Civil Disobedience?

I'm writing in reaction to Conrado de Quiros' commentary yesterday, Apr. 26 in the PDI, which advocated "civil disobedience" as the way to truly booting out the "pretender" from Malacanang. Here's a link to that commentary by de Quiros: Yet Again, Alternatives

de Quiros' call for civil disobedience reminded me of a story about a King who stoppped being a King when he lost all his followers. It goes like this:

Once there was a selfish king who lived and ruled in a faraway kingdom. He was very cruel with his subjects and imposed heavy taxes on them. He would order imprisonment or whiplashes for those who tried to disobey him. The citizenry, afraid and unable to do anything, suffered silently, while the king continued to rule foolishly.

One day, while the king was bathing, he called for his musicians to play him something. One of those musicians, having had little to eat, kept coughing. The king, irritated by this, ordered his guards to throw the musician in jail.

"How dare he get sick in front of me!" the king fumed. "Doesn't he know it's unlawful to cough in front of the king?" At the thought of having the insolent musician now languishing in jail, the king's mood brightened up and he called for someone else to replace the musician. A little girl was brought forth. She was a singer, and was known for her lovely voice. Unknown to the king, the musician whom he had just had thrown in jail, was the girl's father. The girl, having heard of this, refused to sing for the king. The king was so angered by this that he ordered the harshest punishment he could think of for the girl. Torture.

So the girl was thrown in one of the castle's dungeons and was told to await her punishment come nightfall. The girl, though very afraid at the thought of being tortured, kept her courage up and sang to herself to make her fears go away.

When night came, a hooded man entered the cell. He had with him the tools of his trade. Without warning, the hooded man bellowed at the girl.

"Will you not change your mind and sing for the king? I can tell the king you changed your mind and we'd have none of this torture."

Though by this time, the girl's fear truly reached its height, the girl bravely answered, "I will not sing for the king. For he has thrown my father in jail when my father's only sin was to cough in front of him. My father, who got sick, because the king would not stop increasing the taxes he's asking from us. My father, who got sick because the king would hardly pay him enough to buy us food, and his medicines."

The hooded man knew the story of the girl and her father. Though he was sympathetic to their plight, he knew that if he wavered on his job, it would be him who would be tortured for failing to obey the king. So he implored the girl:

"Will you not at least ask forgiveness from the king and tell him you're sorry?"

at which the girl answered, "I cannot ask forgiveness for it was not I who have sinned."

at this, the man was truly amazed at the courage of the girl. It broke his heart that now he must torture this girl for no other crime than that she wanted to defend her father. He stepped forward, and took one of the whips off the table when he heard the girl speak.

"But if you want, I can sing for you."

And the girl sang. Her voice was so clear, and touched the man so, that he fell down on his knees crying. He let go of the whip he was holding, and told the girl

"I cannot hurt someone who can sing beautifully such as you. I would rather endure the king's wrath than flay a girl with a voice as yours."

And so the man left the girl alone. He went back to the king and told the king his decision. The king imediately had him thrown in the same cell as the girl, and ordered that both of them would now be tortured.

As what happened the first night, another hooded man came in, now to torture them both. But like the first night, the man heard the girl sing and was so moved by her singing, that he went back to the king same as the first one, and was thrown in the same cell.

Each night, a slew of men entered the cell, to torture the girl and all who came before them who failed, and came out refusing to do his job as well. The cell got so ridiculously crowded, that the king had to order his headsmen to kill some of the prisoners to free up some room. But by this time, the story of the girl and her would-be torturers had gotten around the palace, that the headsmen who were summoned rudely told the king: Up yours! threw down their axes, and left the king in shock.

The king was now truly in a rage. He ordered all his soldiers to capture and kill everyone who disobeyed him, and warned them that anyone who disobeys him further will have his life and their family's life as well, forfeited. But the soldiers knowing that the king had no headsman left to do his executions for him, laughed at the king and paid him no heed. They went further, and released all the prisoners inside the dungeons, the girl and her father along with them, and announced that they would be going back to their former lives as farmers, fishermen, bakers, and would not work for the king anymore.

This caused an avalanched of resignation at the palace that soon, the only followers the king had left were his advisers, and his royal sycophants.

The king was unperturbed, thinking that the people would soon realize their mistake and come back crying for forgiveness. At such thought, he happilly devised devious punishment for each one who disobeyed him.

"They need me," he thought. "I am the king. Who would rule over them if they have no king? Who would protect them but I?"

So the king went to sleep peacefully, expecting that the next morning would have him taking the people's apologies and handing out punishments just like before.

When he awoke, he bellowed for his maids to help him with his clothes. Instead of the maids coming, two of his advisers went inside his room instead.

"But sir, don't you recall? Everyone left yesterday. We, your advisers, and some of your allies, are the only ones left in the palace." one of the advisers reminded the king. And as if he had some further wisdom to impart, the other one quickly added, "But don't you worry my king, once the people realizes their mistake, we'd have all your servants back, and a few heads rolling as well. And then, you can reward us, your faithful servants, with the kingdom's wealth, just as we righfully deserve."

"Yes," the first one agreed. "This is what we advise you to do. Just wait for the people to realize their mistake."

The king was glad then, and ordered the two to come and break their fast with him. At this, the two advisers told the king that no food were prepared because even the royal cook had left the palace.

"No problem then!" the king said. "I'll just go to the royal orchard and pick some fruits."

But was told, that again, the people, in all their frenzy, had picked all the fruits in the orchard, and left none for them to pick.

"I'll go to the store room then. I know we have an abundance of milk, cheese, and wheat..."

But the two advisers shaked their head sadly and told him, that those too, were taken by the people.

"But what are we going to eat?" the king demanded.

"Well sir," one of the advisers volunteered. "I saw one of your cows grazing not far off. We can still make use of her for milk, cheese, and for meat later on, if the people still persists in their madness."

"Well, very good. Why don't you go to her and milk her then?"

"But sir, I am just your adviser. I know not how to milk a cow. I can give you advise on how to divide the kingdom's wealth, on whom to punish and why, but I can't give you advise on how to milk a cow."

and the other adviser, not to be outdone, added:

"Me neither sir. I did not study to become your adviser just to milk a cow. If you want, I can prepare a report for you of all the names of the people in the kingdom who can milk this cow for you."

I know that something similar to the story happening today is unrealistic. Our society has grown much more complex that a simple refusal of a few to obey the President would result in her being thrown out of power.

But the idea is there. Take away the country's workhorse, OFWs sending in their hard earned dollars through legal channels, honest civil servants working so hard for a system set against them, police and military personnel loyal to the country brainwashed into thinking that the state is the President, even small business entrepreneurs taxed so hard by this government while big businesses flourish at evading much larger taxes, take away all of these and the "Iron Queen" would be a queen of nothing but a bunch of legal-savvy monkeys and ill-bred sycophants.

Civil disobedience by not paying taxes won't work. Taxes are so ingrained in our everyday lives its hard to avoid them, even with us not paying our AITs, we inevitably pay them. When we order a Value Meal at McDo, when we purchase one bottle of Tempra, when we buy that package of baby diapers, every purchase that we make, is taxed by this undeserving government.

I say we go further than that. I say, instead of civil disobedience, we practive civil obedience. Obedience not to this President nor to this government, but obedience to this country's laws. God knows we have enough of them to make our country much better.

Why not start with obeying traffic rules? Lord knows much of our traffic woes are of our own making. Drivers and pedestrians alike. Imagine just a day wherein we can go back and forth the office without the headache given by stalled traffic because of counterflows and pedestrians crossing where they will. Imagine just a day wherein we refuse to bribe police officers when they apprehend us. Wow, an action that just maybe, could make that policeman proud enought to wear his uniform, and promise himself that he'll stop collecting his part in that jueteng operation.

For those in goverment employ, why not start with doing your jobs with a smile? We know none of you are ever compelled to give the best service since competition does not exist in your market, but perhaps, just the knowledge that you are doing your best will be enough for some of you. Just the thought that, though those in the higher-ups pay little heed to your own needs, you're getting back at them by actually performing better than them!

There's a lot of other things we can "obediently" do to actually make our country a better place to live in. I agree, God has made our work a lot harder by allowing leaders like GMA and de Venecia to perpetuate themselves in power in our country, but just think, God does not give us mountains which He doesn't think we can climb!

We may have lousy leaders, but they can't stop us from improving our lot in our own simple way, one day at a time. With little things, I'm sure people like them will slowly be gone. Just as sure as ticks falling off when we bathe our dog, those undeserving leaders would fall one by one, when we start showing them that we are a citizenry to be respected, by having respect in ourselves and refusing to be mired in hopelesness and mediocrity.

We are only so free, as our minds allow us to be.

We are only so wealthy, as our actions allow us to be.

The Filipino is a great being. We only have to highlight all that makes him great and strike down all that makes him evil.

It all starts with ourselves.

Refuse to be the typical "undisciplined" Filipino, and be the unusual "great" Filipino.

It all takes one, to change a whole.

Silence

Silence. Silence deafening is all you'll hear in a dictatorship. People afraid to breathe for the fear it's illegal to do so. Silence. Silence is how evil starts to grow and triumph. Silence. Silence is the friend of the wicked.

Today. Youth is more preoccupied with showbiz and online games. Their silence is bought with entertainment. The day that diversion goes is the day they wake up to realize all the freedom they enjoy have been taken from them one by one.

Apathy. Apathy is the food of silence. Without it, silence would break into whispers, and whispers into noises. A full day without apathy will turn that noise into shouts.

Pessimism. The wife of Apathy. They go hand in hand together. You will not see Apathy wherein Pessimism is nowhere. Pessimism strengthens Apathy and makes him prouder to be himself.

Dictator. A ruler who is so weak he/she can only rule by force.

Freedom. A thing only appreciated when it is taken from you.

Reason. You want people to praise you, you do laudable things.

Folly. You don't want people to criticize you, you jail the critics.

Reason. You want economic stability, you broaden free trade, not restrict it.

Folly. You want economic gains, you chase away investors by exhibiting Marcosian and Orweillian tendencies and excuse yourselves by saying you're doing it all for the good of the economy. (Bah, humbug!)

Reason. Our country is an agricultural economy. Therefore we must preserve our natural resources.

Folly. Our salvation lies in pandering our natural resources to foreign miners. Don't worry, they'll pay us in millions. (and after they've used up everything, don't worry, we fools who allowed it to happen would be dead by then and won't suffer the consequences) (this is reason: why can't they enact a law wherein it'll require executives of mining companies to situate their homes and their families right at the path of whatever natural disaster might happen at the cause of their  mining? For that matter, why not include that of logging companies as well?)

Reason. I will fight now while I still can. While the curtain hasn't yet fallen. While there is still daylight that allows me to. I will fight now 'coz tomorrow I might already wake up in chains.

Folly. Oh, let Gloria do her thing. She will never declare martial law anyway. (she doesn't have to. She controls the military, the supreme court, congress. Thank God for little miracles senate is being their usual selfish selves and jz fighting for their lives) I'll jz wait and see what happens and if it bad comes to worse, we'll be able to mobilize won't we? I mean, we did before haven't we?

Reason. Yeah, we were able to mobilize after how many x-years of martial law?

Folly. But they're only taking away the nuisance people. Those fucking reds, those noisy squatters, those know-it all professors, those unprofessional journalists. I'm not one of them. What do I have to fear?

Reason. (I read something like this somewhere. I've modified it 'coz I can't remember the exact lines. The nazis were arresting everyone) The other day, they knocked on a Jewish neighbor's door and arrested him. I did nothing, for he was a Jew. Yesterday, they knocked on a Christian neighbor's door, and arrested him too. I did nothing, for he was a Christian. Today, they knocked on an Aryan neighbor's door and arrested him. I did nothing, for he was Aryan. I was Aryan too. But I was better. I was an Aryan Nazi. So I did nothing. Tomorrow, I know they will knock on my door and arrest me. But I will do nothing. 'Coz I'm just Nazi.

Reason. So few of it is going around I decided to sprinkle some.

Being Free is A Choice

Freedom of expression is not absolute. Our right is always accompanied by the responsibility to exercise it – correctly.

      This is our dilemma. Because democracy is a double-edged sword
– it has its pros and cons. Yet no matter its negative attributes, we
must always remember that our state of freedom, indeed our form of
government, was founded on ideals and reasons formulated by our
forefathers, guided by their conscience, by years of learned history,
and by reasoned argument – in this way, the Philippine Republic was
born.

      Our constitution, by all rights, is not infallible. Nor is it
even holy (no matter what the constitutionalists say), having been made
only by men, and not being the word of God. Thus to all parties
concerned, pro or anti-government, this should neither be the wall in
which we should fall back on, nor the wall in which we should hide
behind when arguing our cases, but should only be our guideline when
discussing matters of law.

      Nothing is absolute in our world. Our laws and our
constitution will not always be right. Times change, and we must change
with it. Though our constitution was drafted by men and women of great
wisdom and honor, none of them can possibly have foreseen what the
future held, and thereby draft provisions within the constitution to
govern it. That is why when conflicts of interests or questions of
right or wrong arise, we should not depend on laws to provide all
answers (as still, laws are made by men, and are thus prone to
mistakes, perversion, and even evil intent), but instead rely on our
conscience, reasoned judgement, and ultimately our hearts.

      For even if the law never provided a provision against murder,
by just using our conscience, heart, and reason, we would already know
that killing is wrong, and should thereby be punished. Thus to all
those pretending to uphold the law, or peace and order, the question isn’t
always about legality – it is always about morality. Whether you can
stomach what you are doing even if it is already reeking of all the
wrongness in the world.

      With our freedom comes the age-old argument of expressing it,
and exercising it responsibly. As I vividly recall my college professor
say: not all freedom is absolute. With it comes the responsibility of
exercising it correctly. You cannot say, “I am free to say whatever I
want because this is a free country,” and then go on to a cinema and
shout: Fire! For of course this would cause panic, and in the resulting
panic people would get hurt.

      Can you reasonably say then that you did no wrong because you were just simply exercising your right to free speech?

      We are only as free to exercise our rights so long as it does
not impede, step on, or violate anyone else’s. Always there should be
accountability to our fellow men.

      Now, to why I say democracy is a double-edged sword. Democracy
is freedom, it is the rule of the majority – and this is where our
sword might cut us. For not all votes of the majority are right, or
reasonable. For a country like ours, with a majority which is growing
alarmingly uneducated, and depressingly apathetic, it is a danger to
depend so much on the rule of the majority. When that majority can just
descend on mob rule: which is all passion and no reason.

      To think that since it is the opinion of the majority, it must
be right, is to descend into stupidity. For as history have brusquely
taught us, the majority doesn’t always have the monopoly on what is
right. Hence Galileo was prosecuted because he advanced a theory which
was against the belief of the majority; so were navigators of ancient
times called madmen for proclaiming the earth round when most people
believed it flat. I shudder to think what would happen if majority of
people suddenly decide that killing is not only legal, but is also
right.

      Again it all comes back to three things. Only by using our
conscience, reasoned judgement, and our hearts can we truly discern
what is right and moral.

      The fault of democracy is that it relies greatly on people to
choose a leader and then after that, installs that leader to rule over
the people. Democracy is monarchy masked with the people’s votes. We
choose our king or queen, and then happily submit to their rule. And
then blame them when things don’t go the way we want it to be. The
problem with our countrymen is that they think that their duty as a
citizen starts and ends only with voting and that after that, they just
leave it to the president to solve everything without them even giving
a helping hand. That is why for us Filipinos, democracy is so hard to
become our golden ticket to true freedom. Because by our own choice, we
let that freedom enslave us.

      Again, I hear my college professor advocating us: the key is
pro-activism, never passivity. For only with pro-activism can we
continue to check and control the negative things that go along with
democracy.

      My despair is for all of us Filipinos, who are so proud of our
being patient – to a fault, that we are willing to lay down and let a
tyrant run amok and act only when we are, as we say in Tagalog: puno na
ang salop. Bakit ba kailangan pa nating hintayin na mapuno ang salop
para lang umaksyon? Kung kalian marami na ang namatay, nakulong, o
naparusahan? (o nakalimutan nyo na ba ang Martial Law?)

      There is a line in JK Rowling’s 6^th book of Harry
Potter that says: It is important to fight, and fight again, and keep
fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite
eradicated.

      Now to the Arroyo administration, which incidentally has a
frightening resemblance to George Orwell’s fictional government in his
book, The Farm, I say this: You may use all your powers to thwart, hide
behind, or use inappropriately the rule of law, yet ultimately you are
bound to fall. For all tyrants and tyrannies have an end, and that
retribution will always come to those who warrant it.

      I am disheartened when professionals and the so called
“educated” middle class are the first ones to call for the rallies to
end simply because it is to their discomfort. We forget that it is when
we start to think more of our comfort than of what is right that
injustice occurs. We forget that when we start to disdain rallies
because they are, so to speak: pampagulo lang, pampa-trapik lang, gawa
ng mga taong walang magawa sa buhay, that we start to kill that same
freedom we enjoy, and embolden the government to be tyrannical. I am
disheartened to think that the middle class have become so elitist that
when they see poor people rallying, they immediately assume these
rallyists have been paid. I am disheartened, because we were so quick
to unite against Erap because he was stupid and had no educational
class, that when his graft and corruption was exposed, we immediately
clamored for his resignation. While when it was Gloria’s turn to be
grilled, having been exposed of BLATANT wrong-doing, we, the supposed
“educated” middle class turn a deaf ear and a blind eye, simply
because: we have no other choice but Gloria. Gloria who is supposed
to be an economist but employs the stupidest economic decisions of all.

      I would rather remove an inept president (for that is what
Gloria is) than endure her rule simply because the one who may succeed
her is deemed by the “educated” middle class to be inept.

      I call on all Filipinos, who are still guided by reason and
morality, to ACTIVELY participate in the formation of our country. For
only with our actions can we guide our country towards a fruitful
development.

      To the police and military, this is my call: Do not mistake
the title of the president as Commander-in-Chief to mean that she is at
the top of the chain of command. For that is what you so moronically
repeat like brainless monkeys when questioned about your continued
enforcement of her obvious anti-people policies. Calibrated preemptive
response my ass, is just another term for oppression.

      Never forget that the president’s office gets its mandate from
the people, and that in a democracy, the power emanates not from the
president, but from the people. So when you robotically mouth the
beloved phrase: All faithful soldiers must follow the chain of command,
why then, it is the people you should follow, for they are above the
president, and therefore at the top of the chain of command. First
among your duties is to protect the people and its sovereign will, not
the presidency.

      To the media, (the broadcast one in particular) my call is
simple. STOP IDIOTIZING (if ever there is such a word) THE PEOPLE, and
START EDUCATING THEM RESPONSIBLY! I know you are after what sells and
what is profitable, but always remember that: in the end, these things
you sow, you will also reap.

      So enough with the inane reality shows like Pinoy Big Brother
and Extra Challenge which have no educational value whatsoever, only
serving to glamorize stupidity, and vulgarity, not to mention the
people’s ill manners on these shows to be haplessly imprinted on the
minds of our poor youth. Enough also with the infotainment and the
mixing of showbiz news with regular news. Haven’t we had enough showbiz
news in shows like Startalk and The Buzz, to be still bombarded by it
when we watch our evening news? Yeah, yeah, I know. It is again,
another one of your harebrained schemes to root the people in their
seats, in front of their TV screens by interspersing the news with
“chika”. In that way, you smartly think, the masa will stay all
throughout the show. But that is where you went wrong. For it is when
you started to think that all the masa ever wanted was senseless
showbiz tidbits that what resulted in the end, was the masa being
brainwashed into thinking that all that ever mattered was what happens next to
Jen and Mark’s romance, and which showbiz couple’s relationship Pauleen
Luna will break next.

      And you wonder why our people have grown apathetic to what’s happening around them…

      To Mike Enriquez and Mel Tiangco, aren’t you ashamed at all
that your esteemed 24 Oras has lost all its resemblance to a real news
program and has become a commercial break to an endless barrage of
showbiz balita? Doesn’t it even insult you that you have become mere
“heralds” of Pia Guanio, and that Pia Guanio seems more to be the
mainstay of the show than you two?

      I will not even go into detail of the shameless way you plug
your foundations and charitable institutions, proclaiming to the world
the kindness and goodness of your heart; how you rush to praise
yourself when you have finished assuaging your guilt for the immense
riches you have earned by giving back not even a fraction of it, to the
masa to whom you owe your riches.

      Aah, you media people have grown proud. Because like Arroyo,
you have been given a position of power, and like Arroyo, that power
has made you drunk with pride.

Arroyo, and Orwell's Pigs

dito ko lang muna to:

jz a thought. But the Arroyo administration seems ominously imitating George Orwell's fictional government in his famous book: The Farm.

The obvious parallelism of the story's goverment characteristics with the Arroyo administration is a pun intended.

And another thought brewing:

Ever notice that George Bush Jr. seems to be Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's idol? Whatever that warmongerer says, Gloria happily repeats. And what else, the Philippines seems to be a testing ground for whatever policies Bush wants to implement in the United States.

Pre-emptive Calibrated Response anyone?

What a bunch of hogwash and insulting doublespeak to boot.