All-Out War (Blog war, that is)

martha: i mean with me being cold.
john: oh i dont mind you being cold towards me either.
martha: no…
martha: what i meant was..i am cold sa activism
martha: ayun
john: oh well, its always almost impossible to educate the insulated
martha: so i’m uneducated just because i’m "insulated"?
john: im just hoping that what some say "universal morality" would start to kick in, in ur arguments
martha: universal morality?
martha: so you mean me and my kind doesn’t have it?
john: oh im not saying u dont have it, im just saying you might have forgotten that its in ur pocket all along
martha: i’m really sorry kuya if you feel that way.
john: no, im the one sorry for the people for having their future condemned this way. by people who are simply too intellectually arrogant to even lift a finger.
john: but at least ur case is excusable, ur from admu. no one’s expecting an edgar jopson or eman lacaba.
john: dont be sorry for me
john: lol
martha: i could do something, kuya.
john: some people deserve sympathy more than me
john: but unfortunately, they seem to be in everyone’s sympathy backburner
martha: hindi nga lang in the form of going to mendiola.
john: oh yes, i forgot, we can pray
martha: are you being sarcastic?
john: with God all things are possible, unfortunately, this has been misinterpreted to mean that we could just sit here and wait for God to lift the storm signal. unfortunately, He can only empower our every right move. no empowerment can come from just sitting around
martha: like i said, care for what’s happening in the society isn’t synonymous to activism.
john: so what do you intend to do with that care for urs that doesnt lead to activism?
john: while you’re trying to figure that out, we’ll be here trying to salvage the place from going to the dogs because not everyone is pitching a hand.
martha: what has activism done for us?
martha: has it fed the poor you are fighting for?
john: short term? it has created strikes and picket lines that gave those who were willing to risk things their much-denied rights. it hasnt fed all the poor, because not all the poor has been rallied around it.
martha: long term. for this country, all that counts are long term effects.
john: not unlike those oh-so-benevolent housebuilders who build houses, because you may give them a house, but the social conditions are still pushing people towards poverty
john: long term? activism is the only thing that has rallied the people to move and raised their consciousness. was it chit-chatting people who made things ripe for an uprising before edsa 1 and 2 and provided the fuel that the second envelope and the ninoy assassination ignited?
john: reform or revolution are always the two choices. activism has raised consciousness towards the latter, and has always tried to sharpen the former
john: does anyone of the goody-two-shoes armchair activist/internet propagandist ever done that? no. they are bickering ants, unwilling to unite with other ants
john: you want long term? only activists have provided an alternative that isnt based on change of presidents, but change of policies
john: but of course, its obscured by the fact that people find change so time-consuming. and of course, people cant be disturbed from their ant-like, robot-like lives
martha: i might be someone you call na puro salita lang…
martha: pero the truth is i know i can do something.
martha: something…pero hindi talaga activism.
martha: i can’t explain myself effectively now..nor counter your oh so good arguments now.
martha: pero i will someday.
john: sige, id LOOOVE to see that change
martha: i can forgive your sarcasm now.
john: as if it mattered
john: lets be scientific, whats the basis for any method’s efficiency?
martha: it does. especially when you judge people for what they think.
john: its how effective it is. judge it by the results. im sure there are plenty of people with the same mindset as you, and id LOOOVE to see any positive effects today
martha: if rallying for the opening of the second envelope has the positive effect you’re proud of…then where is it now? it lead to more problems..like having gloria there in malacañang for example
martha: which in turn led you to bring down what your movement brought up there
john: hmmm…
john: ur putting words in my mouth already
martha: i asked you about what activism’s effects were. and you said something about activism being the key to the opening of the second envelope, right? so its a corollary that one of the movement’s effects was the opening of the second envelope
john: papatulan ko: activism did not bring forth the opening of that damned envelope. it was never opened. what it did do was make the people ready for the eventuality that it would never be opened. you should read de quiros more, he expressed it perfectly: GMA was not the choice of the anti-Erap forces. She was merely a matter of circumstance. She merely came in because most peoples’ consciousness werent to the level of the system requires change, most still had the illusion that its only a matter of changing leaders. and if your looking and analysing at society in the long-term, the setback of EDSA 2 isnt really a setback. F. Sionil Jose said no rebellion is a failure, it is always a step forwards toward revolution. And look, from bearing the illusion that its a matter of leaders (EDSA 1 and 2) its now a question of the system
john: activism brought short-term effects to alleviate poverty by a little.
john: but it also raised the consciousness of the people that the only solution is a long-term solution.
martha: de quiros? inquirer. he never gives solutions to problems he tackle in his column. it’s just eloquent bitching, if i may put it that way.
martha: pero that’s beside the point, sorry.
martha: it did raise the people’s consiousness to a level. but seeing how the government treats you guys discourages them from moving with you.
martha: so it’s not entirely us being apathetic.
john: id accept that from some people, the factor of fear. but im sure it doesnt apply to you. in fact, its a step forward because it merely exposes what we have been saying all along: the State will resort to anything to remain in power and that its democratic nature is an illusion. but to come back to the main point, i doubt that fear is in operation here. look at your batchmates, its really apathy. fear would prevent action, but wouldnt prevent inquiry
martha: true. i agree with the last thing you said.
martha: pero i’m in no position to judge my batchmates whether they feel fear or apathy.
martha: and so are you.
john: (censored name of 06 na tibak) feels fear, im sure, because she took part already. how can the rest feel fear when their expressions become blank and bored whenever we hold discussions with them
martha: (censored name ng 06 na tibak)                                          

john: yeah
martha: she took part? really?
john: as mapangahas as i did during my frosh year
martha: how? she joined a rally with you guys?
john: no, she joined the organization itself
martha: i see
martha: did anybody else join?
john: i do not know. and i frankly, i wouldnt be surprised if no one else did. talking to some of your batchmates is like plumbing the depths of human nature: im exploring the abyss of human inability to sympathize
martha: i see. honestly…i do agree with you on the fact that my batchmates are apathetic.
martha: but it gets worse with the younger batches
martha: 07..
martha: maybe it’s because they see that the movements are pointless..and it doesn’t do anything.
martha: in their opinion ah.
john: maybe, or maybe its what engels called false consciouness
martha: false consiousness? maybe that’s what i have.
john: what is false consciousness?
john: wait
martha: k
john: the dominant ideas of a culture (education, arts, ideas etc.) are the ideas of the ruling classes. given such, it is unsurprising that many people would interpret society in a way that is favorable to the ruling classes. hence, false consciousness. just because marx analysed that liberation would come if the oppressed overthrew the oppressor (im not just talking about individuals here, im talking about entire social classes) didnt automatically mean that all the poor and middle class would see the need to overthrow the oppressors. this is science, this is physics in society. we need to apply force to create motion. hence, activism.
martha: could it be that activism is also a form of false consciousness?
john: it could, if Cuba wasnt existing as an example of the possibility of the removal of the economic exploiters from power. or the early (note, only the early) years of the USSR and Maoist China
john: we’re starting to wade in deeper waters, pero rejection of US-imposed economic policies and genuine economic growth through land reform and national industralization has many examples
john: and not just socialist countries
john: most developed countries today took that same route. preventing outright pakikialam of the U.S while making their economy self-reliant. one of the goals of any real change IS THAT SIMPLE. it only becomes difficult because the road to achieve it is full of bumps thanks to a State that clings to power
john: false consciousness? not when it has many successful examples
martha: i see
martha: kuya "john"..i’d love to stay and chat
martha: pero my mom’s running all screamo on me
john: ok
john: im saving this conv and posting it on my blog. this will be continued
martha: your blog?
martha: wait are you putting my name there?
martha: nakakahiya naman
john: no, im putting pseudonyms
martha: thanks.
martha: no insulting pseudonyms please
martha: ehehe
martha: sige gtg
martha: babay
john: bye

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 at 9:16 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.