Carvajal: Non-democratic tool

WHOM will millions of poor Filipinos run to for deliverance from a life of abject poverty? Not the rich and powerful ruling elite. With the current system allowing them to take turns in positions of power and wealth, it would be dumb to expect them to strike at the roots of the poverty of the majority and the wealth of a few.

Federalism, for instance, has the potential to turn things around. Unfortunately, however, it has zero chance of getting the nod of a Congress that wants nothing to do with changes that erode the foundations of their exclusive control of the country’s economy.

How then can radical change come from anywhere else? Democracy’s rule of law is in the vise-grip of the elite who use it to crush any legal attempt at reforms that peril their privileged positions. Anybody wanting to change our laws and policies in any way approaching radical is stymied by the very same laws and policies he wants changed. It’s a veritable Catch-22.

Our traditional leaders are so entrenched in their positions of control and people have become so indoctrinated (with the help of religion) to accept the situation (as God’s will) of being at their leaders’ mercy that we can no longer solve social problems using democratic tools. We have reached a point where the only way to strike at the root of our problems is with something non-democratic like a revolutionary government.

Like it is correctly said that we need a cultural revolution, that education should erase regressive colonial values, promote critical and creative thinking etc. But only a revolutionary government can order these reforms. Traditional leaders will always want people to unthinkingly depend on, and vote for, them for their progress in life.

The Catholic religion, the historical foundation of our colonial culture of dependence on higher-ups, must also be reformed, but that depends on the bishops. But while corrupt traditional leaders always want to court a bishop’s blessing and endorsement, a revolutionary government can at least implement more strictly the principle of separation of Church and State.

We have had a nasty experience with martial law that it is highly unlikely people will support the use of this non-democratic tool. Communism, another non-democratic tool, exacts such a bloody price in its violent attempt to change our political system that I doubt if it is going to get nationwide support either.

People, however, might just support a revolutionary government, a non-democratic tool that some President or national hero or future father of this nation can use to straighten this country’s path towards genuine democracy or rule of the majority. If and when that savior will come, however, is anybody’s guess.

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