Ombion: A fascist counter campaign

NOT a democratic campaign.

A democratic campaign is supposed to get the support of the majority of the people, unite them, address their concerns and problems, never hurt them, and give them a sense of hope for a better future.

A democratic campaign against illegal drugs, widespread criminalities, organized syndicates, bureaucratic corruptions is neither about falling-body-count system nor the tasks alone of the state security forces and their civilian assets.

It is about addressing the root causes of these evil acts, which is poverty and hunger, caused by landlessness, unemployment, low wages and lack of security of tenure, foreign control, and plunder and state bureaucratic corruptions.

It is also about involving various stakeholders, families, communities, schools, churches, people’s organizations, non-government development institutions, social enterprise groups – to jointly discuss, come into the consensus for solutions and approaches.

When people, communities, sectors, and institutions of different faith work in consensus, act without fear and effectively supported by the state, we can say it is truly a democratic movement, and as such, it can achieve a lot of reforms and development.

What we have now, or still have now, is the opposite, a counter-fascist campaign.

State security forces with their civilian assets are into a rampage against illegal drugs and crimes, victimizing mostly poor users and small-time handlers while keeping big fishes and their state protectors go scot-free in their illegal businesses.

The military institutions, their intelligence, public relations, and combat units are likewise on a berserk in their hunt for terrorists, communists, activists, administration critics and supporters.

National service agencies aside from constant reorganizations due to corruptions, fast hiring and firing are still caught in traditional, dole out, piecemeal and reactive services.

The participatory governance that they have professed to embed in their systems remain hot-air talks in seminars and lip service in general. Worse, most of these agencies are now run by former military generals who at their best could only make their respective agencies integral part of the government’s fascist counter-campaign.

Their plan to revive and integrate the “alsa masa” or civilian vigilante movement in their fascist counter-campaign will only intensify the commission of more atrocities and rights violations.

Despite their early confusion and fear due to Duterte’s threat against his political enemies, the local government officials are back to their old ways of running local order after realizing the president is not their enemy but their ally in keeping the status quo, looting government coffers, and hunting down dissenters.

They disdain any form of participatory governance in all the affairs of local government; at their best, they conjure public illusion for their open government platform by a token participation of their favored local community and business leaders.

The local landed and corporate elites are gobbling up more wealth and profit and smashing their laborers and employees because the ruling administration has become better in protecting their business interests. The most notorious and dreaded among them are back in powers in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Capping it all is a president who has been whipping up public fear and paranoia to his so-called democratic war against illegal drugs, corruption, and crimes.

A president peddling narrow nationalism, sovereignty, inclusive development, masochism, and mob culture but relies on the fascist instruments of the state, is not waging a democratic campaign for lasting peace, but is actually carrying out a fascist war against his own people that he ironically vows to save.

Autocrats and fascist love to instill fear for the state and for the leader by using deceptive and coercive means. They adore continuously disorganizing society, creating an economic crisis, fomenting chaos and violence, gangsterism, as a basis for imposing iron fist rule. While on the other hand, a few favored elites and foreign corporate interests in the fascist circle, enjoy the spoils of everything.

Duterte rightly understands Machiavelli’s philosophy, who shares that element of a fascist ideology.

“If a state loves and respects its leader, there is little cause for unease in his heart. However, it is impossible for a prince to please all of his people all of the time. Therefore, in almost all circumstances, the best course of action for a ruler is to instill in the people. If fear overwhelms the hearts of the citizens, there is no chance of rebellion.”

So guys, prepare for the intensification of the fascist counter-campaign.

(For feedback, email to ombion.ph@outlook.com)

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