COVID-19 reveals how too much “dissent” weakened our ability to respond to pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought to the fore the importance of a government’s ability to keep track of and act on data collected related to its citizens’ movements. In the Philippines, decades of a liberal narrative — specifically the rabid one espoused by the “Yellowtard” bloc loyal to the Aquino-Cojuangco clan — that demonised the police and railed against “authoritarianism” had undermined this capability. A national response to the pandemic now gripping the world requires essential state oversight; a reliable identification system, centralised communications and information dissemination, and swift decision-making where necessary. However, noise created by the Yellowtards amplifying their “Big Brother is Watching” fear-mongering against IDs, their “press freedom” that adds panic-inducing shrillness to public chatter, and “dissent” for the sake of “dissent” brand of “activism” remains a constant setback.

The underlying issue here is trust. In societies where the citizenry are trustful of their government, a broad community response can be mobilised relatively quickly. In low-trust societies like the Philippines, unproductive “debate” tends to trump all sensible action beyond any hope of redemption. This situation is readily-evident in the way Filipinos respond not just to the COVID-19 pandemic but to most crises overall. Granted, the Philippine Government, like most before it, continues to suffer from a crisis of credibility. This is not helped by the persistent “revolution”, “protest”, and “dissent” rhetoric of the Yellowtards and communists both of which harbour a dishonest aim to incite rebellion against any government they perceive to be at odds with the status quo they had become comfy with following the 1986 EDSA “Revolution”.

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Crisis situations necessitate less tolerance for second-guessing in much the same way that there can only be one driver (and not a committee of them) making critical decisions during a high-speed car chase. This is the reason military organisations are not democracies. The Opposition should position themselves as one that seeks to work with the government in this time of crisis and then, at the appropriate time, incorporate lessons learned from the experience into their campaign platform.

Note emphasis on making a pitch to the public at the appropriate time. This punctuates the key point here — the midst of a crisis is not the appropriate time to be overly-critical much less posture in the obstructionist way today’s Opposition habitually do. It also does not help engaging in stunts that seek to erode trust in the government. This is not to say genuine dissent should be quashed. What should be frowned upon and categorically stopped is dishonest “dissent” — the types that seek to push insidious agendas. The Yellowtard approach to “dissent” has primarily been of the dishonest sort — a perception they framed within their “freedom” to “disagree” but motivated more by a desire to tear down rather than build for the sole purpose of seizing power even by illegal means. In short, the Opposition “dissent” is focused on blocking the incumbent way without offering alternative pathways the way a true and genuine opposition would. The main card they play is the “Evil Martial Law Regime” card which they never hesitate to slap on the table whenever they catch wind of any hint of what they perceive to be “authoritarian” measures being cooked up.

An example of the dishonesty of this “dissent” specifically of so-called “leftist” elements is in how they oppose the implementation of what is now a much-needed national ID system insisting that such a proposal is “anti-democratic” and such measures would be “in blatant disregard of the Philippine Supreme Court’s ruling that such a policy would be out-right unconstitutional”.

However, Artemio Panganiban disagrees and points out in his column on today’s edition of the Inquirer that such measures in their current proposed form in Republic Act 11055 “will pass constitutional scrutiny” and that “[the] ‘leftists’ whom President Duterte blamed on national TV-radio last Monday will, I think, fail in their opposition to the PhilID.” He further writes…

These simple personal data are already publicly disclosed in drivers’ licenses, passports, senior ID cards as well as in ID cards issued by the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Filipinos only need to take up the intellectual habit of stepping back from the shrill emotional rhetoric of so-called “activists” and regard the issues with level heads and modern thinking faculties. More importantly, it is high time Filipinos trust their institutional democratic processes and rely less on the screeching “protest” rhetoric of the Yellowtards. In these times of COVID-19 pandemic and, for that matter, any future crises, Filipinos should learn to apply a more mature demeanour in managing their affairs and respond to challenges in a more sober, more stoic manner.

19 Replies to “COVID-19 reveals how too much “dissent” weakened our ability to respond to pandemic”

  1. The rallies and demonstrations we are now seeing , are the work of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis; the commies and their leftist front organizations; the oligarchs; the Roman Catholic liberation theology advocates; and all kinds of idiotic “hakot demonstrators” people…

    We are seeing a “replay” of the 1986 EDSA scenario; when the Aquino Cojuangco political axis grabbed
    power from the Marcos regime, with the help of the U.S./CIA…only this time , the US/CIA is not actively involved…U.S. Pres. Trump is caught up in his CO VID 19 problems of his own…

    These buffoons cannot win in any fair and honest elections…as proven by their “otso diretso” debacle of their candidates, in the last election…so, all they do, is: to grab power…

    These opposition idiots are addicted to rallies, trying to bring down Duterte, as they had brought down Marcos in 1986 EDSA coup d’ etat !

  2. eh di wow! benign0 the TURD.

    Obviously benign0’s go to suggestion is once again MARTIAL LAW and abandoning due process.
    benign0 wants to go the China route and just DISAPPEAR all the snitches eh benign0?!?! Who cares about human rights right when there is a pandemic

    Note that he says this while in the comfort of AUSTRALIA, a free and democratic society.

    Petty tyrants use “emergencies” all the time to seize power and erode civil liberties. Marcos, Hitler etc. the list goes on and on. It is in times like these we should be EXTRA VIGILANT.

    Martial law for thee but not for me! Right benign0?!?!
    Why dont you tear up your Australian citizenship so you have some damn skin in the game.
    Otherwise your just a noisy PIECE OF SHIT.

    SHUT THE FUCK UP

    1. You’re just as stupid as Kiko Pangilinan with that post of yours.

      If you’re just here to WHINE, BITCH, AND MOAN, then just follow your own advice.

      “Ad hominem is for the weak and insecure.” As evident with your post.

    2. And you wanted people to go outside during a pandemic and DIE of the coronavirus unless you’re a nihilist, because who cares about human lives when there’s “human rights”.

      You’re also clueless about the fact that the leftists use ‘crises’ to incite rebellion and seize power, cue the stupid #OustDuterte hashtags. Yes, that means we should be extremely vigilant against people like you: unruly, undisciplined, anarchic, rebellious morons who wanted nothing but power for themselves.

      Sarah Elago of the leftist Kabataan Party List is calling “for a massive People Power because the ECQ is against human rights”. Wait, don’t tell me you’re believing in that commie bitch. You hated China, but you’re also a commie bitch as well.

      Thanks for proving to us that you’re a noisy leftist piece of shit.

      You have no authority to say “shut the fuck up” on a website you don’t own. Perhaps you should follow your own advice and make your own blog to make yourself more relevant. What’s next, putting petty things like “Marcos, China, tyrant, and dictatorship” into a sports article when someone reviews “The Last Dance”?

    3. Why dont you tear up your Australian citizenship so you have some damn skin in the game.
      Otherwise your just a noisy PIECE OF SHIT.

      SHUT THE FUCK UP

      Lol! Make me.

      1. @benign0
        Why don’t you come to the Philippines then tough guy? Tear up that Australian citizenship if you like this lockdown so much

        @Don estupido especial revie and @NOT-hot spur
        I’m NOT yellow. I’m GOLD!
        AEEH ehhh AYYYYYYYYYY EEHHHHHH WHOOOOOO (I’m communicating in retard because that is what sheep like you understand)

        1. Well now, @Darth, turns out there’s not much you can do after all other than issue “suggestions” from where you stand.

          Unless you’ve got the MEANS or the SKILL to make people shut up, merely TELLING people to shut up counts for jack shit.

        2. Lies. Your actually gold – gold plated shit, that is.

          It seems you never bothered to read my post. That’s how zero your IQ is.

        3. Here’s a better idea: why don’t you get out from your house, roam around and protest and not just to whine on social media if you have the balls to do it?

          But don’t ever complain when you got infected with Covid-19 and die when that happens. In fact, that is exactly what happened to John McDaniel from Marion County, Ohio. Don’t say we don’t warn you.

    4. @Darth M the wise I think you already have a virus called AIDS or also known as ANTI-DISCIPLINE INFECTIOUS DISEASE SYNDROME that you’ll need to be quarantined yourself before that virus would infect worldwide and cause a massive destruction that is worst than COVID-19.

      And if you think that the webmaster @Benign0 is enjoying his living in Australia, well guess what? That country have better handling on the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak that could put other countries to shame like here in the Philippines or the overliberated United States of America: https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/how-well-has-australia-managed-covid-19/

      As for you @Darth better shut your mouth & stop spreading your virus here which is known as AIDS or ANTI-DISCIPLINE INFECTIOUS DISEASE SYNDROME! ?

      1. Let’s be honest: Dilaw M wants every Filipino to be like John McDaniel of Marion, Ohio where he stated in late March that the current lockdown in his state is “bullshit” and called it as a “political ploy.”

        Weeks later, on April 15, he died due to the coronavirus.

        https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11441636/john-mcdaniel-killed-coronavirus-dismissing-political-ploy/

        If THIS is what he wants then go ahead and let people die due to Covid-19. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci says that anti-lockdown protest will backfire.

  3. “Filipinos only need to take up the intellectual habit of stepping back from the shrill emotional rhetoric of so-called “activists” and regard the issues with level heads and modern thinking faculties.”
    >>> In an ideal society, that would be the only thing Filipinos, or any other people, would do. But we are humans, and whether we like it or not, emotions are a big factor in dealing with any rhetoric. Smart leaders and authorities know this. The best ones use this knowledge to further their agenda.

    “More importantly, it is high time Filipinos trust their institutional democratic processes and rely less on the screeching “protest” rhetoric of the Yellowtards.”
    >>> It’s hard to really trust something that only works for the select few… Also, the Yellowtards cannot really own the “screeching protest rhetoric”, because it belongs to anyone who would want to use it to express their frustration towards the (in)actions of our current government. Sure, anyone (incl yellowtards) can try to appropriate this rhetoric to further their agenda, but the act of protest can be done by anyone.

    “In these times of COVID-19 pandemic and, for that matter, any future crises, Filipinos should learn to apply a more mature demeanour in managing their affairs and respond to challenges in a more sober, more stoic manner.”
    >>> Sure, and I hope you also mean to include the people in the government.

  4. All the “dissenters” want is to be in the top seat themselves. I bet when they’re faced with managing this pandemic, they’ll know less of what to do, and will just try to appease people while a lot are dying because no lockdown is imposed.

    1. @ChinoF
      All I want is proper accountability.

      How many lives were saved by doing this lockdown vs. how many lives were ruined because of it?
      benign0 THE JACKASS TURD lives in Australia so he doesn’t know about the average filipino family of 5 who lost their income and now has to survive on a can of sardines and some rice?

      How many people are going to die of STARVATION vs how many are saved from covid? Why the hysteria on COvid? SEVEN THOUSAND died from the drug war.

      Isn’t life cheap in the Philippines, benign0 the JACKASS? Why the sudden need for lockdown then? Its all to push this government MARTIAL LAW agenda

      https://www.getrealphilippines.com/2013/12/life-is-cheap-in-the-philippines-recent-events-prove-it/

      1. You’re a lying piece of shit and you know that.

        You don’t want accountability but more like selfishness and arrogance. You keep on yapping about Australia yet failed to realize that they handled the Covid-19 situation better than the Philippines and the overliberal United States.

        And here you go again with you’re “Martial law agenda” when it’s only declared when there is an rebellion or invasion. Unless you want to incite a rebellion, that is. Which is your agenda.

        Keep on exposing yourself, son. You just went full retard with what you wrote.

      2. I find it laughable that with the nature of your posts, it seems what you actually wanted is self-entitlement, not accountability.

        You keep on blaming the government’s efforts yet you applaud the so-called ‘poorest of the poor’ for their lack of discipline. You whine about poor people starving yet you admire their own selfishness and stupidity. Like the bitch named “Aling Alma” who complained about the PHP 8,000 cash assistance she received because it will only last for a week because she had eight children.

        Then you applaud some of these people on using the money they received only to be used for gambling and sabong.

        And here’s the kicker: you cite about people died in a drug war yet you are proud of one stupid jackass in Cavite where he used the PHP 6,500 cash assistance just to buy shabu!

        Please, you need to take a breath. You’re just too paranoid because you’re so rebellious and undisciplined. Priorities, plez.

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