YPS

I wrote this after a co YPS member showed me (us) the link to this blog page on a popular social networking site. My friend thought that it was disturbing how "so many" ( actually not that many) people seemed to agree with the few lines of a statement this blog makes. While Im not exactly disturbed by it, it is very reflective of a disconnect people feel between their daily life and politics. Because I do not want to replicate the blog war that erupted between two very well known writers ( a blogger/writer and columnist ex Justice) I've edited my response by removing the name of the person who started this "movement" and have taken out any links to the blog itself. However, if a reader wants to find out more about this blogger her can copy one of the sentences I've italicized and Google it. I'm sure the blog will come out.

I think (bloggers) "movement" "resonates" for 3 reasons.

1. One stems from this statement: I do not believe in pursuing the use of extra constitutional methods to bring down the presidency of the Philippines.

(blogger) uses the phrase extra constitutional ( always a great scare tactic to drive away possible active participants) and Im not sure that he or they ( the reactors) know that the right to protest action is a constitutional right which should fall under the right to free speech and or the right to peaceful assembly. Once again, as in our Patriotism and Nationalism issue, if you don't know the meaning of a word (or phrase) you may find yourself either reacting incorrectly or not reacting at all.

As far as I can tell, there have not been any extra constitutional methods applied.What IS an action with extra constitutional implications are the calls of certain groups who insists GMA resign but WILL NOT accept NOLI as the CONSTITUTIONAL successor.

2. The other reason stems from this one:I believe that all the current Philippine political noise and protesting is futile.

In my opinion the claim of futility resonates because most people cannot connect with the protest actions and feel that the stakes being fought for are very separate from their own immediate interests ( an interesting discussion my break out group had during the Youth Vote 2010 conference). It is possible that they feel that the gains to be made by forcing out issues in public through protest and noise are too small to be worth all the activity in relation to their actual benefit.

Imagine a man shouting at a mountain to move out of the way. At some point there would be a realization that it might be easier to either walk around the mountain or wait till erosion takes its toll.But in a sense, the size of the mountain is only relative to the tools you have to move it. Certainly the provisions in the constitution are powerful and are made more so when a collective will is applied to it (see EDSA 1).

So to accept (bloggers) insistence on the protest action's FUTILITY most probably just reflects these people's current state of INACTION and UN-INVOLVEMENT.

3. But most of all, (bloggers) statement resonates because of this; HIS WILLINGNESS TO WAIT and TO WAIT 2 YEARS. In other words..it is a call to INACTION.

2010 is less than two years away and I really am willing to wait till then to see GMA out.

If there is a powerful weapon used by the uninvolved to remain uninvolved then it is the bastardized virtue of patience.

This is the justification of many people who like to believe that the world can be moved by sitting on top of a mountain and contemplating their place in the universe.

But (blogger) overlooks one important detail.

He forgets that there is a very REAL possibility that GMA may try to stay in power beyond 2010.If she says..oh just 2 years more...will he still wait? Will protest actions still be a futile activity?

The problem with his statement is that it offers nothing except an acceptance of weakness and no plan other than to wait.

If anything, perhaps it's good to ask (blogger) WHERE he will wait while all this is going on? I wonder if it's behind guarded gates, neighbors to many of the people in government he finds futility in protesting against.

Ill have that beer now please.