Saturday 30 August 2014

"Of KOMPRE and of social media Trying become a protest subsititute"

"Of KOMPRE and of social media 
Trying become a protest subsititute"


"If there were 'fake reformists' President Aquino harangued and warned against, they're probably at the phony "Koalisyon Para sa Reporma" (Coalition for Reforms)."

These are the words expressed by former Ambassador and Arroyo apologetic Rigoberto Tiglao in his article about a pro-Aquino group launched on the day of August 25 anti-Pork Barrel demonstration. Known by its acronym KOMPRE, these pro-Government stooges trying to woo the so-called 'thinking class' especially those whom had felt the present administration's achievements and at the same time willing to offer ideas concerning socio-economic reforms and proposals for National development.

However, the group, in spite of wooing those whom able to think and show, seemed to be less of a militant and more of an apologetic in spite of its denials. They had used social media to rally these petit bourgeois professionals under their flag, much more that they want to appear greater than those whom had opposed the present administration especially after the issues that directly pointed towards the president and his clique, and not just the opposition whom directly implicated at the crime both had shared of.

But come to think of this, since they pressure people to support the administration in a guise of clamoring for reforms, how come they turned down direct action in favor of comfort such as through social media? Is social media, the so-called arm of the silent, apathetic majority be a protest substitute?

According to Leah Navarro, a once anti-Arroyo protester and self-proclaimed initiator of the 'Million People March', she thinks that Social Media made the silent maority informed, enlightened, aware in issues particularly those of Pork Barrel and Disbursement Acceleration Program. As she said:

"During the time of Gloria all of us are 'anti' because she couldn't hear us. Today it's good for we are being neard. Being 'anti' is not fashionable for it's nice to be 'proactive' citizens. For me, it's important to bring your pleas to the government in order to be heard."

But how? Through social media aside from mere lobbying from these so-called concerned groups yet fell into deaf ears of the system? The convenors, in contrast to those whom really oppose the system to the core are desperately trying to present themselves as progressives with the willingness to create alternatives to the growing revolutionary fervor. Of course, they would give paper reforms like any other groups trying to counter destabilization, only to found out that they are faux-progressive, or even Counterreactionary.
Sorry for the terms as it appears like those during the Soviet period, but why they are faux-progressive or even Counterreactionary in its appearance these convenors, and those whom oppose the recent protests against Aquino's ill fated polices been given? Is it because the convenors are mostly apologetics of the administration such as Navarro, David, and even Roxas? KOMPRE would been likely to be renamed as KOMARE or KOMPARE out of these people closely connected to the regime and its so-called fanatics whose likely cry is "we want everyone to keep quiet, not to disturb us, for we want to sleep soundly!"

There was even another commentator, who, although not related to KOMPRE, also shared the same disgust as he assailed the protesters and even those who had signed the petitions last Monday; much more that he had elaborated further Social Media as a primary tool for the silent majority to be heard of. Yes, he afford to say that the numbers are sparse compared to last year's, much more that he equated those whom had really invoked their protest, especially initiators whom had seriously committed to the abolishment of Pork Barrel to desperate traditional politicians trying to keep their seats warm and power in their hands.

"...times have changed. The so-called “parliament of the streets” is a thing of the past to give way to the so-called “parliaments of the social media.” This is the digital age; this is the era of social media. As I have said in an earlier post, the street is no longer a viable venue or platform for dissent; it is the social media, which has taken over. Unless issues and concerns are amply ventilated, discussed, debated, and resolved in the social media, people would hardly go to their mass actions on the streets. This is the glowing reality, but they could not see it. In brief, they live in the past; they have become a political anachronism."

But come to think of this, if social media replaced the street as form of parliamentary struggles, it's no difference from limiting struggle to 'those who have greater knowledge' leaving the masses 'stupid' and incapable of leading struggles in spite of they are greatly affected by the issue especially those of land, wage, education, human rights, and other various call of interest. And despite Social media may also support actual mass struggles as a propaganda tool, it is unlikely to be a substitute the way Rizal noticed the impossibility of reformism to end repression after Spain turning down the idea of representing Philippines in the Spanish Cortes. Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo did inspire the people to fight, but waging a struggle, such as for social change isn't a dinner party as what Mao Zedong said, citing these so-called 'idealists' whom wanted change, willing to confront, yet in fact scared of being beaten.
Right was Tiglao to call KOMPRE as a phony group knowing that in spite of using social media, of having contacts, they are more of a cheerleader than those of an agitator and a vanguard. Navarro had afford to mobilise as she self-proclaims as initiator of the 'million people march' and spoken against pork barrel. But how about DAP? And how come she and other apologists assailed the protesters, the parliament of the streets? Calling them as passé in favour of warming their butts and facing the computer and redescribed as social media? Much more that through Navarro and Ilustre's words, lobby instead of struggle, bringing your so-called 'pleas' to a really deaf-eared entity or an entity pretended to be deaf?

For sure these pleas cannot be approved by these thinking people such as this:

1.) Filipinization or Nationalization of key basic and strategic industries as key for National Industrialization program
2.) Expansion of the public sector and eradication of corruption, persecuting officials currently implicated in 'wrecking' national development (corruption)
3.) Strict regulation of foriegn investments and emphasis on production and domestic-based development with protection over local companies
4.) Genuine agrarian reform in accordance with the principle of land to the tillers, rural industrialization with cooperatives as the main vehicle
5.) Reexamination of debt policies leading to a call for debt freeze
6.) The further development of trade, technology transfers, and other relations with non-aligned countries
7.) The adoption of nonalignment and peaceful coexistence as a fundamental principle of foreign policy
8.) The termination of unfair treaties especially from the United States and other oppressor countries
9.) Guarantees for the freedom of expression, organization, and participation in political life without discrimination
10.) A real living wage for the laboring people across the board, and strict regulation over prices of goods and services
11.) Release of all political prisoners, Investigation of human rights violations, with prosecution of guilty parties
12.) Resumption of negotiations with the Left-wing National Democratic Front, and Moro groups Moro National Liberation Front, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
13.) Genuine autonomy for the Bangsamoro and Cordillera peoples
14.) Encouraging a Patriotic, Scientific, and Popular Education and Culture for National consciousness

And others that are detrimental to the interests of the system. The system would nod about these for chrissakes and even babble in Social Media sites, but in reality they nod for the sake of nodding it so is in commenting for the sake of posts and likes. They would say that the Bangsamoro issue is been discussed through by the congress despite Moro groups annoyed at the slow motions of the legislature in reagrds to the issue, but how about speedy trial of those implicated in human rights violations such as those from the military and paramilitary groups? How about a real wage increase across the board nationwide? Or even genuine agrarian reform especially in this post-CARPER episode? Again, the system cares about its interests: landlords and compradores will still dominate in their respective fields of interest, and their so-called 'benevolence' is as too minimal, treated as a holy water to consecrate and wash altogether their soiled hands.

And social media alone is not enough to support these grievances no matter how realistic it is, likely to be informed but less of agitating them and the capacity to mobilize themselves than those who directly organized and mobilized by the committed. Protesters in the streets, no matter how sparse as according to their observations, is at least continue to clamor and struggle time and again despite being supported by the same social media used by the former. They had faced the reality in order for them to march on and vent rage if not a series of grievances to the intentionally deaf-eared system. Most may are willing to join but out of their busy schedules they chose to solidarise through social media with a series of comments expressing support if not promise to join and turning the once sparse into a bigger one as supposed to.

But again, in spite of their insistence, social media can't be an alternative, much more that those who insist are hypocritical if they afford to march in the streets despite calling street protests passé. No matter how these Reactionary apologists and Counterreactionary "apathetic whiners" justify social media as primary tool over mass actions, they actually justify keeping their buts warm, of being 'comfortable' as its main idea!