In review and in prospect
What the Philippine national discourse lacks is nuance. Because politics in the Philippines is highly-polarised and the participants in the discourse loyal to people rather than ideas, a total lack of an ability to find common ground continues to persist. Thus, rather than move forward, conversations remain anchored in the past — chained to old grudges and perceived “injustices”. And as to the future? No thanks. Thinking that far ahead is too hard.
It seems Filipinos prefer that wounds remain open and raw well into the foreseeable future. It’s not that they plan for that situation. It’s more that they unconsciously frame their future on the bases of comfy historical narratives and belief systems they cocoon their minds within. Filipinos, as such, unconsciously set themselves up for failure every step of the way.
A prosperous future, after all, is not constrained by the past’s frame but, rather, is fuelled by often yet-to-be-imagined opportunity. Consider then that even an imaginable prospect — one that sees Filipino politics no longer characterised by the Martial Law narrative versus the Yellowtard/Communist manifestos — seems to be out of reach. What more the unimaginable where big fortunes usually lie?
Without nuance in discourse, the best ideas that could move society forward would be out of reach. Instead of a robust collective chasing a shared goal that would emerge from healthy discourse, we have a society of fragmented interests competing for history. This is why “historical revisionism” is such a big deal to many Filipino “thought leaders” — because there is no future to debate, only the past. And this is why the Philippines remains stuck.
Last week’s blog posts
American militarism and Filipino naivete creates no pragmatism
February 15, 2023 by The Unpopular Opinion
"...the Philippines is undoubtedly the weakest link. Manila doesn’t have a massive economy, nor does it have nuclear capabilities. Unlike Taiwan, conscription is not employed in the Philippines and has no resources nor material products..."