Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Good vs Evil in 2010?

"If we continue to confuse political moralizing with political analysis, we will remain blind to the systemic nature of our political crises. We will forever be ousting leaders and putting in new ones, without ever making a dent on the mass poverty and social inequality that have plagued our nation since its founding." (Randy David)
Politicians who are projecting the 2010 elections as a battle of good versus evil are resorting to political moralizing, and are in danger of misleading our people especially if they reduce the root of the "evil" to one person or family, and obscure the systemic nature and the inter-generational persistence of our unsatisfactory national condition.
The primary root of our inter-generational poverty and inequality of opportunities is the enduring oligarchic system of rent-seeking families among whom are families that control media empires that prefer to entertain and sensationalize rather than provide balanced reports and validated information, and which seem to be excited to portray 2010 as a dramatic showdown between good and evil. Political moralizing is an easy but foolish attempt to raise our citizenry to a higher level of motivation and action. Let us resist this oversimplification of our national condition.

1 comment:

  1. It's the system that needs to be reshuffled. The constitution and all was made in such a way that it can be completely manipulated by anyone. Walang tuldok ang mga nakasulat. Anything on it can be implemented according to one's perspective. Kaya nagkakagulo ang bansa natin.

    The political system. The social class system. All of it is just one big mess. And politics itself is just a small part.

    Don't get me wrong. A number of the tentative candidates, I'm sure, are ready to get into the game. Prepared and ready to lead. Lahat sila may kanya kanyang kakayanang magpatakbo ng isang bayan. Pero pag-up nila, kakainin lang din sila ng sinasabing sistema.

    I remember, Marcos had a great platform and was completely eaten by power. The power the system gave him.

    Sabi nga, absolute power corrupts absolutely

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