Election intramurals are heating up. Political parties sift through their members even as these shop around for a winner of a party to join. Bereft of social philosophy, politicians (all of society’s elite inner circle) are shifting loyalties purely on the basis of popularity and financial capability.
One way of figuring out why most Filipinos are merely, some hardly, getting by is to see these intramurals for what they really are, a winner-take-all game for control of the country’s resources. It is a veritable fight for the kingship of the Kingdom of the Philippines. To the winner goes the kingly power to rule and rule absolutely for the benefit of the king and his political and business associates.
Although we are a democracy, the head of the winning faction literally becomes king of kings and decides how he will divide up the spoils. Senators, representatives, governors and mayors, otherwise kings in their respective smaller kingdoms, must bow to the king’s wishes if they are to get any significant share of the spoils. The rest of the nation is given the needed ayuda to get by but never the means to get ahead in any self-sufficient and dignified manner.
Theoretically, the winners’ task is to distribute the country’s wealth equitably. Instead, however, they invariably do anything to keep the country’s wealth, power and privilege to themselves. Why do you think they invest scandalous amounts to get elected if they were not in fact motivated by expected financial returns?
The majority of us are merely getting by because we are not kings. Authority does not emanate from us, as it should in a democracy, and we have zero participation in the country’s decision-making processes. We are ruled by kings who buy their authority from us. Yet, all we do, besides complaining, is just to hope (and pray?) for a “better” king after the next elections.
If people were king, they would already have decent housing. If people were king, farmers would already have a piece of land to till and workers… living-wage-paying jobs. If people were king, they would already have running water, affordable food and basic commodities, true basic education, comprehensive health care, etc. If it were up to them why would they settle for the next to nothing they have now of the above?
But people are not kings. They are subordinates who must accept the fate brought upon them by those who bought their votes. The saddest part is people accept this as normal. To move ahead in life, they merely take shelter in the tents of the little kings that they expect to give them more favor. This instead of setting up their own people’s tent from where to fight for their right to equal access to the country’s wealth.
Their fragmentation is what perpetuates their troubles. These will not abate until they unite to become kings, until authority starts to emanate from them, and until government officials are made to behave like their paid servants. A pipe dream? Maybe, but dream we must.