during the martial law years, an air of stability was maintained, infrastructure programs were built and completed, and there was genuine peace and order.
I was one of those thousands that stood vigil during the People Power revolution of 1986, expecting a better future; sadly the installation of Cory as President brought much chaos and instability to the country. Think of the drastic rise in insurgency when she freed Joma Sison–as well as other Leftists, which prompted many disillusioned youths at that time to flee to the mountains and carry out their radical activities in the hinterlands. The activities of these Leftist groups also saw the drastic rise in human rights abuses in certain provinces when innocent beings were affected (and even killed) by their violent acts. There were also gruesome accounts during her presidency of hundreds who disappeared, massacre cases (which included the infamous Mendiola Massacre), and millions of civilians who were dislocated due to military operations. Not to mention, all those coup attempts that paralyzed the economy, prompting investors-to-be to place their stakes on neighbouring Thailand which had a very sound, stable government and emerged to be Asia’s newest dragon economy.
Sadly, those Dilaws use their emotion over logic, which isn’t always right. There is a sound way to analyze history, and one must not see it in the bitter, judgmental way these Dilaws perceive it to be.