Thoughts on the Kudeta

Initially appeared on doktorko.com 2/28/2006.

i

My little brain wasn't particularly concerned when the first People Power Revolution came about.  Honestly, I was rapt watching a recorded Macross (not Marcos) betamax tape while people were laying down in front of tanks (in my defense - i was 9 years old at the time).  I never really knew what Martial Law was about; freedom (and the revocation thereof) were abstract concepts to me.  I just played along with the whole Marcos-Cory thing, not really knowing what it was about.


Still, despite our government's claims to the contrary, what's happening now seems suspiciously similar: warrantless arrests, (threatened) seizure of industries, and suppression/censorship of the free press.  Never have i felt so acutely that somebody was hacking away at pillars of our democracy.

ii

For some reason, i feel more apathetic than passionate about the present goings-on.  True, i'm 8000 miles away so nobody really gives a sh!t what i do or think about the current "crisis," but somehow it all feels distant, like it's not really happening.  It was the same odd sensation in medical school when EDSA 2 went down, followed a few weeks later by "EDSA 3," and then much later by the Oakwood Mutiny.  And i'm sad to say - most of the country (at least in the circles where i move - which is the middle class) seems to be feeling this apathy as well.  I've heard it called "People power fatigue," but i have the sinking feeling that this is what i had only read about in school: "Learned Helplessness."  According to the principle, the dog who is continually shocked while tied down learns that it's futile to try and avoid the shocks, and so even when presented the possibility of escape, he just lays there and keeps getting shocked.  This is exactly what we've done; burned by lying lame-duck leaders more times than we can count, we've decided that it's just not worth it to get up and do anything.  I should point out however, that WE ARE NOT DOGS (we only eat them).


Will change of leadership actually get us anywhere?  I haven't seen anyone present themselves as the next prospective president (probably for fear of a warrantless arrest), but in all probability it will be just another power-hungry politico who'll dig us into a deeper mess.  And the shift to a parliament?  I don't see how much of a change that will bring about, seeing as how it will likely be populated with the same geniuses who are in Congress and Senate right now.


For up-to-date news on the State of Emergency, i peruse the INQ7 website.  Surprisingly, Wikipedia also has a pretty comprehensive review.